Introduction
The We Make Music Companion has been compiled to support learners, aspiring musicians, music students, professional musicians, parents and carers, teachers and students alike, by providing a compendium of good practice in vocal and instrumental music education, opportunities for collaborative music making, signposts towards advice and support, and recommendations for further study and upskilling.
There has been a painstaking process of compiling up to date research to make sure those that use the Companion know of all the opportunities that are available to them, no matter where they live within Scotland, or the stage of their musical journey they are on.
This Companion is as much for those who have just taken their first steps with an instrument from a WMM Instrument Library, in a local authority instrumental service or local community centre, as much as it is for experienced music educators and practicing musicians.
This first edition of the WMM Companion has two distinct parts.
Part 1
Part 1 is an online database, searchable by geographic location, as well as numerous other criteria, including in-person or online delivery, approach of the organisation, targeted demographic, learner aspirations, cost and stylistic preferences.
Part 2 – WMM Spotlight…
Part 2 signposts effective methodologies and pedagogies in a case study format, with a clear statement of this being a selective, rather than exhaustive list.
We aim to cover a diverse range of approaches, across various settings, reflective of the increasingly diverse circumstances encountered by teachers and learners alike. This companion will encompass whole class, group, one-to-one, team, face to face, and online approaches towards learning and teaching.
We also aim to be inclusive of all musical genres and musical worlds, including examples and resources for learning and teaching in Scottish Traditional music, contemporary popular music, jazz, western classical music and beyond. Particular emphasis will be paid to approaches that may include aurally transmitted vocal forms and practices taken from across Scotland’s diverse population.
Above all, the intention is to help more people make music, and to allow it to take them as far as it can. Music is an incredible thing, and it should be used and appreciated in a rich variety of ways: for some it will be a career, for others it will be an escape. For some it will be an obsession, for others it will be a hobby. For some it will be a creative outlet, for others an invaluable way of connecting with the social world. For some it will help regulate, for others it will help them lose themselves. Maybe, we all move between these uses, but each is as important as the other, and hopefully the WMM Companion will help you use and participate in music making in a more informed and unrestricted way, allowing you to fulfil your musical potential.
Happy music making!
