Writing & Research

My research and writing are grounded in a lifelong commitment to creative, reflective, and student-centred approaches to music education. Through articles, consultancy, and ongoing research, I aim to bridge the gap between theory and practice, sharing insights that inspire teachers, musicians, and learners alike.

PhD Research

The autonomy of private instrumental teachers: its effect on valid knowledge construction, curriculum design, and quality of teaching and learning
PhD, Royal College of Music, London (2020)

Overview

This research explores the often unseen world of private instrumental teaching - work that takes place largely behind closed doors, yet plays a vital role in the wider music education landscape. Through interviews and surveys with private instrumental teachers, the study examines how they construct and share knowledge, design curricula, and experience professional autonomy outside institutional frameworks.

Grounded in a social constructivist approach, the research uncovers both the freedoms and the challenges that come with such autonomy. It highlights how teachers navigate their independence, how they perceive pupil input, and how communities of practice might be strengthened to support reflective and collaborative teaching.

Research Questions

  1. What constitutes valid knowledge in the context of private instrumental teaching?

  2. How is the private instrumental teaching curriculum designed to facilitate the construction and realization of valid knowledge?

  3. How does the autonomy of the private instrumental curriculum support and challenge the quality of teaching and learning?

Summary of Findings

Despite their significant contribution to music education, private instrumental teachers have often been described as isolated, operating outside institutional structures and accountability. This research seeks to understand the complex dynamics of that autonomy, how it shapes teaching quality, professional identity, and knowledge exchange.

Findings suggest that while private teachers are deeply committed to their work, autonomy can present challenges in fostering critical reflection and collaboration. The research invites renewed dialogue around support, professional development, and recognition for this vital part of the music education profession.

This research continues to inform my own teaching and mentoring work, particularly in supporting reflective, creative, and student-centred approaches within instrumental teaching.

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Published Writing

Sharing ideas, nurturing dialogue, and supporting fellow music educators have always been at the heart of my writing. Alongside my research work, I contribute regularly to journals, magazines, and online publications, exploring the everyday realities of teaching and learning music.

Over the years, my articles have appeared in publications including Music Teacher Magazine, Cathedral Music, and the British Journal of Music Education. Whether offering practical guidance, reflecting on the role of creativity, or opening conversations about the values that underpin our teaching, my aim is always to write in a way that feels grounded, encouraging, and useful.

Alongside my published articles, I also contribute guest posts to blogs and online platforms within the music education community. This includes writing for organisations such as Trinity College London, where I share practical insights, reflective guidance, and creative approaches to teaching and learning. These pieces allow me to connect with a wider community of teachers, offering gentle encouragement and grounded, experience-based support.

  • Instrumental Music Teaching: Perspectives and Challenges, edited by Nick Beach and Gary Spruce, brings together eminent academics from the international field of music education to explore some of the major themes related to this often-overlooked area of the sector. Following in the footsteps of a number of seminal texts of the past 40 years, including those by Susan Hallam, Janet Mills and Kim Burwell, the editors have drawn contributions that examine a diverse range of issues related to instrumental music teaching, including creativity, assessment, motivation, access and inclusion and music technology.

  • In this guest post for Trinity College London, I explore how the flexibility and inclusivity of Trinity’s music exams support adult learners. Drawing on over 25 years of teaching experience, I discuss how adaptable syllabuses, diverse repertoire choices, and the introduction of digital exams provide adult students with the tools to pursue their musical aspirations at their own pace. The piece highlights the importance of recognising the unique journeys of adult learners and how tailored assessment pathways can foster confidence and achievement in music education.

  • In this article, I reflect on the role of local music festivals in providing performance opportunities and fostering community for learners of all ages. Drawing on my experience as a teacher and as Secretary of the Lichfield Festival of Music, I discuss how festivals differ from graded exams, emphasising participation, shared experience, and detailed feedback from adjudicators. The piece highlights the benefits for both young and adult learners, the importance of volunteer support, and the ways in which festivals can enrich students’ musical journeys while promoting confidence, connection, and enjoyment.

  • This article reports findings from a study that sought to identify barriers to music and music education in the UK. Emerging from empirical research involving n = 723 participants and clarified by an evidence base of over 10,000 research participants, the key findings presented in this paper relate to pupil and participant voice and involvement, location as a sub-theme of diversity and inclusion, collaboration and transition points. The research is contextualised by twenty years of policy initiatives seeking to address barriers to music learning. The article provides an overview of the research study before presenting the rich data that emerged within each theme reported. Research participant voice is used as much as possible to enable the reader to consider, reflect and interpret the data in a way that is meaningful for their own context. The paper concludes by asking why after 20 years of policy initiatives, research and evaluation the same barriers still exist and, as we emerge from the pandemic, suggests that this research provides a compelling case that now is the time for change.

  • Contributed to this national report as Research Consultant for ABRSM, responsible for collating and analysing qualitative data collected across the UK. My research findings and written report (29,000 words) directly informed the Commission’s published recommendations, and my contribution was formally acknowledged in the final report.

  • At a time when campaigns to protect the status of music within education gather pace, Hallam and Creech offer an unrivalled insight into music education in the UK in the 21st century. The editors have gathered together 15 leading experts in the field to appraise and analyse a wide variety of aspects of music education, including its place within a wider educational context. Set against the background of an ever-changing educational landscape, this landmark book invites readers, whether they are teachers, students, practitioners or policy-makers, to examine, reaffirm and reappraise the role music plays in education.