Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast
Teaching Notes, the Music Teachers' Association's podcast, covers all aspects of Music Education, both in the UK and beyond.
Interviews with Music Teachers sit alongside chats with industry professionals and education experts.
Plenty of CPD, discussion, and reports from conferences and Expos. A must-listen for every Music Teacher!
Presented and produced by Patrick Johns.
Episodes
123 episodes
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.123 - Kirsty Devaney & Ed McKeon, Alys Wilding, Elliot Broadbent-Jones & David Kirtlan (Albion Computers)
In Episode 123, Patrick chats to Dr Kirsty Devaney and Dr Ed McKeon about the project Time Loops, run by the Science Museum Group, using old music technology in new and innovative ways, with Key Stage 3 resources to bring i...
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Season 15
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Episode 5
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48:43
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.122 - Dr Elizabeth Stafford & Dan Francis, Ritula Shah, Buster Birch
In Episode 122, Patrick meets Dr Elizabeth Stafford and Dan Francis, to talk about their new book, 'The Secondary Music Leader's Handbook' (0:48).Classic FM presenter Ritula Shah introduces the Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year Awards...
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Season 15
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Episode 4
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48:26
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.121 - Leanna O'Brien (Soaring Scarves Academy), James Manwaring, Catherine Barker
In Episode 121, Patrick meets Leanna O’Brien, from the Soaring Scarves Academy in California, who teaches music using movement and scarves, to help students really internalise great works by Tchaikovsky and Grieg, amongst others (...
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Season 15
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Episode 3
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38:32
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.120 - MTA CONFERENCE incl. Dr Jim Frankel and Mark Armstrong
2025 MTA CONFERENCE SPECIALIn Episode 120, Patrick visits the 2025 MTA Conference, held at Trinity Academy, Bristol. He meets ABRSM Chief Examiner and Jazz trumpeter Mark Armstrong, to find out more about Mark’s CPD se...
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Season 15
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Episode 2
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36:19
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.119 - Liz Dunbar, Asha Bishop, Alexander L'Estrange
2025 MTA CONFERENCE PREVIEW In Episode 119, Patrick chats to Liz Dunbar and Asha Bishop about the crucial balancing of creativity and academic rigour at Key Stage 3 (1:08).And composer, arranger, singer, conductor and ...
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Season 15
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Episode 1
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41:09
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.118 - Rilla Paterson, Julian Whittaker, Jack Laidlaw, James Tuck and Dustin Ragland (Ableton)
In Episode 118, Patrick chats to composer Rilla Paterson about her compositions for young voices, designed to help children with sight-reading; plus the importance of notation.Julian Whittaker introduces the MTA’s free ‘...
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Season 14
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Episode 6
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43:00
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.117 - Dr Jonathan Savage, Caroline Robinson
In Episode 117, Patrick chats to Dr Jonathan Savage about significant changes in the world of Music Education, the relationship of Music Hubs with schools, and new BBC Bitesize resources.And the MTA’s Head of Growth and Operations...
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Season 14
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Episode 5
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31:37
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.116 - Maria Thomas (Music Workshop Company), Martin Cullingford (Gramophone Magazine), Mark Aitchison (European Day of Music in Schools)
In Episode 116, Patrick is joined by Maria Thomas from The Music Workshop Company, to find out about their range of schools workshops, including historical music, and a very interesting workshop using cutlery!Editor of Gram...
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Season 14
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Episode 4
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29:48
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.115 - Expo Special - SymphoMe, Nikki Yeoh, Dr June Fileti, Rachel Hawker, Simon Beale
~ 2025 MUSC & DRAMA EXPO SPECIAL ~In Episode 115, Patrick visits the 2025 Music & Drama Expo, to attend CDP sessions, and chat to exhibitors about new Music Education products. Ifeanyichukwu Ezinmadu int...
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Season 14
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Episode 3
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41:17
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.114 - Dylan McCaig, Laura Bendy, Thomas Gregory
In Episode 114, Patrick chats to Music Teacher Dylan McCaig about being a recent ECT, and about Early Music both within the curriculum, and as part of co-curricular activities.MTA Operations Manager Laura Bendy shares deta...
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Season 14
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Episode 2
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25:26
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.113 - Mike Wright, Prof Derek Aviss, Catherine Barker
In Episode 113, Patrick catches up with ‘That Music Improv Teacher’, Mike Wright, to find out about Mike’s on-going work to promote improvisation as a standard part of music teaching (01:01).Professor Derek Aviss OBE discusses the psych...
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Season 14
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Episode 1
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44:56
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.112 - Jenevora Williams, Nic Chalmers
In Episode 112, Patrick meets singer, teacher, and vocal health expert, Dr Jenevora Williams, to discuss ways to recognise, manage, and prevent any issues with students’ – or teachers’ – vocal health (0:34).Plus, conductor Nic...
