B. J. Music Ed.

(1998) 15:1, 71-8-1 Copyright © 1998 Cambridge University Press

A Holistic Approach to Music Education

Ruth Wright

This paper originates from a research project investigating the effects of a 'holistic' approach
to music education in the secondary school. It is based upon a case study involving the work
of one secondary school music department where a 'holistic' approach to the music programme
is adopted in that the work in the curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4 is used as the basis for
extended curricular work. It is concluded that the holistic approach offers an interesting and
in many ways educationally beneficial alternative to the more traditional separatist approach
to the curriculum and extended curriculum

Introduction
In Wales the National Curriculum for music is ordered into three areas of musical
activity contained in the Attainment Targets: Performing, Composing and Appraising.
The revised National Curriculum Order for music (Wales) (Welsh Office, 1995)
advocated a holistic approach to the delivery of the Progammes of Study for these
Attainment Targets. The integrated nature of musical activity was emphasised. It is
argued in this paper that this integration should not apply to work in the classroom
alone. Pupils' musical skills, knowledge and understanding cannot be fully developed
by classroom music making in isolation. For a significant number of pupils, however,
especially those from less affluent backgrounds, their practical involvement in music
making outside the classroom may be very limited or non-existent. The National
Curriculum for music offered an opportunity for schools to extend a holistic approach
to planning for the totality of their pupils' musical experience in school. In many
schools this has been taken no further than planning units of work for the delivery of
the Programmes of Study. The suggestion is made here that an opportunity exists to
extend the holistic approach to music education to embrace all music making activity
within the school.
In the past, the role of the curricular, day to day, music making in schools has
tended to be thought of, and therefore planned for, separately from the extra or
extended curriculum. Extra-curricular music has, by definition, been regarded as
outside the curriculum and therefore outside the province of the class music lesson.
Extended curricular work, whilst implying a continuation of the curriculum, has
similarly often consisted primarily of work with choirs and orchestras. This has often
led to a restriction upon the number and ability range of pupils who can be involved in
these activities and a resultant elitism in extra-curricular activity. Frequently, only the
musical minority within the school, those having access to instrumental or vocal
tuition, are involved to any great extent. A truly holistic approach to the music
programme within the school would present a different scenario. Here, the work in
the curriculum would be the originator of the extended curriculum by, for example,

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 A Holistic Approach to Music Education Ruth Wright

drawing choral work from class singing activities, taking forward pupils' compositions
for performance at school concerts or adopting a more flexible approach to the
formation of instrumental ensembles so that classroom instrumental work could be
developed. The benefits this work brought in terms of pupils' developing musical
skills, knowledge and understanding would then be felt in the curriculum with a
concomitant raising of standards of achievement. With this approach, a less elitist
music programme could be initiated, one in which a larger number of pupils' musical
education would be furthered.
Since the earliest stages of the formulation of a National Curriculum for music
education in schools, emphasis has been placed on the importance of making school
music accessible to all pupils, yet one area where this philosophy might not be said to
have permeated fully is that of extra-curricular musical activity. Paynter, when
discussing the historical background of the general music curriculum, commented
that in the past: 'direct involvement with the real artistic excitement of music found
no place in the general curriculum and was relegated to out-of-timetable sessions,
mainly for talented instrumentalists' (1992: 10). This situation may be changing with
regard to the main curriculum, but has it changed all that much in extra-curricular
activity? Too often in schools the extra-curricular programme is still mainly the
province of the musically gifted or those with access to individual or small group
instrumental or vocal tuition. We as music teachers so often propound the following
arguments in favour of our subject when fighting for timetabling, resources or just
plain status:
• the developmental benefits of music for children, both physically and emotionally
• the motivational and confidence building aspects of participation in music
• the positive social benefits.
If we take these arguments to their logical conclusion, we are saying that aesthetic
education, including music, is a vital part of children's development and that all
children should have equal access to this education within school. It must then be
obvious that to reap the full benefits from their music education, all pupils should
have access to equal involvement in the music programme outside the classroom as
well as within it. This is not to say that the exceptional musical ability of some children
should be stifled or its development retarded but neither should they be 'hot-housed'
at the expense of the musical experience of the majority.
'How to achieve this Utopia?' is the obvious question which follows. As music
teachers, we are now used to drawing up schemes of work which define the course of
study our pupils are to follow over an entire Key Stage. Units of work are devised
which integrate elements of the Programmes of Study for the three Attainment
Targets and allow for continuity and progression within Key Stage 3, or which fulfil
the requirements of the examination syllabus at Key Stage 4. How about if we took
matters one stage further and thought holistically about the entire musical experience
with which we could provide pupils during that period: if we planned the extra-
curricular with the curriculum, taking as the foundation of the extra-curricular work
that which we aim to begin in the classroom and developing this into our extra-
curricular programme? As Paynter says: 'If we accept that a school teacher's basic
obligation is to contribute to the education of all the pupils, then it is reasonable to see
the classroom and the general music lessons as the point from which everything else
will grow'(1982: 69).
It may be that to adopt this philosophy we will have to take a broader view of the
totality of music within schools but this may lead to surprising developments. As

