It can be argued that Swanwick's research and scholarship established the field of music education as an area of interdisciplinary study in the United Kingdom. A significant and seminal publication in this legacy is Swanwick's work with Tillman on the sequence of musical development based on Tillman's empirical study of children's compositions.…

This article considers the impact that the Swanwick-Tillman spiral article (Swanwick & Tillman, 1986) has had on contemporary thinking in music education in England. Building on a discussion concerning the antecedents of the notion of a spiral, the ways in which a generalist music curriculum can be planned and organised are discussed. Drawing…

Swanwick and Tillman set out three levels at which their "Sequence of Musical Development" may implicate music teaching: "general curriculum planning," "individual development," and "the role of the teacher." From the perspective of a practitioner working as a secondary music teacher in England, this article…

The sequence of musical development is revisited. The origins of the underlying and evolving theory are considered, along with organisation and classification of the data of children's compositions. The cumulative and recursive nature of the spiral is re-emphasised, and the dynamic relationship between the left and right side is clarified. The…

In this paper, we provide a reflection upon the influence of the Swanwick-Tillman (ST) model (1986) from the perspectives of music research in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this paper we take stock of where music education in New Zealand currently sits in relation to the Swanwick Tillman theory of musical development. We examine the strengths and the…

The notion of the spiral for progression and development is familiar both in general educational discourse and in the domain of music education. This brief article considers the spiral within the context of lower secondary school group composing in England. Through the use of examples taken from two schools in the English midlands, it argues that…

June Boyce-Tillman and Keith Swanwick's article on musical development is the second most widely cited paper in the history of the "British Journal of Music Education." It appears in many discussions of musical development. A selection of the diverse domains where the paper is cited includes: instrumental teaching, Special Education…

The authors of this article met on a Master of Arts (MA) music education course a month before the Swanwick Tillman "Sequence of Musical Development" was published. The course was a portal to an exciting range of literature, with the Swanwick Tillman spiral providing a long-term source of discussion and reflection as our careers have…

'The Sequence of Musical Development' by Swanwick and Tillman was published in the British Journal of Music Education (BJME) in 1986. This year marks its 35th anniversary and provides an occasion to look back on the article's content and legacy. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the antecedents for the article's underlying concepts, as well…

This article aims to capture how the Swanwick and Tillman (1986) spiral model of musical development influenced my work as an Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) music coordinator (advisory teacher). It discusses my professional position in a period of teaching prior to the implementation of the National Curriculum for Music, to illustrate…

In this article, I explore how neoliberal economic discourses and techniques have profoundly influenced the way that music education in early childhood has developed in recent years in the UK. I focus on two dominant models of practice that have been shaped by market thinking; the private music session (the 'branded product') and short term,…

A-level music, a qualification taken most often in English and Welsh school contexts around the age of 18, has been a long-standing feature of the musical training of many musicians. Historically bound up with Western European Art Music, the qualification has somewhat broadened its horizons in recent times, though with mixed success in opening up…

Given the differences in continuing musical after primary school, this study works with the idea that the development of music-making habits requires flow, which, in turn, depends on family musical practice. Flow is the state of mind of immersion in an intrinsically rewarding activity, which represents an optimal challenge fostering persistence…

This research, carried out across 2017-2018, investigated Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) graduates' experiences of working as instrumental teachers. A total of 31 participants (who graduated across 2012-2016 and studied an optional 'Further Pedagogy' module in their final year) responded to a questionnaire, and two were observed whilst…

This article will explore how Professor Lucy Green's model of informal learning, as advocated by Musical Futures, is perceived by those lying close to the phenomenon. Qualitative research was conducted and data collection involved semi-structured interviews with three key figures relating to the phenomenon. Case studies were then conducted in four…