‘£3,000 of musical instruments makes a huge difference’ – winning a Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year Award
26 June 2024, 16:50
We spoke to two of last year’s Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year winners, to find out how the award has made an impact in their school.
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The Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year Awards with ABRSM recognise and reward inspiring teachers in the UK who are making a difference to the musical lives of young people.
Anyone can nominate a teacher in one of the five categories: Teachers of Primary School Age, Teachers of Secondary/High School Age, SEND Music Teachers, Visiting Music Teachers and Best Music Learning Initiative.
The prize for each winner is £3,000 of musical instruments and equipment for their school, along with the chance to appear on stage at Classic FM Live with Viking at the Royal Albert Hall to receive the honour.
We spoke to two of last year’s five winners, to find out how the prize has made a difference in their school so far...
Emily Jones – 2023 Primary School winner
Emily Jones, who teaches music at Bishop Gilpin Church of England Primary School in Wimbledon, won the Teachers of Primary School Age category in the Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year Awards.
“I was so surprised and so moved that someone had taken the time to nominate me and got behind the music that we do at Bishop Gilpin,” Emily told Classic FM. “The children are really proud that it’s their school and their music department.
“What I’ve enjoyed about the response from teachers, pupils and parents has been how people really value music and how it can be at the centre of a school and at the centre of community – how it can just bring people together and break down barriers.”
‘Currently all of our Year 4 children are learning the trumpet’
“Having £3,000 to spend on musical instruments makes a huge difference,” Emily said. “Working in a primary school, I often think that the most important duty you have at this age is to show children that they can sing, they can play, they can take part, and they can have that sense of belonging and taking part in something bigger than themselves.”
Emily used the £3,000 prize to buy an eclectic range of instruments, including a set of p-buzz (starter trombones) and p-trumpets (plastic trumpets). “Currently half of our Year 4 children are learning trumpet, and half of them are learning p-buzz!”
Emily also bought 30 chromatic glockenspiels which she used to form a class glockenspiel ensemble, and a selection of brightly coloured percussion which have “really elevated” her music lessons with the school’s very youngest children, who are learning to read rhythms and developing coordination.
“Giving children a hands-on experience of creating their own music, and taking part in group music-making, really has made a difference this year,” Emily said. “Primary schools do not have a lot of money. To have a prize like this that so benefits everyone in the school is… it’s huge. It’s difficult to quantify, in terms of what it allows for in the classroom.”
‘This is what creates the concertgoers of the future – people who will enjoy music for the rest of their lives’
Emily was one of five winners to be presented with her Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year certificate by Myleene Klass and Alexander Armstrong on stage at Classic FM Live, in October 2023.
“Classic FM Live was one of the most memorable evenings. I could hear the Year 6 children behind me whispering, ‘Yes, Florence Price! We did her’, and ‘oh, Carmen, I love this!’, and I sat there thinking, ‘this is so important’. It’s what creates the concertgoers of the future – people who will engage with and enjoy music for the rest of their lives.”
Emily added: “But the thing that will stay with me most from the experience of being on stage was when Alexander Armstrong said, to a full concert hall, that every person playing tonight was there because of a music teacher having made a difference at some point. That really stayed with me. We were just waiting in the wings and that felt so special.”
Nimai Walcott – 2023 Visiting Music Teacher winner
The 2023 winner of the Visiting Music Teacher award was Nimai Walcott, Director of the London Music and Dance Academy (MADA).
“When I found out that I had won, it was overwhelming to feel the support and love from my students and the schools that we’ve operated in,” Nimai told us. “It’s very humbling, and made me feel really inspired to work even harder and inspire more young people and teachers into music education.”
The award has had a hugely positive impact on his students. “The children felt very motivated, and they took on their practice to a much higher level. They’ve become more motivated and inspired. They practise more. Many of them have gone on to pass exams with the ABRSM,” he added. “It has really been a rollercoaster.”
With the prize money, Nimai has bought cellos, violas and clarinets, expanding the instruments MADA are able to offer to their students, and has set up an orchestral club, a chamber ensemble, a drama class and a musical chess club. “Many of our students have found deeper passions and deeper loves with these other instruments,” he added.
Nimai added that the momentum is “spiralling” and students are now making their own music, putting out albums together, and performing music from the movies in a new chamber ensemble.
‘Music is so important for a young person’s development’
“I think access to music is such an important skill at this stage of young person’s growth and career development,” Nimai said. “It allows them to express themselves. Many of our students have expressed to me that they use it to help with anxiety, particularly with exams and exam stress.
“And particularly with our demographic, it breaks boundaries and gives students a platform where they can not only express themselves and learn, but also learn a lovely instrument and share that passion with other people in their family.”
Nimai spoke about the importance of these awards in the current climate. “The music education system right now is slightly endangered, and I think awards like this just encourage people to still invest into music education, and encourage young people – and any generation really – to still go back and learn an instrument and feel that they can be a part of music growth. I think the awards are really important for music education on a global scene.”
