NAME’s 2003 conference continued the successful pattern established in previous years of combining keynote addresses, workshops and research presentations with opportunities to visit trade stands and to attend meetings of NAME focus groups and regions. For many delegates the highlight was probably the keynote address given by Professor John Paynter. John has been an inspiration to many of us over the years, and his work underpins just about everything positive that has happened in music education during the last 40 years. His speech more than lived up to expectations and will be remembered by those present for a long time. Other speakers were inspiring too: Anthony Sargeant told us about the Sage, Gateshead, Professor Nigel Osborne talked about his work with children who are victims of conflict, and Margaret Martin-Griffiths updated us from her perspective as Specialist HMI for Music.
 
Workshops covered a wide range of topics, including music technology, world and traditional musics, Dalcroze, and choral and vocal music, and catered for all age ranges from the Foundation Stage upwards. Research presentations also focused on a wide range of topics, and the Conference Magazine includes articles based on these, including Creative Partnerships, composing at GCSE, the effect of participating in Taiko drumming, the implications of the DfES Survey of Music Services – and many more.
 
NAME’s latest book, Bluebirds and Crows: Developing a singing culture in and out of schools, was launched at the conference and was very well received. The custom of launching a substantial new publication each year at Conference has now been established and it will continue in future years.
 
Next year’s conference, under the leadership of Roger Crocker as NAME Chair 2003 – 04, will be held in London with a focus on ICT in music. It promises to be an exciting event and will undoubtedly reinforce NAME’s reputation as a highly significant and influential organisation in the field of music education.
 
Helen Coll
NAME Chair: 2002 - 2003