Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year 2017

Michael Whiteside

Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year 2017

Nomination

1 What Key Stages  / ages does your music teacher teach?

Key Stages 2, 3, 4 and 5 and adults.

Michael teaches primarily at the Mountbatten School which is a large 11-16 secondary school. Here he teaches Key Stages 3 and 4.

On a weekly basis, he goes out to teach pupils in 3 feeder primaries, teaching all 90 KS2 pupils in one school and concentrating particularly on boys in another large primary school.

As Musical Director of the Hampshire Youth and Youth Chamber Choirs, he teaches over 50 students, mostly from KS5.

Five years ago, he set up The Mountbatten Community Choir, now 180 strong, which sings every week and performs frequently at a wide range of events.

In addition, he creates a large staff choir every year which performs in the Romsey Abbey Carol Service.

I attach this appreciative comment from Jo Cottrell, Head of one of those Primary Schools:

‘A key focus at Halterworth has been to encourage boys, especially in older year groups, to actively participate in singing and enjoy performing to an audience. Michael has played a key role in increasing the enthusiasm and positive attitudes of our boys in Years 5 and 6, using appealing songs and encouraging performances in a range of locations, including Romsey Abbey. He has opened doors to children who haven't perhaps allowed themselves to enjoy singing before.’

2. What kind of music does your music teacher teach?

Michael most notably teaches choral singing, but he is a fine piano player and accompanist and, as a KS3 and KS4 music teacher, introduces students to a wide range of musical styles and genres from Samba to African and Film Music. He also teaches harmony, stylistic techniques and composition, his candidates at examination having been praised for their ‘excellent and often inspired writing’.

3. How long has your teacher been teaching at the school? What is the biggest change that has taken place since he started?

Mountbatten was Michael’s first post following teacher training, and he started in 2011, five and half years ago. In his short career, he has been offered many promotions in recognition of his outstanding professionalism and the personal qualities he possesses. He is now Head of Faculty for the Expressive Arts, a prestigious position for one so young.

The biggest change since he started has been the tremendous rise in participation in choral singing in the school and in the community. It’s now considered ‘cool’ to be a boy who sings in a choir. Places in the Community Choir, where numbers have had to be limited and where a long waiting list exists, are highly prized.

4. Describe one musical event that your teacher has been involved with in the past year.

The event that best encapsulates what Michael has achieved so far is the annual Carol Service. This takes place in Romsey Abbey, and the service has become renowned for the quality and range of the musical offerings. In fact, attendance has increased annually to the extent that ticketing is tightly regulated and many are disappointed. The congregational singing is enhanced by the training and encouragement he has given to those in the Community and Staff Choirs who can sing the descant parts, and opportunities are provided for individual performances by the Junior Choir, the Chamber Choir, the Senior Choir, the Community Choir and the Staff Choir. The service started this year with a rendition of the traditional German carol ‘Maria durch ein Dornwald ging’ sung, candlelit and in a dramatic atmosphere from the back of the Abbey, by the Staff Choir. It ended with ‘O come, all ye faithful’ after all the choirs together, numbering several hundred and positioned for dramatic effect throughout the Abbey, had sung ‘Joy to the World’ in four-part harmony.

Every part of the Abbey was occupied. Screens were needed to relay the service to those in side aisles and behind the choir staging. Accompanying the choirs and the congregation were, variously, an orchestra, pianists and the school wind band. The applause, duly invited at the end by the Reverend Canon Tim Sledge, was prolonged and hearty.

The success of the occasion was secured by the extraordinary amount of hard work that Michael put in. Such mass public events do not happen without meticulous organisation, and this is another of Michael’s skills. He calmly handles negotiations and decisions about content and performers, organises the preparation of copy and programmes and rehearses all the choirs. He manages to motivate hundreds of people of all ages to participate, and with tact, gentle humour and the strength of his personality, exhorts one and all to achieve the highest possible standard of performance.

5. Why do you think your teacher should be Classic FM Music Teacher of the year 2017?

This young man has brought about exceptional change to this school and its wider community and he has achieved this in a very short time. He deserves recognition for his hard work alone, but significantly this hard work is allied to totally admirable personal qualities.

He is inspirational. There are hundreds of converts to the joys and benefits of singing ranging from 7 to 77 year olds. With the mental health of young people currently an important focus in the country, participation in one of Michael’s choirs doubtless contributes enormously to the psychological well-being of so many in this school and its community.

He is a superb motivator. Whether it’s with the year 7 pupils at school, all 280 of whom are in a choir, or with the Community Choir who turn up en masse every week, he creates the desire to constantly improve technically, to try more challenging pieces and to overcome inhibitions in order to perform in public with confidence.

He is also a wonderful communicator. He expresses himself with great clarity, making it possible for an individual to understand exactly what Michael is trying to achieve musically. Like all great teachers, he is generous with his praise and constructive and supportive when a performance is in need of improvement. To have all these skills in such abundance at such a young age is truly remarkable.

I attach this quote from Jill Larner, Head of Hampshire County Council’s Music Service:

‘Michael Whiteside has been supporting Hampshire County Council’s Music Service since September as conductor of the Hampshire County Youth Choir and Chamber Choir.  The previous leader of this group had been in post for 18 years and taking over from someone with this length of service was always going to be a challenge. It is a challenge that Michael has risen to extremely well.  The choirs cater for ages 14 – 18 and rehearse on Friday evenings.  This would be prime time for youngsters wanting to celebrate the end of the week but they have continued to support the group and are as committed to rehearsals as they were with the previous conductor.

Michael is an outstanding musician.  He is a superb choral conductor and a very capable pianist.  He has a wide knowledge of vocal repertoire and makes choices about music that will motivate and develop young voices.  He builds strong relationships with young people very quickly and they enjoy his style and respect his musicianship.  In a short space of time he has developed the vocal skills and performing quality of all members of the choir.   The changeover of conductors has worked so much better with Michael than we ever thought was possible.  He is a major asset to the Music Service team.’

In short I believe he is the ideal candidate for the Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year award. I have sung all my life in a range of choirs and have always enjoyed singing, but never as much as I do singing with Michael as Director. I attach an accompanying video which I know will demonstrate my point and hope you, the panel, will give him the best of consideration.