Russell Lee Grant (Xiamen, China)-My Musical Futures Story

Russell Lee Grant is Lead Music Teacher, Xiamen International School, China
​
Musical Futures workshops will take place at Xiamen International School Jan 13th and 14th 2018. 

Currently I am teaching at Xiamen International School where I have been the Lead Music Teacher from August 2015. I teach the Middle Years and IB Diploma programme while lead a number of ensembles as part of the departments activity programme.

​I trained in the UK at Newcastle College studying a BA (Hons) in Jazz, Pop and Commercial Music, focusing on the bass guitar and alto saxophone. I later completed a PGCE in Music Education at the University of Sunderland and most recently completed an MA In World Music Studies at Sheffield University.

After teaching for 3 years in the UK, I chose to move to Taiwan and taught at Taipei European School. From 2010 I worked for 5 years for the British Independent international network Dulwich College International.  During this period I took up positions of Key Stage 3 Coordinator and Head of Instrumental Studies at Beijing and Head of Music at Seoul.

I first came across Musical Futures while I teaching in the UK around 2005. During that time I was teaching Music as part of the National Curriculum and The BTEC National Diploma. The department that I was a part of were piloting a range curriculum and teaching strategies with the aim to increase intake at Key Stage 4 and make classroom music making more inclusive and relevant to students’ experiences.

What I found in Musical Futures was a framework, which not only met our needs but enhanced the overall learning environment of our students. Teaching strategies such as informal learning and its its 5 principles helped students tap into their own interests and create music that they were passionate about. As a teacher it enabled me to integrate the teaching of musical concepts through a platform, which was accessible to a diverse student base.

Workshopping is placed at the centre of Musical Futures. This form of delivery reminds us as music educators how practical music making and performing should not only be at the centre of the lesson but used to harness and increase creativity and the curiosity within the classroom.

Recently, working in an IB school, I have found a number of principles which MF and the IB has in common and helps to support.  This includes the focus on collaborative and inquiry based learning where student voice and leadership is celebrated.

The idea of learning from each other and being internationally open minded are all examples of how each framework can help to complement each other. The outcome of implementing MF has resulted in a surge of student led bands, a nosier and busier department and more students initiated concerts and musical activities.​

Musical Futures workshops will take place at Xiamen International School Jan 13th and 14th 2018. 

---