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 A Holistic Approach to Music Education Ruth Wright

Paynter goes on to say: 'An exciting programme of music-making in the classroom

will stimulate interest in the extra-curricular activities which may easily increase in
scope and diversity beyond the conventional school orchestra and choir' (ibid: 69).
The argument made in this paper is that as the programme of extra-curricular
activity grows and diversifies, and this will be led from the classroom, the benefits will
feed back into the curriculum. There will be a growing and increasingly confident
body of pupils with performance experience who will be motivated to work at further
developing their performing skills, instrumental and vocal, having experience of the
level of preparation necessary to bring a piece to performance standard. Pupils will be
motivated to work at compositions, refining and revising ideas as required by the
National Curriculum, having had the experience of performing their completed work
in public. Pupils will also appraise their own and others' work intently, knowing that it
may be displayed in public and having the experience of hearing work in another
forum where inadequacies may be more apparent than in the classroom.
Members of the National Curriculum Music Working Group pointed towards
increasing involvement from the classroom to the extra-curricular when they stated:
'The skills which pupils have been taught in class provide a foundation for them to
make useful contributions to many different activities outside the classroom' (Moore
et al., 1995: 47). Witkin (1974) also advocates this holistic approach to the develop-
ment of the curriculum. He advises that while choirs and orchestras have an important
role to play in music education as long as they are 'truly broadly based', a point which
will be returned to later, they are 'no substitute for creative music making and
performance built from the class work outwards to the school concert' (ibid: 129).
Witkin sees the previous elitist emphasis on excellence in choral and orchestral work
to have presented a positive barrier to 'widespread participation in musical experience
in the school' (ibid: 129).
Lord Elton in the House of Lords debate on the report The Arts in Schools
(Gulbenkian, 1982) referred to the obligation of arts education in: 'not only fostering
the talents of the artistically gifted but providing opportunities for all pupils to
participate in artistic activity and to learn about the arts.' (Hansard, 1982: 100). It is
this participation which is basic to fulfilment in the arts and why should this only be
limited to the classroom? Possibly, the most gratifying form of participation in music
is that of performance. As Plummeridge says:
Participation in a school concert or musical production, even though it may be at
a very modest level, provides for a particular type of musical experience . . . a
performance to an audience has the effect of sharpening an awareness of musical
procedures (1991: 115).
Surely we should, therefore, try to provide this experience to as many of our pupils as
possible. Witkin makes the point that:
Achievements with choirs and orchestras made up of the 'musical minority'
brighten the scene here and there, providing sustenance and balm for the class-
weary teacher. However, this gratification is relatively short-lived and the teacher
must sooner or later face the fact that in all probability he has not found the
secret of making music a fulfilling experience for other than the 'musically
inclined' minority of pupils. (1974: 127)
If, as suggested earlier, we look at ways of widening the scope of extra-curricular
involvement then this need not necessarily be the case. This could present a more
satisfying state of affairs for all concerned. If the relevance of pupils' work within the

