The main section of this issue has two main foci: the first is the relationship and potential synergy between music education and the philosophical concepts of democracy and spirituality and the second is different aspects of performing or performance. Conversely, the contributions to the teacher-practitioner section focus entirely on composing within the UK classroom.

I am a composer, producer, pianist and part-time music lecturer at a Further Education college where I teach composing on Music Technology courses at levels 3 (equivalent to A-level) and 4 (Undergraduate/Foundation Degree). A ‘Music Technology’ course, distinct from a ‘Music’ course, often attracts applicants from diverse musical backgrounds; it is not uncommon for a typical class to contain a majority that cannot read staff notation and have taught themselves to play their instrument. Sometimes the student's only experience of music-making prior to the course has been sequencing beat patterns using computer software. Potential students are drawn to music technology courses for many different reasons – perhaps their individual interests lie in sound engineering, acoustics, live sound reinforcement, computer programming or software application design. As a teacher of composing in this context, I am faced with a challenge: how to bridge the knowledge and confidence gaps that exist between students with more and less formal musical experience? I believe that music technology applications can help in this area, particularly with fostering confidence and motivation in less-experienced students. What follows is a student profile and a case study of one assessment task in composing, which will illustrate how such strategies can work.

What is composing and how is it valued? What does a good education in composing look like; what constraints hinder it and is it possible to overcome such constraints? Can composing be a personal, creative and valuable activity for the school student? What role does the teacher play in all of this? These are questions that I discuss in this reflective study of composing in the classroom.

I enjoy composing and feel able to write songs that I like and which feel significant to me. This has not always been the case and the change had nothing to do with my school education or my degree. Composing at secondary school did not move beyond Bach and Handel pastiche. I did not take any composing courses during my degree. What did influence the change in me was the fact that I made a friend of a songwriter.

This philosophical essay is a meditation on the multiple and contested meanings of the concept of democracy with the aim of redirecting dominant discourses in music education practices and building new capacities for democracy's practical use in music classrooms. Inspired by philosopher John Dewey's travels to China, and his influence on major Chinese thinkers like Hu Shih and Tao Xingzhi, the author plays with the etymological origins of the term ‘democracy’, finding limited value in its Greek origins, but inspiration in the many ways of referring to democracy in Chinese [Minzhu: 民 主 / Pingmin: 平 民 / Shumin: 庶 民 / Minben: 民 本] each of which has the potential to direct and enlarge contemporary instructional practices in formal music education settings.

In this paper the role of spirituality in learning music for North American adult students is explored by examining the case of shakuhachi music. One distinctive character of engaging in music through the shakuhachi is that it facilitates the attainment of an ‘optimal relationship’ between the practitioners’ musical pursuit and self-cultivation through a ‘simple’ media, such as a single tone. The findings indicate that spirituality could be experienced regardless of one's musical skills or the level of outward expression. A second characteristic is that both experienced players and beginners could experience what the spirituality of music means through certain forms of music practice, including the shakuhachi practice, which followed the principle of ‘less is more’.

Musical scores constitute a key element in the development of expertise in musicians from western tonal traditions, since they act as a mediator between the performer and the music itself. Our aim was to study the role of musical scores in instrumental performance practice by analysing the process of learning a new piece of music, as well as the frequency of activities related to that score, taking account of situations when studying alone and with a teacher. Sixteen flute students at two different education levels from conservatoires in Madrid participated in an individual semi-structured interview and completed a rating-scale questionnaire. Categorical analysis from interview data revealed differences between levels in relation to the activities they stated that they engaged in when learning new pieces. Results from the questionnaires showed that although students at both levels worked on playing the musical score correctly, higher-level students seemed to pay special attention to artistic issues. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research, as well as their implications for education.

This article discusses the use of action research cycles on a course involving groupwork rehearsing and performance. The aim was to explore various pedagogic aspects of the activities and improve tutor practice. This account of four action research spirals, taking place over a 10-year period of rehearsing and performing, considers their management and operation including activities, interventions, data collection, reflection and re-planning. Conducting action research spirals of this length can raise issues about combining the roles of tutor and researcher, balancing action and reflection, and managing an extensive and varied data corpus. Employing several cycles in an action research inquiry however, allows the retracing of previous interventions, and a fine-tuning of the process. A spiral of cycles, incorporating interventions, together with informal and structured reflection, can be effective in improving practice and adding strength and depth to the inquiry. This study also offers a contribution towards filling the gap in the literature on lengthy cyclical action research studies.

Repertory grids were used as a research tool to explore 73-year-old James’ musical development over two years. Choosing two music learning cultures for his instrumental learning, James learned the piano in a college workshop and the Appalachian dulcimer in his local folk group. There were clear changes in his musical skills and attitudes, particularly in relation to performing and practising, and an increase in his musical maturity as he transformed himself from a music listener into a musical performer, reconstructing himself as an amateur musician. The empowerment gained from his reconstruction was a critical factor in James’ self-fulfilment as a mature-age adult.

Within the context of British initiatives in music education such as the Wider Opportunities programme in England and the recommendations of the Music Manifesto emphasising the importance of singing in primary schools, the current paper explores examples of good practice in whole-class vocal tuition. The research included seven different primary schools in England and combined observational methods and semi-structured interviews with musicians, teachers and headteachers. Results indicate a variety of successful approaches to promoting singing in primary schools. Essential motivators for developing singing include an enthusiastic staff member, a supportive headteacher and support from other school staff. Additional motivators include access to musical expertise within and beyond the school, and a singing leader with keyboard skills. Challenges to good practice centre on the issue of confidence and skill in singing from both teachers and pupils, individually and in groups, recognising and rewarding quality in singing, and the sustainability of externally funded initiatives as pupils move through their schooling and particularly from primary to secondary school. Good-quality support from specialists and external organisations can facilitate good practice in schools, but it seems to be important to integrate singing into children's wider musical learning and development within the curriculum, in the extended curriculum and beyond school in order to help sustain a lifelong interest in singing.