Music Education in England, 1950 2010: The Child-Centred Progressive Tradition

John Finney examines the child-centred progressive tradition to create a fresh way of evaluating ideas and practices that have evolved since 1950, that have shaped the lives of music teachers and their pupils, and that have now become disfigured, residual and altogether lost in the light of social, cultural and political change. Finney presents a compelling, analytical account and provides fresh inspiration for practitioners, new challenges for researchers, and a landmark in the field of arts and music education.

John Finney is a Senior Lecturer in Music Education in the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, with responsibility for the education and training of secondary school music teachers. Prior to this, John taught music in secondary schools in Southall, Worcester and Basingstoke. He is most interested in finding ways of improving the quality of classroom musical experience for both students and teachers; this he relates to the interactions between public policy and classroom practice. Current research investigates the musical and professional lives of secondary school music teachers.