The Music Workshop Company Blog

Each month the Music Workshop Company publishes two blogs. One blog, written by the MWC team addresses a key issue in Music Education or gives information about a particular genre or period of music. The other blog is written by a guest writer, highlighting good practice or key events in Music Education. We hope you enjoy reading the blogs.

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To contribute as a guest writer please email Maria@music-workshop.co.uk

Career Ready TCL Report

Posted on 31st December 2025 at 12:00

At MWC, we are strong believers in the wide benefits of Arts Education, particularly for young people.

In December 2025, Trinity College, London published their white paper “Career-Ready: Bridging the Employability Skills and Confidence Gap” which explored the skills that matter most for work readiness and career success.

Their findings demonstrated that performance and creative education, covering music, drama and dance, enables and empowers young people, helping them to be better prepared and more confident in the work place.

Sherman Brothers

Posted on 16th December 2025 at 14:49

The 19th December 2025 would have been Robert B. Sherman’s 100th birthday. Robert worked with his brother Richard M. Sherman, and together they wrote more song scores for motion picture than any other songwriting teams: over 200 songs for 27 films and 24 television productions. Their songs remain popular today, and two of them (‘Colonel Hathi Elephant March’ from The Jungle Book and ‘Hushabye Mountain’ from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) are listed in the Model Music Curriculum’s recommended listening.

Image: Howard352 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

National Curriculum for Music changes

Posted on 30th November 2025 at 17:33

Earlier this month, the Government announced changes to the National Curriculum for Music in England, as part of a broader review of the National Curriculum. This followed campaigning from individuals and organisations for a number of years, which highlighted how the current system ‘downgrades’ Arts subjects and limits students’ access to Music education.

In this month’s blog, we look in more detail at the challenges with the existing system, the changes that have been recommended and how the sector has responded to the news.

The Beatles in the recording studio

Posted on 19th November 2025 at 15:33

Over a period of just seven years, the Beatles released as many as 12 UK studio albums, steadily developing their sound as they explored different musical genres, influences and recording techniques. Today, the Beatles still hold the title as the world’s best-selling music act.

In this blog, we chart the progression of the band’s recordings from their first demos to their first album, “Please Please Me”. We look at some of the now legendary stories of those earliest recording sessions, and how a group who cut their teeth performing live eventually stopped touring to become a studio band.

Celebrating Charlie Parker

Posted on 17th October 2025 at 16:34

A close-up of Charlie Parker playing saxophone

It’s 80 years since legendary Jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker led a recording of what was labelled ‘the greatest Jazz session ever’. On 26th November 1945, Charlie “Bird” Parker recorded a series of tracks including ‘Now’s The Time’ with Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Curley Russell and Max Roach.

In this month’s blog, we explore the fascinating life and music of the man who helped change the face of Jazz, and was credited with developing the sound of Bebop.

(Image by William P. Gottlieb)

Louise Farrenc

Posted on 14th September 2025 at 15:53

Louise Farrenc was a celebrated pianist and composer.

Writing pieces from symphonies to piano solos to choral works. She worked with her husband to publish key piano anthologies and influenced a generation of pianists through her role as Professor of piano at the Conservatoire de Paris.

She died on 15th September 1875.

On the 150th anniversary of her death, we celebrate her life and work.

Image: Portrait of Louise Farrenc (1804-1875), French composer by Luigi Rubio