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 A Holistic Approach to Music Education Ruth Wright

classroom could be made apparent to them by its public confirmation within the
extra-curricular programme, perhaps this would go some way towards alleviating the
problem witnessed by so many music teachers: that the subject does not seem of
relevance or importance to pupils' every day lives. So often, classroom music
'repeatedly fails to obtain a general hold on the musical development of the majority
of pupils and is considered by many pupils to be irrelevant to anything that really
concerns them' (ibid: 118).
Fletcher (1987) and Reimer (1989) are among writers who speak of the constant
pressure upon music teachers to fulfil dieir curricular and extra-curricular roles. They
also speak of the outcome of this pressure which is that some areas of work inevitably
are neglected. If one fuses the two areas so that the extra-curricular in fact becomes
the 'extended curriculum'(Moore et al., 1995: 47) the benefits may involve a lessening
of the strain upon music teachers who are no longer trying to reconcile two conflicting
roles but are dealing with the delivery of their subject within the school as an entity.
An ample justification for this approach could be taken from Paynter's comment that;
'like music itself, a curriculum must have an essential unity to which all its elements
relate convincingly' (1992: 20). Why should this statement relate solely to the
classroom curriculum? Why should it not be taken to describe the work of the
department in total?
This unified approach is also given support by the National Curriculum: 'activities
are often referred to as extra-curricular. Where the activities are part of a school's
policy and curriculum intention, the term 'extended curriculum' is more precise and
appropriate' (Moore et al., 1995,: 47); and 'pupils should be given opportunities to
use sounds and respond to music as individuals, in pairs, in groups and as a class. The
corporate nature of music-making is thus underlined and the wide range of activities
in curriculum and extended curriculum opportunities are embraced by the National
Curriculum' (Stephens, 1995: 7). The communal approach to extended curricular
work may, and indeed should, lead to pupils taking the initiative in originating ideas
for the extended curriculum. As Adams et al. state: 'activities and tasks may be
initiated by pupils as well as teachers' (1995: 31).
The holistic approach, developing music from the classroom outwards, has
particular benefits for the composition part of the programme. The public approval of
a piece of music composed in class can work wonders for a student's self-esteem.
This, in turn, can transform a previously uncooperative pupil into a motivated and
enthusiastic class member:
among the greatest virtues the arts offer is the rise in self-esteem that comes from
creation. As a student struggles to express him/herself or communicate through
the arts, that sense of identity eliminates the desire to be noticed in less attractive
ways. (Gulbenkian, 1982: 78)
If composers in the real world compose for an audience, why should we downgrade
the composition work of our pupils to the status of only being good enough for the
classroom. Certainly, we are focusing on process in the majority of our classroom
composition work but there should also be a place for the products of this work to be
displayed to a wider audience than merely the peer group, just as art work is displayed
around schools, this place is surely the school concert. The process then becomes
cyclical, as Swanwick explains: 'Because products are the public, essential means of
sharing experience we gain feedback and reinforcement which stimulates and moti-
vates us. This is crucial for further development' (1979: 107). This may mean that we
have to accept what Small (1977) describes as 'a lowering of standards in skill

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 A Holistic Approach to Music Education Ruth Wright

acquisition for the all-round development of musical experience as the prerogative of

