I teach and I understand : music peer teaching experiences within an integrated creative arts project

![CDATA[Peer teaching and cross-age tutoring have been used for thousands of years as those with experience share their wisdom, knowledge and skills with those who are yet to develop such competence. This paper describes a case study undertaken in a local primary school where children received simple music lessons, then were required to teach these and similar lessons to the rest of the children in the school, in small groups, within a university environment. The peer teaching was a component of a larger integrated creative arts project which included children learning about each art form, preparing for and presenting an art exhibition, and implementing a series of peer teaching lessons in music and visual arts. The school is situated in a low socio-economic area and 87% of the children come from a non-English speaking background. There is little evidence of a strong across-school arts program although some teachers include some of the artforms in their curriculum. As well as developing their skills and knowledge in making music, this project increased their self-esteem, leadership skills and self-confidence and opened up opportunities for them that they would have previously never considered.]]