Dr Mary Stakelum is an Associate Director of the Graduate School at the University of Reading and directs postgraduate research studies and MA programmes in music education at its Institute of Education. She is a board member of European Association of Music in Schools, on the editorial board of Music Education Research and conference secretary of SEMPRE.

• Contents: Introduction; Part I Aspiration and Identity: Identity dimensions and age as predictors of adult music preferences, Richard Leadbeater and Alan Marsden; Conservatoire students' attitudes, self-efficacy and aspirations, Marion Long; The formation and development of musical identities with a hearing impairment, Robert Fulford; Undergraduate music students’ experiences in community settings: developing the musician within a university module, Angeliki Triantafyllaki and Christina Anagnostopoulou; Knowing me, knowing you, Mark Pulman; The influence of learning history on musical approaches to piano improvisation, Yuki Morijiri; Levels of expertise and musical aspirations in young instrumental players, Susan Hallam. Part II Attitudes to Teaching and Learning: The MaPS project: mapping teacher conceptions of musical development, Mary Stakelum and David Baker; Canon (re)formation in popular music pedagogy, Tom Parkinson; Music as a specific learning support resource for children with special educational needs and disability in mainstream primary education: practice and attitudes, Maureen Mather; Continuing professional development for the musician as teacher in a university context, Elizabeth Haddon. Part III Modes of Assessment: ’Ryan’s not counting - it’s eight beats on C’: developing the musician in a classroom context, Catherine Preston; Cultural tools in the classroom - a tool to develop the musician?, Anna Backman Bister; Exploring and encouraging metacognitive awareness in novice music students, Meghan Bathgate and Christian Schunn; Assessing leadership skills in the conservatoire, Tim Palmer; Music, informal learning and the instrumental lesson: teacher and student evaluations of the Ear Playing Project (EPP), David Baker; Index.