Exploring how composing
is taught and learned
at KS3, KS4 and KS5

Listen Imagine Compose investigates how composing is taught and learned in secondary schools and draws on the expertise of teachers and their pupils, composers, music education academics and arts organisations.

Listen Imagine Compose is a partnership project between Sound and Music, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Birmingham City University.

Since 2010

We have been undertaking action research, holding symposia, developing resources and running CPD since 2010. This website hosts all of our work to date and has been funded by Youth Music.

“Listen Imagine Compose has played a significant part in improving the musical and educational understanding of professional musicians, teachers and academics.”

Mark Philips, HMI Music, 2012

Listen Imagine Compose - Why it Matters

Listen Imagine Compose

Listen Imagine Compose began as a series of action research projects and symposia culminating in a major report by lead academic Professor Martin Fautley

Phase One

Phase 1 comprised a series of symposia and six action research questions that look at six key projects.

Phase Two

A Continuing Professional Development course for secondary music teachers was piloted in Birmingham and London during the 2014/15 academic year.

Phase Three

The CPD is now available as an accredited course at Masters Level (Level 7). The first cohort began in the 2016/17 academic year, with teachers working towards a Masters in Teaching in Learning or a Masters in Educational Leadership.

London Teachers Network Day #2!

We are happy to announce that our London Teachers Network Day will be returning on Tuesday 12th June! It’s free to attend and refreshments will be provided, but spaces are limited! Visit the event page for full details and RSVP

London Teachers Network Day

Yesterday evening we held our first ever teachers network day in Somerset House! 11 teachers attended the event, which explored how they could improve the education of music composition within the classroom. The workshop involved discussions around the teachers’ current classroom practice and how they individually approach lessons with each year group. They shared creative solutions with one … Continued

The 2017/18 Listen Imagine Compose course is underway!

Back in October, this year’s cohort of secondary music teachers met for the first time, as they embarked on their Masters in Teaching and Learning. Drawing on the findings of the original Listen Imagine Compose action research projects, this course is accredited by Birmingham City University and delivered jointly by the Listen Imagine Compose team … Continued

Join us for the Listen Imagine Compose Away Day

For the last two years the wider Listen Imagine Compose network have got together in July for a day of presentations, provocations, ideas and discussions around the teaching and learning of composing in secondary schools. This year, we are getting together again on the 7th July for another day focused around creative composing at GCSE … Continued

Apply for the Listen Imagine Compose CPD!

We are looking for the next cohort of secondary school teachers to join the Listen Imagine Compose CPD course. The CPD is designed to offer secondary music teachers the opportunity to develop skills in teaching composing with KS3, GCSE and A level students.