DREAMING OF FUTURE SUCCESS

Portsmouth Music Hub has been shortlisted for the Outstanding Print Resource at the Music Teachers Awards for Excellence.

The annual ceremony celebrates achievement in music and performing arts education, and it showcases the very best teaching methods and resources used to inspire creativity, passion and performance in children, young people and their local communities.

The Music Hub has been shortlisted for My Dream Job which is a songbook created for children in primary education. As the title suggests there are 19 songs that cover a range of careers, from being a Police officer, to a footballer or teacher. However, at the start of the 21st century there are songs that have a modern twist, including website development, being a paramedic or a vet. My Dream Job was created by Portsmouth Music Hub's team of composers working alongside children who suggested some of the topics for the songs. The aim of the songbook is to inspire children to think about their future careers without losing sight of the importance of personal achievement.

On hearing that the Hub had been shortlisted for Outstanding Print Resource, Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub, said: "Growing up today is very different than it was only a generation ago, and it's hard to ignore the pressures that children have to face. The impact of social media, rolling news and a complex and ever-changing job market means that young people lead busy lives with lots of demands. My Dream Job aims to inspire children to think about the exciting opportunities that lie ahead, to be prepared for their own extraordinary journeys in life, but to hold on to their evolving values and personal achievements. The message is simple; what we do should never be more important than who we are."

My Dream Job was premiered at the Kings Theatre in Southsea in March 2018, with more than 500 primary-aged children taking to the stage in an array of 'career focussed' costumes. Since then the songbook has been made available for purchase on Portsmouth Music Hub's website, at www.portsmouthmusichub.org.uk.

This is the seventh consecutive year that Portsmouth Music Hub has been shortlisted for a Music Teachers Award for Excellence, with the Hub winning the Music Education Council's Major Award in 2016 and 2017.

The winner of the Outstanding Print Resource will be announced at the Music Teachers Awards for Excellence on 6 March 2019, at a ceremony in London.