UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 21 FEBRUARY
Final-year MMus trombonist Jordan Kinsey was recently appointed as a part-time brass tutor with Birmingham’s music service, Services for Education, where he teaches whole class and small group brass lessons in local primary schools.
Jordan has also begun working as a Brass Teacher with In Harmony in Telford and Stoke-on-Trent, a community music-making programme that engages young people and their families. This role involves taking whole class brass lessons, and leading and supporting sessions with year-group orchestras, and after-school orchestras in schools.
Fourth-year BMus Tuba player Liam McKeown was recently offered a place to train on the national Teach First programme, the UK’s largest teacher training and leadership programme. When Liam finishes his final recital in summer 2024, he will begin hands-on training in schools while working towards Qualified Teacher Status and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education.
Following an online interview, Liam was invited to a Teach First Development Centre where he participated in a full day of further assessment activities including an in-person interview, group discussions and teaching scenarios.
Liam said: “During the interviews, I was able to refer directly to my experiences in the Further Pedagogy module and found this to be incredibly beneficial. I am delighted to have received this offer from Teach First and feel it will be an exciting opportunity to grow and develop as a person.”
Jordan said: “The training and support I received from Services for Education via the postgraduate Teaching Matters module and when I started the job, has made me a much more confident teacher. It’s also amazing to see what music means to the children in Telford and the importance it has in the school’s culture.”
Director of Postgraduate Studies (Music) Dr Luan Shaw said: "It's great to hear that the pedagogy modules taken by Jordan and Liam during their respective courses have helped them to gain employment in the music education sector, and that both students have valued their pedagogical training. We wish Jordan and Liam all the best.”