Recently the executive committee had two Away Days to take stock of where we are and where we wish to be in twelve months time. I have to say that, although we were exploring some tough issues, we all came away with renewed spirit. We’ve got so much to be excited about in the future.

Likewise, we’ve just had the taster days of our new leadership training programme, which were received with great enthusiasm by over 150 colleagues from services across the country. So what have we got to be so upbeat about? Well I will tell you.

First, we can say categorically that FMS music services are raising standards and focusing on the quality of teaching, leadership and achievement. These are three core principles in all educational strategies that I know.

Second our programmes of playing and singing have evidence to show how they improve behaviour, especially in those who sometimes have been less motivated.

Third, initiatives such as In Harmony and Wider Opportunities are helping to heal the divide between rich and poor. How do I know? Because headteachers say so.

Now let’s make it clear: music creates wealth, music is part of a better educations system and music in the UK is world-class. Music educators are known to be innovative, adaptive, flexible and responsive.

We’re also pretty lean and mean - tell me a service where there is excessive bureaucracy. Having said that we’re also open-minded and always keen to find more effective ways of organising our services.

Music teaching is regarded as presitigious; sometimes we forget that, but our parents don’t. We also know that music is proven to increase attainment in maths and literacy. The quality of leadership in music services is better than ever before, supported by a new rigorous leadership programme. We also want our parents and children to have the power - they make the choices and we provide the expert services to facilitate them.

I believe that there is a virtuous dynamic between music services and the rest of the the music education sector, the government, schools parents and pupils. That puts us in a particularly strong position when we are talking about the future.

I am sure that politicians from all parties believe strongly in the value of music education and the logical distribution of resources through our infrastructure of music services. Indeed, everything I’ve said in the previous paragraphs are contained in a speech by a key politician with responsibility for education.

Let’s believe in ourselves and keep positive during this period of change. Don’t forget that we are all used to handling change. But we need to keep our heads high and our spirits up. A headteacher recently gave me a quote from a 19th century physician who said;
” Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water bath is to the body”.

We are the soul of music education in this country. Don’t let’s forget it!

The FMS annual conference for 2010 will be held at the The Hilton hotel, Belfast. See the conferences page for more details or go straight to the online booking area.

If you haven’t aready done so it’s worth looking at Tom Service’s latest blog on the Guardian website
www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/nov/10/in-harmony-music-project. Tom, who writes so passionately about music, is clear about the value of projects such as In Harmony, but also the vulnerability of music education funding. He rightly emphasises the value of the initiative and I would concur with his enthusiasm; there is some amazing work going on with children who are already beginning to rekindle their self-esteem through music. But I know that the whole spectrum of music service provision is making a significant difference to the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people across the UK. And that is the story we now need to tell.

In the latest edition of our ‘Aspirations’, Howard Goodall argues passionately for music services - but he also gives us a warning not to rest on our laurels. It’s no longer any good being the unsung heroes, or as someone else put it, the silent giant; we’ve got to be more effective and clear about telling our message. We know that music is working, but we have not yet conveyed that message with sufficient clarity. Do we celebrate the numerous performances that take place every day? Are we clear about the impact of the Wider Opportunities programme (watch out for the report that will be launched at the next Burning Issues conference on 29th January)? Does the world out there know and value what we do? The answer is perhaps not yet as affirmative as it should be.

So here are four simple things that I believe we should put into practice.
1. Every music service should offer a celebration event for ‘Tune In’ - the Year of Music. We can co-ordinate it at the FMS and let the DCSF know through their agents Freud.
2. Every music service should celebrate loudly the positive findings from their self-evaluation. But we should also ensure that areas for development are tackled positively. For instance, across the country I would like to raise the amount of teaching and learning considered to be good from a healthy 75% to a fantastic 100%. We’re making headway, so we just need to continue to make the improvements.
3. The FMS should continue to shout louder about the fabulous things that take place every day in every music service. Already the Think Again team have visited twenty five services across the country and been bowled over by the energy and commitment of those who are delivering from day to day. This investment in communication is long overdue, but it is already clear that we are beginning to reap the rewards.
4. We must think positively about what we offer to society - not what we want society to give to us. We are not part of a problem; we are part of the solution e.g. in reducing the achievement gap, in raising academic standards, or providing opportunities for all children, schools and families.

I am immensely proud of the work of music services. We know how to teach children, we value and support our workforce, we nurture our talent by providing secure pathways for learning and, most importantly, we care for music and we care for children. But I am also ambitious. I want Music services to continue to thrive whoever governs the country. I know that they will, because music is working and it is working because of what music services do.

The Autumn edition of our newsletter is now available. Your printed copy should be arriving soon, but you can also download it and read it here.