Pedagogy and Community
We are proud of the instrumental teacher and music leader education we offer at RBC. We strive to ensure that our graduates are equipped to engage, inspire and support music making in children, young people and adults in diverse communities and contexts. As such, our Alumni enjoy fulfilling portfolio careers.
Students are offered numerous opportunities to develop their teaching and workshop leadership skills beyond the lecture room through credit-bearing placements, volunteering schemes, engagement with external organisations, and through our Learning and Participation Department.
Our courses
Undergraduate
We offer modules in community engagement and/or pedagogy across our BMus and BMus Jazz courses.
UndergraduatePostgraduate
We also supervise research projects in pedagogy at all levels, including taught postgraduate and doctoral study.
PostgraduateStaff spotlight
Dr Adam Whittaker is Head of Pedagogy and Associate Professor in Music at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, having previously worked as a Research Fellow in BCU’s CSPACE, and at the University of Nottingham.
Adam is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is an internationally recognised scholar in musicology and music education.
Tutorial staff
We have a variety of tutors who provide specialist teaching and advice within the Pedagogy and Community department at RBC.
Our tutorsOur alumni
Discover our graduates of RBC and find out what projects they have been involved in since completing their studies.
Our alumniOur partners
As a pedagogy student at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, you'll directly benefit from the many strong partnerships we've built up with performance, arts and educational institutions.
Our partnersStaff spotlight
Dr Luan Shaw is Associate Professor (Music Education) and Director of Postgraduate Studies (Music) at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire where she has taught since 2011. She is also Associate Head of the Junior Department and leads Pedagogy provision across BMus 4 and postgraduate courses. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and was made an Honorary Member of RBC in 2001.
In her former role as RBC’s first Head of Pedagogy (2011-2018), she led the significant expansion of provision for instrumental teacher education across the RBC curriculum. In 2023, Luan was recognised for her commitment to championing instrumental music teacher training with a National Teaching Fellowship from Advance HE.
