The King’s Music Academy

The King's Music Academy is King's College London's award-winning music outreach program. Founded in 2017 by Senior Research Fellow Dr. Esther Cavett, Prof. Katherine Schofield, and experienced local primary music teacher Mr. Jonathan Pix, the Academy employs KCL music students as teaching assistants in a after-school, primary music school in Southwark, South London.

The Academy was created to address the widespread absence of one-to-one music education opportunities in state schools, and the well-documented systemic barriers related to race and socioeconomic background in the UK education system. Unlike typical widening participation programs that begin at GCSE level, the Academy starts working with pupils in primary school. In today's higher education landscape, where impact and community engagement are highly valued, the Academy offers opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to gain experience in music teaching, applied research, arts management, and collaborative performance.

I serve as project manager/lead for the King's Music Academy, where I have taught since 2019.

With Esther Cavett, and other Academy teachers, I have co-authored two articles about the Academy: “Voices from Southwark: Reflections on a collaborative music teaching project in London in the age of COVID-19” and “’It’s like you’re an activist’: Sustainable Teaching Practices in a Music Outreach Project in London”