Changing Tunes – a one-day event held in Birmingham on 11 July and organised jointly by the Music Education Council (MEC) and Music for Youth (MFY) in partnership with the Music Manifesto – attracted more than 300 delegates. It offered a forum for classroom practitioners to debate with community musicians, for instrumental tutors and policy makers to hear the views of young people and for everyone to network with others working with young people but in different musical contexts.

The outcomes from this event have significant ramifications for the next stages of the work of the Music Manifesto. But just how well are we in tune with the changes that are taking place? Are we all sufficiently prepared to tune into these changes? We can indulge in clever play on words but the really challenging, collaborative work starts now.

I have said on numerous occasions that although funding will always be an issue for arts practitioners, it is the changing of attitudes that will ultimately have more significance. In enabling such a diverse cross section or our various sectors to meet, we all took a small step together on this long journey.

The impetus that the developing work of the Music Manifesto has offered the music education world during this year has been exhilarating.  The campaign is a partnership activity and after the hard work of relatively few organisations it is now time to share these ideas and recommendations across all sectors and with all signatories.

Our collective agenda is a simple one: to work towards ensuring that every child and young person, whatever their background and where ever they come from has equal access to high-quality, music-making opportunities. The challenges are significant but not insurmountable.

We were very keen from the outset of the planning of this event that of overriding importance was that delegates should be able to have their say. In order to provide ‘something for everyone’ delegates were offered a choice of 13 different discussion/workshop opportunities with the promise that we may have to take them out of and beyond their comfort zones in order to seek radical solutions to challenging questions.

The large number of groups on offer presented some challenges to the organisers. Despite the ‘difficulties’ of the open-planned nature of some of the venues, evaluations forms suggest that delegates overall were delighted with this range. As always, the more practical workshops were enthusiastically received though delegates clearly welcomed the opportunity to debate critical issues around pay and conditions and professional standards for music tutors. We still have a way to go in clearly presenting issues concerning the more challenging subjects around developing a sharper focus for sector leadership and looking at the emerging and different ways of working more  collaboratively.

The impact that our young people made on the event was overwhelming – not just with their musical contributions but they way in which they presented themselves.  The Youth Music Ambassadors from the Liverpool and Merseyside Action Zone and the Young Promoters from Sale Grammar School made a significant impression on all the delegates lucky enough to attend those sessions. Do we need any further proof that these young, articulate people must be involved in decisions about what, how and where they live their music making? Many of the recommendations due in the Music Manifesto Report No 2 will help us to take this forward.

It was a conscious planning decision to frame the keynote speakers at the end of the morning and end of the day though this didn’t suit everyone.

Eugene (Skeef) demonstrated how the ‘power’ of simple music making using voices and bodies can be woven into a complex tapestry that is totally inclusive – and who can forget the image of him transforming a dangerous personal situation when he first arrived in this country from his native South Africa, when he was surrounded and effectively mugged in the underground, into a jamming session with his assailants.  Such is the charisma and charm of this wonderful musician.

We were privileged to have the author Paul Roberts present a succinct précis of the latest government report Nurturing Creativity in Young People.  The careful and detailed findings in this report provide us all with important springboards from which to take our work forward, wherever we are working. Music Manifesto Champion Marc Jaffrey – in his now familiar, exhilarating but carefully crafted style – pulled out all the stops and left us in no doubt as to the challenges and the excitements that face us all if we are to achieve the changes we so badly need for our profession.

Our experienced Roving Ambassadors, in place of the usual ‘plenary panel’, presented their individual and carefully selected summaries of the day with wit and humour. The last word was left to Christine Coker (chief executive of Youth Music), setting us two challenges.

‘A year from today I would like everyone to be able to talk about a new or developing partnership through which young people who would be out of the loop have got involved in music-making on their own terms and have a route to carry on if they want,’ she said.

To find out the second challenge you will have to read the Changing Tunes report  compiled by Gail Dudson and available for everyone on the MEC website since the end of September.

The outcomes of the day should at least enable us to begin to work more effectively  together and that includes government departments and policy makers.

Did we find any radical solutions?  Maybe not yet – but I am sure that the day provided us with opportunities for us all to frame better questions.  Together we can – and must – make a difference.