When Music Education Unites something special happens. That is what I have seen this week in response to A Choir in Every School. If you haven’t heard about this campaign, then please see my previous blog. I have been inundated with messages of support, and countless messages from teachers who want to see a choir in their school. Teachers have shared their problems, solutions and good news stories. I will be getting round to writing to those who have got in touch – but as you can imagine, that will take a bit of time.
Music Education United
Now don’t worry, I am not going to start a football team, although if I do I think I will put Simon Toyne upfront and maybe Ed Watkins in goal! Alex Aitken can be the manager, with Liz Dunbar in defence and James Sills midfield. I am sure that Michelle James will take on an attacking role and I am thinking that Patrick Johns can go on the wing. I digress…(but I feel a 5 a side competition at the MTA conference coming on!)
What I am calling for is a united music education, and actually I think we are pretty good for that. The more we can come together as a sector and profession, the more change we can affect. Our students will benefit from us sharing ideas and supporting each other. This choir campaign gives us a perfect avenue to unite and see what we can do. Music Education United is music education changed. I have loved reading about where music is happening and I want to continue to see that. And in all seriously I want to get the right players in the right position – so if you think you can help, please let me know!
Together
Someone asked me if I am going to personally put a choir in every school. Well, that would be exciting, but a lot of work. My aim is that we do this together – united! There will be so much amazing work going on up and down the country, that all we need to do is connect the dots. So here are a few of the key things that we can do together:
- Connect the people & projects that will make this campaign a success
- Gather a list of problems & issues that we will then aim to solve
- Work on initiatives that will help to support the campaign
- Find out what schools have a choir and create a list – and yes I am thinking of literally ticking them off!
Start, Support, Sustain
And remember that we have three clear objectives that underpin this campaign:
- Start – Where there isn’t a choir, let’s start one. Identify a choir leader and give them the tools and confidence to begin.
- Support – Choirs need resources, leaders need encouragement and guidance, and schools need to actively support singing as part of their culture.
- Sustain – Where choirs already exist, help them to grow, diversify, and thrive through progression, repertoire, and meaningful opportunities.
In essence this campaign will be about webinars, resources, training, support, advice and encouragement.
Next steps
So what is next for our campaign to put a choir in every school?
Firstly, I would love you to continue to get in touch. There is a form on my previous blog, please fill it in so I have your details. But I would also love you to join me for a webinar on Monday 23rd February 2026 at 7pm. You can sign up for that session here and I will be joined by Jenny Trattles as well as some Music Teachers Association committee members. At this webinar we will be launching the campaign, looking at how you can get involved and what you can expect to get out of it.
And then on Friday 27th February I will be gathering everyone who runs a company, works for an organisation, leads a hub or wants to support in a corporate capacity. This webinar will be at 10am and I hope to gather the music industry to chat about next steps. You can sign up for that here.
Prior to these events I will be at the Music & Drama Education Expo in London and I would love you to come to the MTA stand and say hello! We will have some flyers about the campaign and also we would just love to chat. The expo is free, so please do go and sign up now if not already.
When Music Education Unites
I think it is clear that music education is the best! We are all in this together and I think we are united in our mission to give young people the very best opportunities. But let’s really united over this campaign. Please do join me for the webinars, keep sending me your stories and share the campaign on social media. If we can get some momentum behind this, then I truly believe we can put a choir in every school. I am committed to this mission, it is something I am passionate about.
But in fact there is something behind all of this, and it is bigger than choirs. It is a desire to see music in schools given the attention it deserves. Music should exist simply because music is a worthy pursuit. Yes it has benefits, but music is music and we should want it in our schools!
I want to see not only a choir in every school, but a strong curriculum in every school. I want to see orchestras, bands, ensembles and instrumental lessons in every school. I want to see rich and vibrant key stage 3 lessons, inspiring key stage 2 lessons and full classes at key stage 4 & 5. This isn’t just about choirs, but let’s start somewhere, let’s put A Choir in Every School!
Click on the image below to take you to our dedicated ACIES page!
The momentum around “A Choir in Every School” coming through in those messages from teachers is encouraging — real stories of starting from scratch, patching together resources, or keeping small groups alive despite everything. Framing choirs as the entry point makes sense; singing is low-barrier, immediate, and can pull in kids who might never pick up an instrument otherwise, then ripple out to ensembles or lessons. The webinars sound like a solid next step for sharing concrete advice rather than just enthusiasm, especially the one aimed at hubs and organisations who can actually move funding or logistics. That football analogy with the MTA names is a light touch amid the seriousness — nice to see some humour in what could easily turn earnest. Ultimately, if unity delivers even a handful more schools where music isn’t an optional extra but something kids do together regularly, that’s progress worth the effort. The broader vision of orchestras and bands following on feels ambitious but logical once the choral foundation is there. Keen to hear how the February sessions shape up and what practical wins come out of them.