Music in the Primary School

Dr Janet Mills began her career teaching music (and mathematics) in a comprehensive school in West Yorkshire. Subsequently, she was a teacher educator at Westminster College in Oxford and the University of Exeter. Her work as an HM Inspector of Schools included observation of more than 1000 instrumental lessons and the development and implementation - with instrumental teachers - of the first national system for inspecting Local Authority Instrumental Music Services. Along the way, she learnt violin and singing, and taught herself to play several other instruments. Janet Mills was a Research Fellow at the Royal College of Music in London and in 2004 won a National Teaching Fellowship. She wrote Music in the School (2005), Music in the Primary School (1991), and many articles in books, magazines, and research journals.

It is sad to read that this excellent book, the revised version of one first published 18 years ago, is the last by Janet Mills. While dealing admirably with a specific subject, it exemplifies many of the late author's best qualities: sensible and imaginative practical suggestions based on work with real children in real schools, firm statements of generous educational principles and lucidly accessible summaries of relevant research . . . Above all, Janet Mills displays a humane wisdom and sprightly wit that make reading the book a pleasure as well as a continually useful exercise. She loves music but not at the expense of other subjects; indeed, her suggestions for cross-curricular work are truly illuminating and far from the vague gestures of good intention that sometimes go under that name . . The only thing to regret about this book is that we cannot anticipate the satisfaction of reading its successor.

• PART I: STARTING POINTS FOR MUSICAL ACTIVITY; PART II: DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK