Context and Background - Music is an international language which presents few barriers to accessing it. It presents opportunities for different levels of appreciation which in themselves can present opportunities for discussion and debate. It has a significant rich history and at times has defined and shaped history. It shapes the culture and context of many countries and groups. Many studies have demonstrated that music has a powerful impact on teaching and learning and can have a remarkable impact on the self esteem and self confidence of individuals and groups. As a student of music, learners have the opportunity to enrich their lives and even shape their futures. We have much to learn from each other about how music can influence our cultures and the teaching and learning within our schools. Objectives - The project will include two distinctive elements :- on one side the appreciation of music from different cultures and on the other side the performance and/or creation of music. Our objectives are:- - to share experiences of the effective use of music in teaching and learning - to develop an understanding of the distinctive nature of music within each country and how it shapes the culture of each country - explore how music can enhance the learning and lives of all learners within our school community. Participants - Five schools hope to participate in this project. Schools from England, Italy, Ireland, Poland and Turkey. The schools support the learning of children aged 5 to 18 who have a vast range of needs and competencies. Within each school there will be a project team made up of staff and pupils with a range of skills including international understanding, language skills, ICT skills and music skills and music appreciation. There will be in excess of 30 adults participating on a regular basis in the project with approximately 300 children working within the project on an intensive basis, and many more on a general level of participation. Activities - Throughout the project the partnership will focus on pedagogy and share best practice across all schools. This will lead to the production of study based literature and exemplar teaching and learning activities. The partners will be engaged in music based activities including music composition, collaborative performance and recording. This will result in the production of CDs, DVDs and web based resources. The project will also engage in extensive communication through face to face school visits and regular web based communication. In addition during each mobility it is planned that the participants will engage in appropriate professional development activities including language development and solution focused therapy. Methodology - The project will be delivered through a strategic approach. Baseline assessment of knowledge, skills and competencies will be secured and against this success criteria and expected outcomes will be generated. This will be shared with the entire partnership and the monitoring and evaluation of the progress will be led by the Project Coordinator with regular review and moderation. Project development and moderation will also be reviewed through regular communication and through 5 planned school visit mobilities. Results, impact and potential longer term outcomes. - At the end of the project it is expected that all partner schools will have enjoyed the partnership. This in turn will have an impact on the children and staff's enjoyment of school and should in turn have a very positive impact on learning outcomes. It is hoped that in the long term that this will lead to enthusiastic and resilient learners and less disengagement from the learning process by individual pupils. All participants will have shared in the very best practice in the teaching of music and its contribution to the wider curriculum. This will have a positive impact on the desire for children to engage in learning and the enhancement of teaching and learning in all schools. They will also have a greater understanding of the music and culture of each country and will have a much broader understanding of those countries. All partner schools and their wider communities will have a greater international awareness. Many participants will have expanded their skills in a range of subject areas including Language, ICT, Music, Geography and Personal and Social Education. This will have a significant impact on the wider school curriculum as well as the quality of teaching and learning in each school. Fundamentally this project will create partnerships that will lead to lasting professional relationships that will enable participants to extend their mutual learning beyond the life of the project.