Bridget’s Blog: Talking, Teaching, and Tea!

And just like that it’s September and we’re hurtling towards the 2025 Music Mark Annual Conference in just over 9 weeks’ time! You’ll have perhaps read my blog from earlier in the summer reflecting on conferences past as we opened ticket bookings for this year, but now the cat is out of the bag and I’m so excited to be sharing some highlights from our programme for this year. 

Our theme of Ambition and Quality provides us with many opportunities to present work Music Mark Members have been doing across the country. Whilst every single session will be great, and it’s going to be hard for delegates to choose what to miss, here are a few of my highlights… 

Of course, I would say that the live Make your Mark: Notes on Music Education podcast episode and the Research Shorts session will be highlights for me. But there are other sessions which will make me wish I had a time machine! Indeed, all five sessions at 10.30am on the Tuesday are likely to provide valuable thoughts and insights, from the discussion about quality to presentations on how to work with looked after children, those with autism and in alternative provision, as well as considering the place where communities are based. Then there are a variety of sessions throughout the day exploring why music and the wider arts are so important, how music can support other subjects (such as citizenship) and how various genres and instruments can engage children and young people (including opera, DJ-ing and music tech).   

As well as the breakouts we also have a set of plenaries. Hopefully Michael Price, Aileen Sweeney and James B. Wilson will be names many of you have heard of, but what’s exciting for me will be to hear them talking together about how their work writing music for film, TV, the stage and educational purposes – including updated exam syllabi – can push them to be ambitious for those who will perform it. How do they each ensure that quality is at the heart of their compositions regardless of whether it is for a professional orchestra or a student studying for their grade one? 

Of our other plenaries it will be good to hear on Monday from Music Education Council Trustees on the topic of quality and equity. On Tuesday, Youth Music and Art Against Knives will conclude this year’s conference  by challenging us to rethink how we value grassroots programmes and how they transform the lives of young people and the community where they live. 

As you can hopefully tell, I’m excited to hear from our 50-plus speakers over the two days! However, the biggest highlight for me will be having time to meet and chat with colleagues. As usual the conference has plenty of space for networking and with tea and coffee on tap across the two days. Whilst I have no doubt that whatever sessions delegates attend there will be ideas to take away, I expect at least some of the learning and development opportunities will happen over a cuppa! See you there, and mine’s an Earl Grey tea please!