I have spent a significant portion of the past seven years studying music education, and education more broadly. While in the US, I spent four years in pursuit of a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. The degree qualified me to teach music at the primary and secondary level in the state of Florida.

In 2012 I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in London. From 2012 to 2013, I pursued and completed an MA in Music Education from the Institute of Education. That experience provided a deeper grounding in the teaching of music (assessment, pedagogy, teaching theories), while also acclimating me to the nuances of the English education system (National Curriculum, Ofsted, other education policies). Throughout this time, the National Curriculum was under review, and I closely followed the developments, drafting, and publication of the national curriculum for music.

During my time as an MA student, I developed an interest in education policy and pursued an internship through the Hansard Society. The Hansard Society placed me in an internship with the House of Commons Education Select Committee. I spent that time conducting research for the Education Committee, with a particular focus on the Acadamies programme. This internship broadened my perspective on education and UK policies related to child services. By attending Select Committee meetings, I recognized that one of the government’s strategies for raising education standards was through investment in the Early Years workforce. This began to deepen my interests in Early Years teaching, and has led me to pursue qualification as an Early Years teacher.