all'(1977: 211).
Perhaps a better way of looking at it is to say that we will be judging the work on
the basis of different standards, on the extent to which it displays the musical
involvement of the majority of pupils rather than the musical elite. As referred to
before, there will still be a place for the musically gifted to shine in such a programme
but it will not mean that the contributions of the many will be suppressed as being
unworthy of comparison with those of the musical elite. The school choir and
orchestra will still continue to have a place in this regime but the aim will be to
provide the 'broad base' spoken of earlier in terms of numbers involved and their
abilities. Even in this area of work, the emphasis may still be on process rather than,
or as well as, product. This is also supported by the National Curriculum Music
Working Group. 'The quality of a concert performance, a finished composition, or a
conclusive expression of opinion about a piece of music which has just been heard,
does not in itself necessarily signal success or failure in the attempt to engage in the
activity' (Pratt, 1995: 19).
The holistic approach to the music curriculum can also have far-reaching benefits
for the school as a whole. Schools are, after all, a microcosm of society and as
Swanwick states: 'As in all forms of symbolic discourse, music has the potential to
take us beyond ourselves, our own small space in time and our local tribe' (1994:
177). The more broad the involvement in the extended curriculum the more we may
pull together the various tribes within our own schools and work towards a more
harmonious atmosphere overall. This is also supported by the National Curriculum
Music Working Group who state that: 'The aims of the music curriculum must relate
to the overall aims which a school has set for itself. They will therefore embrace social
and spiritual aspects in addition to straightforward musical matters' (Adams et al.,
1995:23).
This brings us back to the point of the communality of music. Music has always
been a thing to be made and enjoyed with others. It was not originally the province of
only a few but a source of enjoyment and fulfilment to all whatever their ability.
Perhaps this has been lost along the way but as Small says: 'It is possible to restore the
communality of music which we have lost in our pursuit of what are finally illusory
ends, and the initiation of the process is within the power of every music teacher'
(1997:217).
The outcome of this holistic approach to music education should be that more
pupils will be involved in making, performing and appraising music more deeply than
in the past. The benefits this will bring are summed up by Reimer (1989) when
talking about the ideals for the performance programme in American schools but his
ideals are equally applicable in this context:
they (pupils) should feel that the efforts they are making are paying off in valuable
ways, in their senses of growth both musically and technically, in their experi-
ences of the pieces they are learning, in their enjoyment of performing for
audiences, in their growing understanding of music and of the creative act as an
essential component of music, in their sense that no matter whether they
continue to perform in the future, their experience will have allowed them to
cherish music in their lives with particular keenness and sophistication. (1989:
206)

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 A Holistic Approach to Music Education Ruth Wright

Background to the case study

The school in which this research took place is a Grant Maintained Roman Catholic
High School catering for pupils from the ages of 11 to 16. The school has 662 pupils.
The catchment area includes all Catholic primary schools on the west side of Cardiff,
although the majority of pupils come from a large inner city council estate and other
inner city areas. There is a considerable amount of long-term unemployment among
parents, which has an adverse effect both upon some pupils' attendance at school and
upon their academic motivation and expectations of themselves. In addition to the
statutory provision of Key Stage 3 music lessons, the school also offers a GCSE and
Certificate of Education (CoE) music course to pupils at Key Stage 4. Although there
is a wide variety of provision for instrumental lessons, the numbers of pupils having
peripatetic instrumental lessons has been declining since the withdrawal of free
instrumental lessons by the Local Education Authority (LEA). In the past, the LEA
provided a safety net by paying for pupils whose families could not afford lessons.
This has been removed since the school acquired Grant Maintained status, which has
adversely affected the number of pupils having instrumental lessons. At present the
largest groups of pupils having peripatetic instrumental lessons at Key Stage 3 are
those in the keyboard and guitar groups. There are also visiting violin, brass and
woodwind teachers but these have only two or three pupils each at present. Once
pupils opt to take music in year 10, the school pays for instrumental lessons for them.
At Key Stage 4 15 pupils have keyboard lessons and 10 pupils have voice lessons with
the peripatetic vocal teacher. A jazz specialist also visits the school once a week to
rehearse the jazz group. It can be seen from this picture that instrumental playing
within the school is very unbalanced and heavily weighted away from orchestral
instruments. This is also a good indicator of where pupils' musical interests lie: they
are very much pop-oriented. The falling numbers of instrumentalists provided the
music department with a very real problem concerning extra-curricular activity. What
appeared obvious was that the traditional choir and orchestra rehearsing in lunchtimes
and after school was not going to be a viable option in this particular school. Pupils
find it difficult to attend after-school activities because of transport problems. The
school also occupies a split site, which poses other problems in terms of drawing
satisfactory numbers for rehearsals in lunch hours. These problems brought about a
radical re-thinking of the department's policy towards extra-curricular work. The
decision was taken to adopt the holistic philosophy expounded in this project for the
following reasons:
• The domestic background of a large number of the pupils allows them very little
access to aesthetic activity outside school. It was therefore considered important to
maximise their exposure to musical activity within school.
• It was considered that this approach could bring about a greater development of
the majority of pupils' musical skills than a more traditional (separatist) approach
to the extended curriculum.
• This approach offered the possibility of extensive curriculum development because
of the manner in which it should progressively raise the level of many pupils'
musical skills.
This involved looking at the scheme of work in a new way and taking it not only as the
plan for delivering the National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 and preparing for
examinations at Key Stage 4 but also as the starting point for the extended
curriculum. Running concert preparation alongside the curriculum for those who had

