Last month, we celebrated with our Musicians of Change (PGCEi) graduates at their graduation ceremony in Birmingham, the culmination of a year of hard work and dedication. Musicians of Change is a year-long programme for musicians who are committed to transforming music education, and students benefit from being part of a network of like-minded people who want to deliver excellent, inclusive, group instrumental teaching that reflects the diversity of society. The Movement caught up with graduate Ruth, and heard how Musicians of Change became a journey of transformation.

“My experience was life-changing, really extraordinary though certainly challenging. I’ve become a much braver teacher and I’ve learned how to make myself vulnerable as an educator. It is quite a leap, but allowing those vulnerabilities to be there reminds me why I’ve become a teacher. It’s quite easy to lose sight of that. I go into every class now with an open heart and I’m ready to question everything I do and everything that I think I am.”

Ruth, who became a teacher after seeing her children learn the Suzuki method, said that the programme makes students think less about the ‘what’ and more about the ‘why’ when it comes to teaching practice. “As musicians who teach music, we’re in a really unique position working practically with young people, whereas classroom teachers are constantly constrained by the detail of the curriculum. We have more freedom to respond to the innate desire in young people to be creative and to support that desire – to share the belief that the world can be a better place. On a very personal level, it’s about trying to keep a sense of hope and joy and being unapologetic about the fact that music is an amazing thing which is in everyone and for everyone.”

 Could you be part of Musicians of Change 2023-24? Applications are now open.