Bradley Rowe First School, Burnthouse Lane, Exeter

Tel: 01392 276110   Fax: 01392 449347

Bradley Rowe First School is a mixed school for 4-8 year olds with about 350 children on roll. The school serves the Burnthouse Lane area of the city, which is an area of social deprivation within Exeter.

I took up the post of headteacher at this school in January 1998 but I have been in primary teaching for 16 years now.

Within school my curricular specialisms are Music, Literacy and Special Needs.

Outside school I enjoy listening to, playing and singing all kinds of music. I also like to be outdoors and physically active - walking, swimming, playing tennis etc.

I love to travel and meet people from other countries and have been involved in twinning and other international education projects.

In the Crossings Project I am hoping to concentrate on learning South African music and bringing songs, techniques and ideas back to try out with Devon children; to inspire and enthuse them with the richness and diversity of world music.

My Experiences in Cape Town.

The musical adventure started for me on the first evening when 3 of us strained so hard to listen to Linda Muller (University of Cape Town Music department) that we pinned her into a corner at the welcome reception. In tones jut above a whisper she explained her vision of music education for the future of South Africa. A rich, multi-cultural fusion of the many different musical styles and repertoires but delivered through an African approach. Music should engage the heart and soul as well as the mind. Working on a spiritual, social and emotional level as well as getting to the legs!

There is no performer/audience distinction. Everyone takes part and learns by singing / playing / moving alongside more experienced musicians.

We had many experiences of this during our 10 day stay. Memorable highlights included:

• singing with the Simon Estes school choir. We were amazed at the voice quality (rich, mature, womanly) of the young girls who made space for us in the line of singer and taught us the tune and movement with a natural, friendly confidence.

• Boisterous girls of Rustenberg Junior School sang and danced so skilfully with an apparently effortless mastery of very complicated steps.

• 5 year olds at the Chris Hani Community School lmprovising stylishly and perfectly in time to the rhythm of the songs.

• Pre-school children at the Pilhani Nursery clustered around the teacher with bowl of fruit happily singing Action songs with teacher and giggling together.

• When I went back to Simon Estes and asked the music teacher to teach the same songs the session turned into a performance with the teacher and student singing in joyful duet.

• When Garth Erasmus, artist and musician, spoke with eloquence and humility about his life and work and then played the haunting meditative didgeridoo and gently melodies and rhythms on flute and bush bow.

• Working with Julie Tippets on vocal improvisation was enormously exciting as well as great fun.

I wonder how many of theSouth African young people she encountered began a new musical journey into the work of improvisation or began to unlock their own creative potential as musicians.