Dr Anthony Anderson
Research Assistant in Music Education
School of Education and Social Work
- Email:
- Anthony.Anderson@bcu.ac.uk
- Phone:
- 0121 331 7289
Anthony taught music in schools for 16 years, during which time he was a Head of Performing Arts. He is an accredited Advanced Skills Teacher and coach, and has worked as an Outstanding Facilitator with the National College for Teaching and Leadership. He is an experienced initial teacher educator having worked in schools as a subject mentor and lead mentor across a variety of subjects.
As a former chair of the Expert Subject Advisory Group for Music, Anthony has worked closely with many organisations on curriculum development. He was lead music consultant for BBC Bitesize for many years, and also completed work on music curriculum taxonomies for Channel 4 Learning and Discovery Education. He has served as an adviser to many music services across the country, including Leicestershire Schools Music Service and Services for Education in Birmingham. Anthony has written many published materials for teachers and is a member of the editorial board for the British Journal of Music Education.
Anthony completed his PhD on music curriculum design in secondary schools in 2019 and continues to be fascinated by all things curriculum. He is currently working at the university as a research assistant in music education, contributing to a wide range of research into school and arts-based practices. He is a former post-graduate researcher and assistant lecturer at BCU. He teaches on a wide range of university programmes, including secondary and primary Music PGCE, and a variety of Masters education modules. In addition, he is external examiner for secondary music QTS at the University of Reading.
Areas of Expertise
- Music education
- Music curriculum
- Curriculum in schools
- Creativity
Qualifications
- Community of Practice around Research Supervision (SEDA)
- PhD
- PG Cert
- PGCE
- BA (Hons)
Memberships
-
Incorporated Society of Musicians
Teaching
- PGCE Secondary Music
- PGCE Primary Music
- Masters in Education
- Masters in Teaching and Learning
- Masters in Educational Leadership
- PhD supervision
- Masters dissertation supervision
Research
- Curriculum and music curriculum
- Music Education
- Composing
- Primary and Secondary Music CPD
Publications
Reports and articles
Kinsella, V. & Anderson, A. (2022) Inspiring Sounds Birmingham Music Service Research Report 2022. Birmingham: Birmingham City University.
Anderson, A. (2022) The Swanwick/Tillman Spiral of Musical Development: impacts and influences - Guest Editorial. British Journal of Music Education, 39(1) 1-43. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051721000243
Boyce-Tillman, J. & Anderson, A. (2022) Musical development then and now: in conversation with June Boyce-Tillman. 39(1) 51-66. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051721000280
Anderson, A. (2022) Curriculum power positioning in classroom music education: music curriculum design in the secondary music classroom in England Arts Education Policy Review, 1-14 https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2021.2023060
Fautley, M., Anderson, A., Kinsella, V., Devaney, K., and Whittaker, A. (2021). Sound and Music Go Compose Project 2020: Research Report. Birmingham: Birmingham City University. Research report link
Anderson, A. (2021). Understanding curriculum design in the perceptions and practices of classroom music teachers in the lower secondary school in England. British Journal of Music Education, 1-12.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051721000152
Anderson, A. (2021). Topic choices: Revealing concealed processes of curriculum sequencing in English secondary school Music classrooms. BERA The Curriculum Journal 32 (4), 722-740. https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.118
2019 Whittaker, A., Fautley, M., Kinsella, V. and Anderson, A. Geographical and social demographic trends of A-level music students. London: Royal College of Music. https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/7511/
Anderson A and Barton-Wales S (2019). Musical culture and the primary school: an investigation into parental attitudes to Whole Class Ensemble Teaching in the English primary school and potential impacts on children’s musical progress. British Journal of Music Education 36 (3) 267–279. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051719000366
PhD Thesis
2019: Happy accidents? Music teacher perceptions of curriculum design at Key Stage 3 in the English secondary school https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/7306/
Publications – chapters in edited books
2012 - ‘Developing Performing Opportunities’ chapter in Teaching Secondary Music edited by Price, J. and Savage, J. London: SAGE
2010 - ‘Students mentoring students: can it work in the classroom?’ chapter in Whose Music Education is it? (Ed. Finney Harrison) Matlock: National Association of Music Educators.
2009 - ‘Songs My Mentor Taught Me or Mentoring for Musical Development’ chapter in Sound Progress: Exploring musical development. (Ed. Lamont, Coll) Matlock: National Association of Music Educators.
