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Shaping Futures: Redefining Music Education for a Modern Era
19 January 2025
Watch a new video about the project, supported by our UCL Music Futures initiative, that explored ways in which music education could resonate with young people.
Shaping Futures is one of the projects supported by UCL Music Futures, the initiative dedicated to thinking, writing and performing music, that was jointly hosted by the UCL European Institute and the UCL Institute of Advanced Studies, with support from UCL Grand Challenges.
Shaping Futures was a pioneering collaboration between UCL and PLAYVirtuoso, aimed at reimagining music education to meet the needs of today’s learners. This six-month investigation explored innovative approaches to teaching, prioritizing inclusivity, creativity, and accessibility through digital tools and non-traditional methods.
The project focused on:
- Performance-Centric Music Evaluations: Process-driven assessments that inspire creativity, engage, and empower students.
- Artist-Led Workshops: Hands-on sessions with professional musicians introducing DJing and music production.
- Technology-Enhanced Learning: Flexible, online platforms for self-paced study.
Through interviews and workshops with students, teachers, and artists, the project identified key challenges and opportunities for reshaping music education. The findings provide actionable insights into creating an inclusive, youth-centred ecosystem that bridges education, industry, and community.
By and with
Professor Monica Lakhanpaul, Professor of Integrated Community Child Health at the Population, Policy & Practice Dept, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health.
Virtuoso, founded by Austen Smart and Scott Smart, professional DJs and music producers.
Jake Martin (Hodge), Music Teacher and Bristol-based DJ and Producer.
UCL research team includes Dr. Celine Lewis and Yunxuan Jia from the Population, Policy & Practice Department at the UCL GOS Institute of Child Health
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UCL Music Futures
Check out our YouTube channel, @UCLEuropeanInstitute