Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.142 - Chris Ricketts, Nadia Bunker, Abi Marrison & Katie May (Music Mark)

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 142, Patrick chats to Dr Christopher Ricketts about reimagining ability in Music Education, and the perceived dominance of the Western Classical Tradition in the classroom (0:50). Director of Music Nadia Bunker shares her Year 6–8 Schemes of Work, and reflects on what’s worked well, and less well (23:13). And Abi Marrison and Katie May from Music Mark introduce their new campaign, ‘Be the Inspiration’, aimed at tackling the recruitment and retention challenges within Music Education (32:17).Presented and produced by Patrick Johns.- Dr Chris Ricketts: www.music-curriculum.co.uk/about- ‘Reimagining Ability in Music Education’: https://tinyurl.com/DrChrisRicketts- MTA Conference: www.musicteachers.org/pages/conference- MTA Webinar ‘Stealing from Sondheim: the Art and Science of Effective A-level Mocks’: https://tinyurl.com/StealingFromSondheim- MATIC Brass Band / Red Earth: www.redearthschools.com- Music Mark ‘Be the Inspiration’: www.musicmark.org.uk/be-the-inspiration/- Music Mark: www.musicmark.org.uk© Music Teachers' Association www.musicteachers.org 

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 141, Patrick chats to Michael Wright about approaches to teaching improvisation in the classroom and with ensembles (0:33).Dr Liz Stafford introduces the forthcoming Curriculum Music Conference from Music Education Solutions, and chats about unrealistic expectations in Primary Music Education (23:37). And award-wining music teacher Zac Moxon explains how he has doubled his schools’ numbers at Key Stage 4 (31:04).Presented and produced by Patrick Johns. Michael Wright: https://www.musicteachermagazine.co.uk/authors/michael-wrightMTA Events: https://www.musicteachers.org/pages/eventsMusic Education Solutions: https://tinyurl.com/MESOctConferenceZac Moxon TCM blog: https://tinyurl.com/MoxonTCMZac Moxon document: https://tinyurl.com/MoxonGrade6© Music Teachers' Association www.musicteachers.org 

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 140, Patrick kicks off the new academic year with a look at A Level Music, with guest, Vanessa Wilson-Best. As numbers decline for A Level Music, Vanessa and Patrick discuss whether the qualification is fit for purpose in its current form.The MTA’s new season of online CPD is here, and Patrick plays a short extract from music teachers Katie Sollars and Chelsey Bamford from a recent session.And Rob Reich-Storer tells Patrick all about his new resource, CC Designer, created to help teachers include a wide variety of external resource into their lessons, all in one app!Presented and produced by Patrick Johns.Ultrasound: https://ultrasound.bandcamp.comMTA Events: https://www.musicteachers.org/pages/eventsA Choir in Every School: https://www.musicteachers.org/pages/aciesACIES Newsletter no.8: https://tinyurl.com/ACIES-Newsletter Sing2Save: https://sing2save.org/#resourcesCC Designer: https://www.ccdesigner.co.uk/© Music Teachers' Association www.musicteachers.org 

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 139, Patrick discovers The Rapturous Romantics in the third book of The ABC of Opera, written by Mark Llewelyn Evans. Mark explains about the power of children discovering their ABC (Any Body Can) through opera.The MTA’s own Laura Bendy encourages listeners to respond to the Call for Content, to hear from as wide a range of voices as possible.And the CEO of the Cathedral Music Trust, Jonathan Mayes, and the Director of Music at Hull Minster, Mark Keith, discuss the Trust’s educational work, and the importance of repertoire for young choirs.Presented and produced by Patrick Johns.The ABC of Opera: https://academyofbarmycomposers.comMTA’s Call for Content: https://tinyurl.com/MTACFCCathedral Music Trust: www.cathedralmusictrust.org.uk© Music Teachers' Association www.musicteachers.org 

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 138, Patrick chats to David Gray (aka ‘Music with Mr Gray’) about The Big Strum, a new ukulele event to be held in July in Devon, in association with Octopus Ukuleles and Devon Music Hub (0:57).Geoff Pearce introduces Music Scholars, a new online resource with hundreds of lessons for KS3–KS5, plus composition tools, marksheets, and much more (9:54).And award-winning author, speaker, teacher and workshop leader, Karen Marshall talks about neurodiversity within music education, and her new book, ‘How to Teach Music – Music and Neurodiversity: A practical guide for teachers and parents’ (19:59).Presented and produced by Patrick Johns.Links: Music with Mr Gray: https://www.youtube.com/musicwithmrgrayOctopus Ukulele: https://octopusukulele.co.ukDevon Music Hub: https://www.musiceducationhub.org/site/Music Scholars: https://music-scholars.comHow to Teach Music – Music and Neurodiversity: A practical guide for teachers and parents: https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008756871Dyslexia advice: https://musicteachers.co.uk/media/musicteachers_dyslexia_advice.pdf© Music Teachers' Association www.musicteachers.org 