Other articles and papers
2022 - Why do teachers need to understand assessment theory? Principles of assessment course. Chartered College of Teachers. (Co-authored with Booth, N.)
2021 - Music teachers are curriculum designers. British Educational Research Association Blog. 16 Nov 2021. https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/music-teachers-are-curriculum-designers
2021 - Music teachers and curriculum chess. Ensemble Magazine - Curriculum: resources for Music Teachers. No. 114/Summer 2021. Kenilworth: Music Teachers' Association.
2021 - Investigating Covid-19's impact on institutions: Birmingham City University news item.
2017 - Time to think. Music Teacher Vol. 95, no. 10 London: Rhinegold.
2012 - Curriculum off-roading. Music Teacher Vol. 91, no. 4. London: Rhinegold.
2012 - Assessment for Learning in GCSE Music. Music Teacher Vol. 91, no. 5 London: Rhinegold.
Published reviews
2013 - Book review: Careers in Music. Matlock: National Association of Music Educators.
Research Projects as Principal Investigator
2020, Curriculum models in school practices. Investigating the telescoping of Key Stage 3 into two years and its impact on music. Funded by Birmingham City University Pilot Project Fund.
Research Projects as Co-Investigator
2021, Uprising. Improving music activities to engage young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Funded by MEHEM.
2020, Assessment in music education. Exploring teachers approaches to music assessment in the UK and Singapore.
2020, Inspiring Sounds: Research into training for staff teaching music to young people with special educational needs.
2020, Whole Class Ensemble Tuition Assessment. Research into enabling whole class music tuition and its assessment in primary schools.
2020, Listen, Imagine, Compose Primary. Research into enabling composing in a primary school context.
2018 – 2020, Voices Foundation Singing Schools Project. An evaluation of a whole-school improvement strategy through music.
2018 - 2020, Go Compose. A study considering approaches to composing from disadvantaged groups.
Conference Papers, peer reviewed
2022, May - Has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted interpretations of musical meaning in classroom music education in England? EAS (European Association for Music in Schools). Faculty of Music University of Arts: Belgrade, Serbia.
2022, May - Go Compose! Research report on a programme for children and young people facing challenging circumstances. EAS (European Association for Music in Schools). Faculty of Music University of Arts: Belgrade, Serbia.
2021, July - Don’t stop the music: impacts of Covid-19 on classroom music education. An Unequal Impact? Covid-19 Research Conference. Birmingham: Birmingham City University.
2021, June - Pedagogies in a pandemic: impacts of Covid-19 on music in the secondary classroom. CSPACE (Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education). Birmingham: Birmingham City University.
2021, March - Epistemic ascent in classroom pedagogies in English secondary music classrooms. RiME (International Research in Music Education). London: Royal College of Music.
2021, March - Doing music in the classroom: how activity theory can reveal hidden dynamics of curriculum design. EAS (European Association for Music in Schools). University of Education and University of Music: Freiburg, Germany.
2020, June - Tacit notions of inclusivity for music curriculum design in English classroom contexts. EAS (European Association for Music in Schools). Padova University: Italy. Paper accepted, but conference did not take place due to COVID-19.
2019, July - Frankenstein curricula at Key Stage 3 in the English Secondary School. CSPACE (Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education). Birmingham: Birmingham City University.
2019, April - Happy Accidents? Music teacher perceptions of curriculum design at Key Stage 3 in the English Secondary School. RIME (International Research in Music Education). Bath Spa University.
2018, July - Music in the secondary school classroom: developing methodologies to acknowledge tacit teacher practices in curriculum design. CSPACE (Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education). Birmingham City University.
2017, July - What factors influence teacher planning of the KS3 Music curriculum in high schools in England and how do teachers sequence musical knowledge for musical understanding? Poster presentation. CSPACE (Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education). Birmingham City University.
2017, April - In what ways do music teachers plan the sequencing of musical knowledge for musical learning in the lower secondary school in England and why do they make these choices? RIME (International Research in Music Education). Bath Spa University.
2017, April - In what ways do music teachers plan the sequencing of musical knowledge for musical learning in the lower secondary school in England and why do they make these choices? ISAME (International Symposium on Assessment in Music Education), Birmingham City University.
Papers and research presentations by invitation
2022, June Our music assessment beliefs. Birmingham City University with Ministry of Education, Singapore.
