Forum strategy and action plan

Background

The inaugural Forum took place as part of the 2010 World Conference in Beijing. This followed a period of four years of development from initial ideas presented by Graham Bartle, through interest group meetings in 2006 and 2008, the articulation of a mission statement, and ratification of the Forum by the ISME Board in 2008.

In 2010 two focused Forum days preceded the world conference. The Forum then continued as a special interest strand within five days of the main conference. 36 presenters (from Australia, England, Scotland, USA, Canada, Estonia, Italy, Hong Kong, China, Germany, Taiwan, Belgium, Finland and Sweden), addressed relevant topics, including:

strategies of small group teaching
integrating sight reading and aural training into the music lesson
the teaching studio in the 21st century
teaching performance by distance mode
issues surrounding the choice of instrument for students to learn
working with students with disabilities
teaching adult beginners
motivating students to continue their studies
practice techniques
coping with performance anxiety
'wellness' in the music lesson (to prevent formation of problems likely to lead to health issues in later life)
dealing with personal issues in one-to-one teaching

These highlighted commonalities between instrumental and vocal teachers across the globe and universal issues within this profession. The Forum workshops, seminars and papers were attended by hundreds of delegates.

Following the success of the inaugural Forum for Instrumental and Vocal Teaching in Beijing in 2010, this strategy seeks to focus its future development in order to extend its reach and synergy with the overall direction of ISME, and to capitalize on current opportunities and wide enthusiasm for the Forum across ISME membership and beyond.

Aims and objectives (2011-2014)

Articulate a strategy and action plan approved by the ISME Board.
Extend the reach of the Forum through:

building a strong network worldwide of practitioners engaging directly in the work of the Forum, with champions in every region contributing to the evolving direction;
connecting with relevant national and international organisations and instrument-specific associations;
ensuring representation at ISME regional events and the world conference ;
strengthening the dissemination of practice and research presented as part of the Forum, through publication and digital engagement through the ISME website;
exploring effective working forms for the world conferences which enable strong integration within the world conference and the development of a focused community of practice.