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 137, Patrick meets Tessa Armstrong, founder and director of Voices for Life, who provide free singing workshops and concerts for primary children, with a focus on well-being.MTA President James Manwaring updates listeners about A Choir in Every School, including the latest newsletter.And Natalie Wild and Christopher Tarrant chat about their latest book, The Composer’s Toolkit, in which students are guided through tried-and-tested compositional techniques and processes, dating back hundreds of years, and still very relevant to student composers in 2026. Presented and produced by Patrick Johns. https://voicesforlife.org.ukhttps://www.musicteachers.org/pages/acieshttps://www.fabermusic.com/shop/the-composers-toolkit-p479626 © Music Teachers' Association www.musicteachers.org 

Send us Fan Mail2026 MTA CONFERENCE SPECIAL In Episode 136, Patrick visits the 2026 MTA Conference, held at Warwick Schools Foundation, in Leamington Spa. He chats to Sir John Rutter about John’s own musical education, the power of singing, the compositional process, and what happens to the fragments of his music that don’t get published (30:40).Liz Dunbar and Simon Toyne chat about their CPD session, ‘Curriculum Thinking and Curriculum Planning – A Conversation’ (5:35).Plus, Patrick chats to various exhibitors at the Trade Fair, including Justin Wagstaff from The Sound Post (1:22), Yvette Cooper from Sparkyard (Out of the Ark) (21:33), and Thomas Reng Thomsen from Speed Admin (26:18).Presented and produced by Patrick Johns. Sir John Rutter: www.instagram.com/johnrutter.composerLiz Dunbar: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/liz-dunbar-4a30702bbSimon Toyne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-toyne/The Sound Post: www.thesoundpost.co.ukSparkyard: www.sparkyard.comSpeed Admin: www.speedadmin.com© Music Teachers' Association www.musicteachers.org 

Send us Fan MailMTA CONFERENCE PREVIEW In Episode 135, Patrick looks ahead to the 2026 MTA Conference, and meets two of the speakers leading CPD sessions. James McEvoy-Stevenson gives an overview of his session, ‘GCSE Music: Planning for success’ (1:15), and music teacher and DJ James Stevenson makes the case for authentic dance music education, in his session ‘Don't call it EDM’ (29:18). Plus, from Brass Bands England, Deirdre Waller-Box introduces the new Future Leaders’ Programme, helping educators to develop the skills and knowledge needed to direct brass ensembles (16:26).Presented and produced by Patrick Johns. https://tinyurl.com/BBEFutureLeadershttps://www.musicteachers.org/pages/conference© Music Teachers' Association www.musicteachers.org 

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 134, Patrick meets Dafydd Williams, the Music Lead at Rushmore Primary School in Hackney, winner of the Outstanding School Music Department award at the recent Music and Drama Education Awards, to find out about the music-making at the school (0:46).Plus, Anna van Veldhuisen and Issy McMichael tell Patrick all about their use of the Kodály Method in the classroom, across different Key Stages, with outstanding results (18:36).Presented and produced by Patrick Johns.https://www.rushmore.hackney.sch.uk/Learning/Music-At-Rushmore/https://www.musicteachers.org/pages/eventshttps://www.instagram.com/doremisowhat?igsh=ZGR1aTR6eTRxYTd2© Music Teachers' Association www.musicteachers.org 

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 133, Tim Gray tells Patrick all about the new app 'Pitch Pals', designed to allow young children to practise their aural skills in a fun, game-based way (0:59).And Alex Aitken discusses A Level Music, with all its challenges: the importance of research as part of the composing process, the value of pastiche, why being Grade 8 Distinction does not guarantee you success at for A Level performance, and approaches to aural skills such as instrument recognition (16:51).Presented and produced by Patrick Johns.#CanDoMusic #GetPlaying #SaveOurSubjects  https://pitchpalsmusic.comhttps://alexaitken.co.uk/courses/https://www.musicteachers.org/pages/events© Music Teachers' Association www.musicteachers.org