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 A Holistic Approach to Music Education Ruth Wright

the talent and motivation to join in was not to be an option. This also had an effect on
the allocation of funding for peripatetic tuition as it was decided to focus on areas
which would be of most use to the total work of the music department, hence the
employment of voice and jazz teachers.
There is always an element of 'cutting one's coat according to one's cloth' in every
music teacher's job and the manner in which this holistic philosophy can be
implemented will vary widely according to the school and its philosophy. As Fletcher
says: 'The role of the secondary school music teacher depends fundamentally on the
type of children with whom he or she is dealing and the philosophy of the school that
houses them'(1987: 135).
What follows is a brief description of the approach one music department adopted
when preparing for a performance at the end of the autumn term 1996, in an attempt
to implement a holistic philosophy given their school's own particular children and
philosophy. The central tenet was to try to involve as many pupils of as wide a range
of abilities as possible and to carry forward for performance work from the classroom,
wherever possible.

Choral work
The choral work is integrated into the main music curriculum by selecting vocal
pieces for the performing elements of some units of work which can subsequently be
worked on as choral pieces in the extended curriculum. All classes are taught the
songs to be performed at concerts as part of their music lessons. Year groups are then
rehearsed separately at lunchtimes and, in the final weeks before a concert, all those
pupils who have attended year group rehearsals are combined and rehearsed as a
choir. It is felt that this makes the choir more accessible to all pupils. The intention
behind this is to make the choir a reflection of classroom practice, thereby involving as
many pupils as possible.
The aim is that the choice of material for the choir should be primarily driven by
the curriculum. However, the religious requirements of the school sometimes require
that other considerations take precedence. Even if the choral work cannot be linked to
the theme of a unit of work, there are general strands running through the Performing
and Appraising Programmes of Study, such as performing with fluency and expres-
sion, demonstrating a sense of ensemble, listening to and analysing music from a
variety of styles, which are applicable to all music.
The choral pieces selected for the concert in question also contained vocal solos
which were performed by two pupils from the year 10 GCSE class. The department
places a lot of emphasis on performance, including improvisation, at the beginning of
the GCSE course. One pupil was discovered to have natural vocal talent during these
improvisation sessions and, despite having severe emotional and behavioural pro-
blems, worked hard during lessons to learn one of the solos. This is an example of a
pupil acquiring a skill in class which he was then able to bring into the extended
curriculum. The pupil concerned is now having voice lessons with the peripatetic
voice teacher. The experience of involvement in this extended curricular work has also
had emotional and motivational benefits for him which have been noticed in class.
This also exemplifies the point made in the Gulbenkian report (1982: 78) about the
emotional benefits of active involvement in the arts and Swanwick's (1979: 107)
remarks concerning the motivational benefits of performance. In musical terms, the
pupils benefit from this approach in that a greater number of them have access to the
experience of performing in a choir, helping them to develop skills required by the

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 A Holistic Approach to Music Education Ruth Wright

National Curriculum such as their ability to sing as part of a group and to develop
their vocal technique. The soloists were also able to practise their solo and ensemble
performance skills, something that will be required of them at GCSE.

Composition work at Key Stages 3 and 4

It is felt that it is very important to give the pupils confidence in their own work by
performing it in public. This is an example of the 'creative music making and
performance built from the class work outwards to the school concert' that Witkin
(1974) describes and which is advocated by the department. A number of pupils' own
compositions both at Key Stages 3 and 4 were therefore developed for performance at
the concert.

Taped extract one

This was a composition by a member of the GCSE yearlO music class. It is performed
by the composer and other members of the class. The stimulus was a vamp from
'Creative Jazz Education'(Stroman and Michael, 1990). Pupils learnt to play the
vamp on keyboards initially and then improvised vocally and instrumentally over the
vamp in groups and pairs. They were then set the task of extending or altering the
vamp to make it their own. After this, they were asked to compose a piece based on
the vamp. This song was one of the end results.