2022, June What have we learned about children as composers? Listen Imagine Compose Primary Seminar Day. Birmingham: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Centre
2022, April A response to the Model Music Curriculum. Birmingham Music Teachers’ Conference. Birmingham: Services for Education.
2022, April Round Table Discussion: Issues facing music teachers (Chair). Birmingham Music Teachers’ Conference. Birmingham: Services for Education.
2022, April What is curriculum? Curriculum Design in Special Ed Schools. East Midlands: Uprising Research Project
2022, March Away Day. Loughborough: Uprising Research Project
2021, June Challenging curricula: issues and ideas for Key Stage 3 Music. Birmingham Music Teachers' Conference. Birmingham: Services for Education.
2021, March Research starting points in Music education. Uprising Project Partners Forum. Music Education Hubs East Midlands.
2021, February Curriculum models in school practices. Pilot Project Symposium. Birmingham: Birmingham City University.
2020, November Wrestling the leviathan: managing the monster of literature review. Post Graduate Researcher Thesis Coaching. Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education forum. Birmingham City University: Birmingham.
2020, September Developing understanding in curriculum design in the secondary music classroom. Leicestershire School Music Service Executive Group. Leicestershire: Leicestershire County Council.
2020, September Enabling students to represent complex ideas in pictorial form. PhD Supervisors Community of Practice. Birmingham: Birmingham City University.
2020, August What is musical learning? London: London Music Masters
2020, May Thinking in pictures: finding patterns in your data and conceptualising themes in pictures and diagrams. Post Graduate Researcher Thesis Coaching. Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education forum. Birmingham City University: Birmingham.
2020, April Who am I again? Pursuing a part-time doctorate or at a later stage in your career. Post Graduate Researcher Thesis Coaching. Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education forum. Birmingham City University: Birmingham.
2020, March Research dream: rethinking curriculum through a post-doctoral lens. Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education forum. Birmingham City University: Birmingham.
2020, March Five reasons why music curriculum design is harder than you think. Public seminar at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire: Birmingham.
2020, February Key Stage 3 curriculum design and subject leadership. Birmingham Primary and Secondary Music Education Conference: Birmingham.
2020, January Curriculum design: challenges or choices? Leicestershire Music Educators Conference: Woodhouse, Leicestershire
2020, January Curriculum making. Solihull Music Hub Teacher Network. Park Hall Academy: Castle Bromwich.
2019, November Music curriculum: perspectives and pathways. Wolverhampton Music Service. Wolverhampton: West Midlands.
2019, September What is musical learning? London Music Masters. King’s Place: London.
2019, June - Music curriculum: by design or benign? Music Summit, North West Midlands Music Hub, Keele University.
2019, June - Composing and progress in classroom music during Key Stage 3. Kent Music, East Malling: Kent.
2019, May - Music hub governance: an analysis. Leicestershire Schools Music Service Executive Sub-committee: Leicester.
2019, April - Building a curriculum: perspectives from music education. Seminar. Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education: Birmingham City University.
2019, February - What you need to know about research. Music Educators Conference, Leicestershire Schools Music Service: Leicester.
2019, January - Music teacher resilience. Music Educators Conference, Services for Education: Birmingham.
2018, March - Music as education. Westminster Education Forum, London.
2017, November - Music GCSE comparisons. GCSE Music conference, Leicestershire Schools Music Service, Leicestershire.
2017, October - In what ways do music teachers plan the sequencing of musical knowledge for musical learning at Key Stage 3 and why do they make these choices? Erasmus presentation, Birmingham City University.
2017, June - Curriculum design: is it important in a musical classroom? Fairfax Academy Trust music subject leaders day, Sutton Coldfield.
2017, June - Curriculum design: messy or method? Services for Education curriculum design day, Birmingham.
2017, March - Thinking about progress in GCSE Music. Sefton Music Service, Sefton.
2016, November - GCSE Music: an analysis of the changes. GCSE Music teachers conference, Leicestershire Schools Music Service, Leicester.
2015, November - Curriculum planning for musical learning: an impossible dream? ;Music teachers conference, Leicestershire Music teachers conference, Woodhouse, Leciestershire.
2015, January - The Key Stage 3 curriculum: planning and sequencing for musical learning. Solihull Music Service, Solihull.
2013, February - Creative music teaching at Key Stage 4 and 5. Music teachers conference, Leicestershire Schools Music Service, Woodhouse.
2012, September - Creating an inclusive school concert. National Association of Music Educators Conference, Stone.