Abingdon News Abingdon News 15 minutes with Richard Stafford, Director of Music at Abingdon School. “ I think I was six when I first fell in love with music. My parents had taken me to see an African drumming concert and I was wowed - by the costumes, the bright colours, the movement and the sound - it was all just really exciting. The whole sense of performance was captivating and actually led to me changing schools! “ At seven, I auditioned, and was accepted, as a chorister to Jesus College, Cambridge. This gave me a wonderful start to my musical journey, providing a foundation to my musical education, an education which was further extended and enhanced when I went to senior school, where, as a music scholar, I was expected to dedicate 35 hours a week to music in all its various forms. For me, that involved singing each day as well as continuing to play the piano, the clarinet and the bassoon. I know that sounds like a lot, when taking other school commitments into account, and it probably is but, on the upside, I learned (very quickly) how to manage my time effectively and be organised. I went on to read music at Oxford where both challenge and expectation was extremely high, standing me in good stead for the rigours of a fast paced working life. Whilst each of my peer group came from different cultural and social backgrounds, each of us shared the collective desire to be the best we could be and were dedicated in our studies to ensure we achieved that. It is also remarkable how many musicians there were in college too! “ I had never really known what career path I would take - I just knew it had to involve music and sport, if possible, with equal measure. It was actually the father of one of my fellow undergraduates at university who suggested teaching might be a suitable career path. So, I decided to give it a trial run, taking a post at a school in New Zealand, where I helped in the music department and coached sport. Loving cricket as I do, I was particularly pleased that my year teaching in Australasia coincided with England’s win over Australia in the Ashes 2010/11 series - which I was lucky enough to be able to go and watch! “ I went on to do a Masters at Durham and then started working at Brighton College where I started as a Teacher of Music and went on to become Head of Academic Music. Having been educated in the independent sector, I definitely had a preconceived idea of what might be involved. The message that really came home to me was the incredible level of opportunity available to those who are lucky enough to receive an independent education - myself included. As a teacher, it is incredibly rewarding when students grasp these opportunities and make the most of them. Conversely, it can be frustrating and sad if a student with potential doesn’t make the most of every opportunity afforded to them, so I would encourage everyone to actively and purposefully find their niche in whatever aspect of wider school life that is. I am sure we can cater for it. “ When it comes to music, there is so much to be gained. Yes, it takes perseverance, discipline and dedication but the rewards and lessons for life beyond school are plentiful. Collaboration across year groups provides mentoring, leadership and team building opportunities; the dedication requires organisation and time management skills; performing helps with confidence and presentation; and the emotive nature of music ensures individuals are in touch with their emotions and provides them with a stress release which, in these days of ever greater awareness of mental health, we know to be so important.Of course, hopefully it is fun too! “ So when it comes to my vision for the music provision at Abingdon, it is quite simply ‘music for all’. Each and every one of our students has the ability to engage with music in the fashion they see fit and it is our responsibility to make that happen. We need pupils to trust in our offering - it will require commitment but, hopefully, the long term reward will be well worth it and they will have cherished memories that they can look back on fondly! www.abingdon.org.uk 13
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