Researching Sing Up's Workforce Development: main findings from the first three years (practitioners' singing self-efficacy and knowledge about singing)

The National Singing Programme Sing Up was officially launched in November 2007 and a team from the Institute of Education, University of London were appointed early that academic term to undertake a research evaluation of key elements of the Programme. One key component of the UK Government’s National Singing Programme Sing Up (produced by Youth Music in partnership with Abbot Mead Vickers, Faber Music and The Sage Gateshead) is to ensure that children’s singing development is fostered by adults who have appropriate musical knowledge, skills and understanding. Its stated role is to: ‘deliver inclusive, learner-centred training for leaders singing with primary-age children in 60 target areas across England from September 2007 to March 2011, and each project runs for two years.’ The workforce development – embracing ‘Vocal Force’ – draws on principles developed through ‘Vocal Union’, part of the Sage Gateshead's ‘Access to Excellence Music Manifesto Pathfinder Programme’. Vocal Force is working in collaboration with existing schemes, projects, organisations and individuals across England as part of Sing Up. The Institute of Education, University of London agreed to undertake an external evaluation of a significant number of workforce development participants that was complimentary to, but separate from, the Sage Gateshead’s own internal evaluation processes.

Dr Evangelos Himonides holds the University of London's first ever 'lecturer in music technology education' position. He teaches Music Education, Music Technology and Information Technology, at post-graduate level, at the Institute of Education, University of London and also leads the post-graduate course "Music Technology in Education". He holds a Music Diploma from the Macedonian Conservatoire of Thessaloniki, Greece, a Bachelors of Science in Information Technology (Multimedia) with Star First Class Honours from Middlesex University, UK, a Masters in Education with distinction from the University of Surrey, UK and a PhD in Psychoacoustics and Information Technology from the University of London. He is a Chartered I.T. professional with the British Computer Society. As a musician, technologist and educator, Evangelos has had an ongoing career in experimental research in the fields of psychoacoustics, Music Perception, Music Cognition, Information Technology, Human-Computer Interaction, Special Needs, the Singing Voice and Singing Development.