Taped extract two

This composition also resulted from the vamp stimulus described above. The
composer taught the song to the performers and directed rehearsals in class. Again,
the knowledge that they were working towards a performance was a motivating factor
in helping the work progress and also an example of relating classwork to 'the range of
provision for musical activity outside the classroom' (Adams et al., 1995: 31).
This approach to the relationship between curricular and extra curricular work
appears to have paid off in terms of motivation and confidence, as this class gained-
visibly in confidence after the concert. They have begun to initiate their own
composition projects, taking responsibility for the choice of stimulus and medium and
working much more independently than before. They also volunteered to take a larger
part in the school carol service and joined with the lower school choir to perform as
well as performing a number of solos. This also returns to the point made by
Swanwick (1979): 'Because products are the public, essential means of sharing
experience we gain feedback and reinforcement which stimulates and motivates us.
This is crucial for further development' (1979: 107). The feedback obtained from this
performance certainly seems to be stimulating this group's development.

Taped extract three

YEAR I I GCSE COMPOSITION
This song was written and performed by a member of the year 11 GCSE class. He is a
talented pupil but has no musical education other than school music lessons, which
have been rather sporadic given his history. He has very severe behavioural problems
and has been expelled from several secondary schools in the city. Keeping in mind the

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 A Holistic Approach to Music Education Ruth Wright

holistic approach, the impending concert was used as a 'carrot' for this pupil to
produce some composition work for GCSE. He has problems with perseverance so
was given an open project but told that he had to have something to perform at this
concert. This was an attempt to encourage him to take responsibility for his own work
and also to show him the relationship between the work he produced and the
extended curriculum. He actually completed three songs for the occasion which will
probably make up his GCSE composition portfolio. The tape demonstrates his
growing ability to perform with fluency and expression and his developing composi-
tion skills. He also appears to have gained self-esteem from the performance and the
peer approval.

INSTRUMENTAL WORK
The instrumental work produced for the concert was either produced directly from
the curriculum as in the Certificate of Education groups performance of 'Wonderwall'
discussed below or as an amalgam of work from the classroom and with visiting
instrumental teachers. At all times instrumental teachers are linked into work in the
curriculum increasingly at Key Stage 4 and the foundation of the jazz group is
allowing this to be increasingly the case at Key Stage 3.

JAZZ GROUP
The jazz group is currently in the very early stages of development. It is being
developed as an attempt to solve the problem of low numbers of pupils playing
instruments in year 7 (apart from guitar and keyboard), as mentioned previously. As
there are very few string players, two at present, and the situation is not much better
in years 8 and 9, orchestral work is not possible.
The Head of Department therefore decided that a jazz group might be more
suitable for this school, as it allows all pupils to participate at their own level and is
more flexible in terms of the instrumental combinations possible. The aim is to make
this group as non-elitist as possible and to make it accessible to instrumentalists as
soon as they can play a few notes so that as many pupils as possible can be included. It
is also planned to include singers and keyboard players in the future, to maximise the
use of resources. Since the November concert a further six year 7 pupils have
progressed sufficiently to join and it is hoped that this is the shape of things to come.
The improvisation involved in jazz is an important element of the Programme of
Study for composing at Key Stage 3 and similarly of syllabuses at Key Stage 4. It is,
therefore, an activity that is revisited frequently in the music curriculum and can be
developed both within the classroom curriculum and the extended curriculum. To
this end, the peripatetic jazz specialist also works with the jazz group once a week.
Pupils appear to find particular gratification in the combination of performing and
composing through improvisation which this group allows. Public performance gives
both a goal towards which pupils must work and public affirmation of the develop-
ment of their improvisation skills. The pieces chosen for the concert included one
composition written for the group by the jazz teacher allowing scope for simple
improvisation and his own arrangement of Gershwin's ' Summertime'. The group are
developing a good sense of ensemble and a feel for the rhythmic elements of jazz.
They are starting to develop confidence in their improvisation during performance,
although there is still much work to be done in this area. This is an area where the
holistic approach is particularly effective as these skills were developed through

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 A Holistic Approach to Music Education Ruth Wright

individual work in class music lessons, particularly when class pieces were based
around the same scale or chords as a jazz group piece. Similarly, the players growing
expertise and confidence in improvisation will be fed back into the curriculum to
stimulate other pupils and enhance the musical experience in lessons.

