Christina Coker OBE, Chief Executive of Youth Music says that offering a breadth of musical genre to children and young people is the key to them participating.

In the wake of Trevor Phillips voicing his concerns over the UK moving towards a segregated society, new research carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) for Youth Music shows that barriers still remain to there being real equality of opportunity for children and young people of minority ethnic backgrounds to make music. 

The research; 'A study of participation in ensemble music-making by young people of minority ethnic origin' was commissioned by Youth Music in response to an anxiety expressed by Music Services and others within the sector that relatively few children from minority ethnic backgrounds were participating. As national champion and catalyst for the participation of all children in music, Youth Music wanted to find out why that was.

It reveals a complex picture and issues which merit deeper investigation. Amongst the factors highlighted is the ‘position’ of western classical music.

Christina Coker said:

“Young people today inhabit a musical universe where a greater variety of music is more easily available to them than ever before and it can be seen that generation after generation of young people continue to shape their own culture and identity around the music they listen to. Young people’s music education must reflect this diversity of musical genre if it is to be perceived by young people as relevant to them and if it is to provide them with a basis for informed choices and judgements about the music they make and listen to. 

Hence the importance of the Music Manifesto and the support of its signatories who together are working towards a realisation of a shared commitment to extend musical opportunities of all kinds, rock, pop, jazz, classical and folk ‘world music’ as well as western classical to the widest population of young people. Indeed Youth Music’s advocacy on this and much else of what Youth Music has championed nationally over the last six years is embraced by the Manifesto: increasing access to music making opportunities for those who would otherwise not get the chance, wider definition of music education, including a broad range of out of school activities, music making for 0-5 year olds, a push for more singing for young people and investment in the skills development of the workforce.

Evidence from the research suggests that western classical music is perceived to be of limited relevance as a first choice for music making by many children and young people, particularly those from minority ethnic backgrounds. I would stress that I don’t believe that this is something intrinsic about western classical music, but a cultural situation which has evolved over time. In 21st century Britain western classical music now takes its place in a much wider world musical palette than was represented during most of the last century.

For all musics, but perhaps western classical the most – with its “not cool – not relevant” tag – the challenge is to create the approaches and opportunities through which the music can speak for itself and connect with youngsters emotionally. Inspirational musicians and music leaders working individually or within organisations (eg. orchestras), inspirational instrumentalists, singers and real live composers have a huge role to play, in direct contact with youngsters, not only sharing their musical traditions but creating and developing new music with young people - those youngsters can then feel the music is more relevant to them.

Partnership working is crucial too if a range of musical genres are to be represented accurately in high quality experiences for young people. Accessing the experts in each genre reduces the chances of the experience being a ‘watered-down’ version of the real thing.

The work which Youth Music supports out of school hours in the non-formal sector seeks to complement what happens within the formal sector and to present a wide range of musical genres from diverse cultural backgrounds to children and young people in an engaging and egalitarian way. However, it is clear that there remains an inequality of opportunity for children and young people of minority ethnic backgrounds, as well as those from socially and economically deprived backgrounds. This inequality appears (from the research) to be self perpetuating within peer groups i.e. young people from these sectors of society are not participating because their peers are not participating. This is just the kind of issue the Music Manifesto is seeking to address. Schools, music organisations and the wider music industry must work together with determination if we are to break this cycle. In cultural, social and educational terms this is a must.

Let’s also not forget how easily the words “fun”, “hard work”, “motivating”, “fulfilling”, “life changing” combine when young people describe their experience of making music together.”

Download NFER - A study of participation in ensemble music-making by young people of minority ethnic origin
PDF (1.2MB)

A full copy of the research is available at
www.nfer.ac.uk/index.cfm


Comments on the research from Youth Music:

The research reveals a complex picture; some issues merit deeper investigation. A lack of parental support for spending time on music includes but perhaps covers issues wider than that of relative vlue placed on arts and ‘academic’ subjects.

There is an underlying issue about real equality of opportunity only being achievable if those who are least likely to participate are not only presented with the same opportunities as other children but are actively encouraged to participate.

Offering opportunities to youngsters of minority ethnic origin to learn instruments from their own cultural heritage is not always well judged. The young people don’t necessarily want to study these instruments. To them it can seem like tokenism rather than being asked about their preferences.

There is room for further debate about the importance or not of having minority ethnic role models leading music making. As one of a number of strategies it may assist in encouraging young people to participate but if as suspected, there is a shortage of these musicians, attempts to encourage more young people from participating should not be hampered by waiting for the workforce to expand to include these musicians.
Equally, it is more important that the music leader appointed is a good music leader rather than someone who happened to be of minority ethnic origin. A skilled music leader of any background will be able to engage and enthuse children and young people.

The current situation seems (from the research) to be self-perpetuating as young people from minority ethnic groups do not participate because very few of their peers do.

Youth Music’s next steps:

Youth Music will be following up this research by consulting children and young people of minority ethnic backgrounds on their views on the subject of participation in music.

The organisation is inviting responses to key issues raised in the research and is actively encouraging people to highlight examples of good practice where effective inclusion of children and young people from minority ethnic backgrounds in music making with children from other sectors of society is being achieved, so that others within the sector can consider adopting similar approaches.