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Season 13
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Episode 8
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31:16
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.111 - Alex Aitken, Phil Croydon, Lissa Schneckenburger
In Episode 111, Patrick chats to Alex Aitken about GCSE and A Level composition and set works, including ways to teach them, their place within a course, and the barriers faced by teachers and students (00:53).Editor of Music Tea...
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Season 13
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Episode 7
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41:18
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.110 - Aileen Douthwaite, Alex Parsons & Liz Dunbar, Edward Caswell
In Episode 110, Patrick chats to Aileen Douthwaite from the Music Publishers’ Association, about the Every Copy Counts campaign, highlighting the legality of photocopying music in copyright, and logging it to help publishers, auth...
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Season 13
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Episode 6
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39:39
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.109 - Linton Stephens, Alex Parsons, Si Tew (Digit Learning)
In Episode 109, Patrick chats to BBC Radio 3 presenter Linton Stephens about the BBC’s new Ten Pieces, each of which has been written by a female composer (0:55).Alex Parsons introduces a new series of webinars from...
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Season 13
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Episode 5
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29:22
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.108 - Michelle Robinson, Gary Spruce
In Episode 108, Patrick chats to Michelle Robinson from Loughborough University about the special relationship between student and teacher in instrumental and vocal lessons, also looking at ways to develop it (0:54).And Gary S...
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Season 13
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Episode 4
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35:10
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.107 - Helen Minshall, Dr Anthony Anderson
In episode 107, Patrick meets the Winner of Visiting Music Teacher 2024 (Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year Awards 2024) Helen Minshall, to chat about her work, teaching brass instruments across Lancashire (1:08).Plus, Dr An...
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Season 13
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Episode 3
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34:59
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.106 - Ali Walker (Play Recorder), Dr George Waddell
In Episode 106, Patrick chats to recorder player Ali Walker about Sing Up's new complete scheme of learning for KS1 and KS2 recorder, 'Play Recorder' (0:52).And Dr George Waddell, from the Royal College of Music, discusses...
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Season 13
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Episode 2
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45:52
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.105 - Rob Reich-Storer (Assessify), Rachel Topham (Faber Music), Maddy Barnes & Peter Tamblyn (English Touring Opera)
In Episode 105, Patrick finds out all about the new AI-driven assessment app, Assessify, created by Rob Reich-Storer from Rhythmstix (0:54).Rachel Topham from Faber Music chats about the new Faber Music Teachers’...
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Season 13
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Episode 1
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45:28
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.104 - Mark Phillips, Catherine Barker
In Episode 104, Patrick chats to Music Education Consultant (and former National Lead for Music for Ofsted), Mark Phillips, about the start of Year 7, including the value (or lack of value) of baseline tests, questionnaires, and tests of...
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Season 12
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Episode 7
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25:00
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.103 - Jane Mitchell (Aurora Orchestra), Hattie Fisk (Music & Drama Ed Awards), Dr Bushra El-Turk & Dr Joel Bell (The Alternative Conservatoire)
In Episode 103, Patrick chats to Jane Mitchell about the Aurora Orchestra’s latest resource, Discover Beethoven, which uses the Sixth Symphony as a way into orchestral music for young musicians.Hattie Fisk, c...
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Season 12
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Episode 6
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36:47
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.102 - Prof. Martin Fautley
In Episode 102, Patrick chats to Professor Martin Fautley about music education over the last 40+ years.What was it like in the late 1970s?What have been the most significant changes?Which trends might make a comeback?What a...
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46:47
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.101 - Liz Dunbar, Nate Holder, Sam Leak
In Episode 101, Patrick finds out all about Liz Dunbar’s incredible new online subscription resource, Music Department Resources, packed with complete schemes of work, cover lessons, and much, much more (01:13).Nate Holder...
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Season 12
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Episode 4
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49:47
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.100 - MTA Conference 2024: Errollyn Wallen, Simon Toyne, and more
MTA 2024 CONFERENCE SPECIALIn Episode 100, Patrick reports from the 2024 MTA Conference, held in Queen Anne’s School, Caversham.Composer Errollyn Wallen OBE discusses her approach to composition, in a Firesi...
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Season 12
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Episode 3
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48:46
Teaching Notes - MTA Podcast - Ep.99 - Mark Llewelyn Evans (ABC of Opera), Pauline Black, Nate Holder
In Episode 99, Patrick chats to Mark Llewelyn Evans, from the ABC of Opera, about their work bringing Opera into Primary education, with books and workshops (0:56);Pauline Black gives a preview of her and Simon Purcell’s M...
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Season 12
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Episode 2
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42:09