The SCARLATTI Papers: development of an action research project in music

Since its inception in 1997, the SCARLATTI Project at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow has sought to investigate and document the teaching approaches and methodologies adopted by music teachers in Scottish secondary schools and to share good practice, findings and thoughts among the profession. Here, as a follow-up to a previous article (Byrne and Sheridan, 1998), readers are brought up to date on developments since then, highlighting some problems and some successes. The article also focuses on issues related to the delivery of core or key skills through music and introduces a new composing thinking tool for novice composers. Finally, a report on a small-scale study on music teachers' teaching styles is given. Having collected 'data on the teachers' backgrounds, qualifications, experiences and accomplishments in the creation of music through improvising and composing' (Byrne and Sheridan, 1998: 299) these are analysed and some initial thoughts offered.