Collaboration for musical learning

The purpose of this chapter is to enhance understanding and knowledge of the various possibilities and opportunities that collaboration can bring into secondary school music education. The chapter positions collaboration as a way of enhancing experience, learning and teaching for all involved. The benefits and challenges of collaboration are raised, situated within the wider context of music education policy and the complexities of individual teacher background, values and identity. Examples are provided of with whom a secondary school music teacher might collaborate , including collaborations within a teacher’s school, with feeder primary schools, instrumental teachers, musicians and higher education institutions. The reader is encouraged to thoughtfully consider the potential and scope of collaborations within their own context, and to take the first steps in the collaborative planning process. Models and theories are offered to frame the concept of collaboration, and conditions that can be put into place for collaborations to thrive are suggested.