In 2015 Keith Ayling was invited to speak at the National Music Education Expo at London’s Barbican. The event is the prime gathering for all those involved in delivering music education across the UK, including teachers, music hubs, exam boards such as ABRSM and Trinity College as well as corporate bodies such as ISM, MMA, Yamaha and Steinberg.
Alongside others such as Alison Balsom, Voces8, Nick Gibb MP and Richard Hallam MBE, Keith was part of a programme inspiring teachers with new ways of working in schools, showing the importance of music in today’s curriculum.
D R Shaw, Music Teacher at Kirkby High School
“Excellent time at @MusicEdExpo, back to reality today! Highlights include Keith Ayling”
The session was packed, with delegates sitting on the floor, in the aisles and queueing to get in. Keith performed and spoke on his experience of the music business together with a practical demonstration of how songwriting can be used in the classroom in a group setting. Using a specially developed technique, Keith was able to show the delegates how they can compose lyrics and melody in to a workable song form – as a group – in about 20 minutes. The session – one of the most popular at the Expo – was very well received and led to a number of commendations on twitter and email.
Commendations
Nick Bottini, Head of Music and Multi-instrumentalist
“Thanks for the songwriting session. Loved all the sensory stuff about lyrics.”
Karen Banham, Music Teacher, Norwich
“I loved the idea of using objects to help with writing lyrics. This is definitely in my scheme of work now!”
Jonathan Savage, Reader in Education: Faculty of Education, MMU
“That sounds like a great session. Sorry to miss that!”
Nicola Jane Buttigieg, Film & Theatre Composer. Soprano.
“Getting a few pointers on lyric writing from @keithayling at the Barbican.”
