I have taught primary music for 39 years. I travel around several primary schools within a week and I see classes for 50 minutes music sessions teaching singing, percussion work using standard and solfa notation, listening and inventing. I previously taught violin and viola and have conducted several children's orchestras. During my time in schools I take choirs, guitar, ukulele, recorder groups and organise whole school concerts. I write children's songs under the Notable Songs banner and I have written a book in the Classroom Gems series called Games, Ideas and Activities for Primary Music. My job is hugely enjoyable and I consider it a privilege to be able to encourage young children to investigate and learn to love the world of music. In my opinion, music is an essential subject in the curriculum as it encompasses many areas of education and encourages a huge number of life skills. Children who are involved in musical activities gain an enormous amount from that involvement.