Certificate of Education (CoE) work

The CoE syllabus is built around a number of modules each focusing on an area of
music making. A number of pieces both individual and ensemble learnt for the
performance element of this course were also performed in the concert. These pupils
are all entitled to free instrumental and vocal lessons as part of their Key Stage 4
course. It is considered important to relate the work in instrumental lessons to that in
the curriculum and extended curriculum. The concert performances were an ideal
way to achieve this. Amongst the work performed was a vocal and piano solo
performed by a pupil with a statement of special educational needs, a group
performance of the Oasis song 'Wonderwall' and a vocal and instrumental ensemble
performance of 'Rock Around The Clock'. Most members of this group have
statements of special educational needs and spend time with the support teacher
working on reading and writing. They have gained real confidence through their
music making on the CoE course and from inclusion in this and previous concerts, to
the extent that some of them are now being entered for GCSE. This is a compelling
argument for this inclusive approach to music-making. It is the 'engagement with the
activity' (Pratt, 1995) which is the focus of the performance. Subsequently, it should
be noted that a number of interesting things are happening here. First, pupils are
engaging with the activity on a number of different levels, or through a number of
activities. They are singing and playing at the same time, or performing from memory
having internalised the music and words. They may be coordinating playing with two
hands on the keyboard or playing fingered chords, not the easier single-fingered
version. These pupils have been developing their musical skills through the holistic
approach to the curriculum, utilising opportunities in the extended curriculum to
develop their skills and bringing these skills back into the curriculum. This has
benefited them to the extent that they are now thought capable of progressing to
GCSE.

Conclusions
There are problems with this approach to music education. One tends to take more
gambles in performance than with select groups of musicians and, as with all gambles,
the outcome is uncertain. In this respect, the difficulty for music teachers is the
uncertainty of the outcome of the performance. Inevitably, the standard of some
performances is lower than if one only displays the musical cream performing works
by established composers. If one includes everybody, it is possible that some pupils
will not have the maturity and self control to behave properly or to rise to the occasion
in performance. The approach also involves a huge commitment of time and energy.
In fact, in some ways it is more demanding than the conventional approach because
everything counts. One cannot coast through class lessons and save oneself for the
choir and orchestra rehearsals because the class lessons are going to produce the work
for performance. Also, with a larger and more varied cohort of pupils involved in
rehearsals and performances, control and discipline can be even more testing than
usual. Having said this, there are huge benefits to be gained from this approach. The

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 A Holistic Approach to Music Education Ruth Wright

primary benefit is the positive feedback into the curriculum. Broad involvement in the
extended curriculum gives pupils a chance to hone and develop skills acquired within
the curriculum and practise them in new contexts. The insights thus acquired are
then brought back into the curriculum and used to develop further work. Thus, the
cyclical process of drawing from and feeding back into the curriculum is initiated.
The result should be a steady and continuous development of the musical skills,
knowledge and understanding of pupils in the school and a corresponding rise in
standards of achievement in all areas of musical activity within the school.
As mentioned earlier, the manner in which this holistic approach could be
implemented will vary greatly according to the circumstances of the school. The
evidence discussed in this article is the result of one school's approach to imple-
menting this philosophy. The music department considers that it is a valid option for
their particular school and that it offers the best all-round musical education to these
children. The socially disadvantaged background of many of the children means that
they have little involvement in aesthetic activity outside school. The holistic approach
to the curriculum gives maximum exposure to musical activity within the school to as
many pupils as possible.
It is considered that this approach to music education, whilst possibly not
universally applicable, presents an interesting alternative to the traditional separatist
approach to curricular and extra/extended curricular music in schools. It is also an
approach which is in accordance with the holistic intentions of the National
Curriculum for music. The approach could be particularly beneficial to pupils in
schools in socially disadvantaged areas. It offers undoubted benefits to the majority of
pupils' musical development which could bring about an improvement in standards of
musical achievement throughout the school.

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