LCM diplomas in traditional Irish Music

[benwalker]

Considering entering for the first Diploma, just wondering if any other pipers have done this London College Trad Irish Diploma on UPs.
If been playing / performing for around 20 years.
I also teach woodwind ( sax/clarinet/flute )
My teaching and experience and pass rate/ reputation has worked for me.
I was thinking of working as peripatetic teacher in schools and they of course all want bits of paper
I'm wanting to put all my efforts into getting my piping up there so I thought the Diplomas in trad Irish would work for me.
Any thoughts?

Cheers

Ben

[daveboling]

From my experience, bits of paper are of inverse importance to one's knowledge of the subject (know anyone who's asked Geoff Wooff, or David Quinn for their credentials in pipemaking?). More plainly, the people who are likely to be impressed by such a paper, are the one's who will be least likely to be able to discern ability, i.e. school administrators. Go for it. We've a "fully Professional Ceremonial Bagpiper" not too far away who boasts on his webpage that he once won second prize in a Grade 4 solo competition. Impresses the punters, no doubt.

dave boling

[PJ]

This is an interesting question. You've got 20 years under your belt as a player/performer, and time as a teacher, but it's "undocumented". The nature of traditional music being what it is, it's hard to "certify" reputation. But you need something in writing if you want to get hired by schools.

My first reaction would be to contact someone on the hiring-side to find out what they could consider acceptable. If all they seek is some sort of qualification from a recognised college, then the LCM diploma should easily fit the criteria. However, make sure that they don't require a Bachelor's or post-graduate degree (masters, etc.) as a minimum.

In addition to having a diploma in the subject you're proposing to teach, you might need some sort of qualification in teaching (education) itself. Does the LCM offer that as part of the ITM diploma?

[benwalker]

Thanks for the replies. Here is a link.

https://www.uwl.ac.uk/sites/default/fil ... 0FINAL.pdf

Cheers

[benwalker]

I noticed Francis McPeake is one of the examiners for LCM.