Press Release

Rock-style music lessons boost popularity of GCSE music

10 October 2008

A radical new approach to teaching music that enables secondary pupils to “jam” like rock stars has prompted a sharp rise in the number of pupils wanting to take GCSE music.

The Musical Futures initiative has improved pupils’ behaviour, made them more willing to focus on their lessons and given them more confidence in their music-making abilities. It has also boosted motivation, both in pupils who already play an instrument and in those who previously had no interest in music, finds a study by music education experts from the Institute of Education, London.

Musical Futures was set up in 2003 by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to discover new ways of engaging 11- to 19-year-olds with music. Nearly 700 teachers from around the UK are known to be using the Musical Futures approach, which brings informal teaching and learning into the school. Lessons include copying recordings by ear the way pop musicians do, practical music-making activities outside of school and creating their own music on the internet. 

Professor Susan Hallam, who evaluated the project with Dr Andrea Creech, commented: “Musical Futures gives students more control over what and how they’re learning. Choosing the music they want to learn to play enables them to make links between school music and the music that they listen to outside of school. It also increases their motivation.”

After using Musical Futures with their classes, teachers reported a more than 40 per cent increase in pupils wanting to study GCSE music. In addition, 13 per cent of the 1,079 11- to 14-year-olds questioned said they were definitely going to take GCSE music, compared with a national average of between 7 and 8 per cent. There was also a considerable increase in pupils’ levels of attainment in tests at age 14.

Almost half of the Musical Futures teachers surveyed (47 per cent) found that their pupils were more motivated. Teachers reported better behaviour, a wider range of pupils engaged with music, increased concentration, enhanced musical skills, more confidence, small group and leadership skills and more willingness to learn on their own.

They also said that after experiencing Musical Futures, pupils’ improvement was greater than expected. They gave better musical performances than previously, and teachers felt they had a greater chance of fulfilling their musical potential.

Most pupils said they preferred Musical Futures to other types of music lessons. They especially enjoyed the practical music-making activities and the chance to work in small groups with their friends and learn independently. They were pleased to be able to listen to music they liked and felt a greater sense of connection between music-making activities in and out of school.

But 33 per cent of the Musical Futures teachers said that limited space made it difficult to implement Musical Futures, and 17 per cent complained of a lack of funds for the purchase of instruments.

Professor Hallam said: “We know that young people benefit both personally and socially from making music together. The more support we can give schools to develop pupils’ musical skills, the more likely they are to engage in active music-making as a leisure activity.”