Saturday, December 17, 2011
The Australian
Well reputed newspaper published an editorial highlighting the benefits of a music education.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Facebook Cause
There is a FACEBOOK page called 'Make Music Mandatory in the New Australian Curriculum' for those interested...
http://www.causes.com/causes/344500-make-music-mandatory-in-the-national-curriculum?recruiter_id=15699571
Monday, November 21, 2011
Celebrity Apprentice Supports Music Ed again!
2012 Children's music wins Celebrity Apprentice again! http://acmf.com.au/
2011 Jason and Julia have just provided a $50,000 check to The Songroom with the view of getting a Music teacher into every classroom in Australia!!!
2011 Jason and Julia have just provided a $50,000 check to The Songroom with the view of getting a Music teacher into every classroom in Australia!!!
http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/video
Click on the image with Julia holding her fist in a victorious position, with the video titled Celebrity Apprentice : Final Boardroom …And the Winner is …
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Federal Opporutnities NOW!
I am sure this open letter regarding Music education would be of high interest to you.
Peter Garrett will have an open Q and A via an online forum where we are all encouraged to ask questions about education – Music of course is our focus.
The forum will be Monday Nov 14.
Times can be found by following the link.
I believe it is 1.30 pm and Twitter is the main online tool.
Hope you are available on Nov 14th.
Please pass to all interested parties.
Letter from MCA to Simon Crean
MCA letter to Peter Garrett Nov 1, 2011 http://www.mca.org.au/images/pdf/Advocacy2011/mcaAD11educationNCP.pdf
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Developments over 2011
Shape of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Shape_of_the_Australian_Curriculum_The_Arts_-_Compressed.pdf
Successful discussions have occurred with representatives from the Victorian government regarding a developmental action plan for the future development of music education in schools around the framework of the National Curriculum.
sMAG will be looking forward to opportunities to work further with the Victorian Government in addressing the requirements that all children should experience music as a stand alone subject within the five Arts as outlined in the draft document of the ‘Shape of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts’.
Most Australian States and Territories will be seriously challenged in addressing the deficit in the present provision and quality of music education in primary and secondary schools due to a long history of gradual privatization of the industry leading to a significant lack of equity, where country Australia is particularly marginalized.
sMAG would like to continue to offer the professional knowledge and support to the VCAA in the formation of future policies and offer our thoughts and recommendations on the following discussion points. In addressing these three points we have listed relevant references (in the side bar of this blog – just click to read the full documents) that have informed our understanding of the issues relating to the provision and quality of music education in schools.
1. Provision and quality
2. Curriculum and programs
3. Teacher provision / pre-service and in-service professional education / registration
We are encouraged by the reception from the Victorian Government with regard to the research listed here on the sMAG blog and hope that future discussions can be empowered with the focus on the valuable work already being achieved in some schools. We are hopeful that an advisory board will be established over the coming months to work effectively with government.
MUSIC COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA RESPONSE TO NATIONAL CURRICULUM http://www.mca.org.au/
The development of a strategic action plan for the future development of music education in schools and the community for the implementation of the National Curriculum
Presented by the Victorian Music Action Group (sMAG)
Essential Elements that need to be addressed in the delivery of the National Curriculum
1. Arts are not mainstreamed in education at this time.
2. The new National Curriculum for the arts will be requiring schools to offer the five arts forms. This will present an enormous challenge for each of the States due to the lack of trained teachers in all the five areas to deliver the curriculum. The balance of time allocated to each of the art forms will also be a challenge for schools. For an effective music education, there is a need for it to be continuous, sequential, and developmental and this is particularly important for students in lower primary levels
3. Presently in Victoria there is a gross inequity in the percentage of schools that offer a continuous, sequential and developmental music education (as recommended by the National Review of School Music Education (1995)). Research suggests that 80% of independent schools have such programs compared to 23% of government schools. It is believed that Catholic schools are on a par with government schools
4. In Victoria, secondary level music education is delivered by specialist music teachers. Some primary schools also employ a specialist music teacher. However, the majority of primary schools rely on the generalist classroom teacher to deliver music instruction and for most of the other art forms
5. Victorian regional and country schools are seriously marginalized when it comes to music education. Recent statistics on music education provision in primary schools in country Victoria suggests that the provision and quality of music education continues to decline. The statistics show that a large percentage of country primary schools (40%) do not have music at all, principally government schools, with most schools only offering a token program
Providing all children with a broad music education, which includes performing, composing, listening, reviewing and evaluating.
6. The acknowledged best model for Music Education includes a combination of classroom teaching, instrumental and vocal music tuition and performance, input from professional musicians, and partnerships between community and professional music companies.
7. A performance based music curriculum requires a continuous, sequential, and developmental program as no other art form does, perhaps even dance
8. Music educators strongly believe participation in choral and instrumental ensembles as fundamental to the individual’s music skill development at all levels. This in turn results in the future quality level of ensembles, orchestras and choirs – and the hope of quality outcomes for year 12 music studies which, in Victoria is a component of the VCE course design
9. Singing is an important part of every child’s school life from early years through to the end of secondary schooling. U.K have ‘Sing-up”, (a song bank and web-site). A similar program could be make possible through the new National Broadband and made available to schools to use on an on-going basis
10. The inclusion of aural development, composition, reviewing, listening, analyzing, and music technology are essential components of a quality music education
11. Offering children the opportunity to learn an instrument, through class instruction should be introduced in primary schools, with musical pathways created for students to progress to more challenging ensembles and develop high-level skills
12. Victoria should continue to provide and prioritise its most highly valued Regionally provided instrumental music program in government secondary schools. As the present funding of this service does in no way meet demand, there needs to be an increment in the number of teachers provided to each region
13. We need to ensure there are pathways for the musically gifted and talented by the re-establishment of Music Specialist Schools throughout its Regions to accommodate their needs at their various levels of development. This model was initially established in the 1970s and a small number of the original designated schools are still providing excellent music training to our students, many of who go onto to become music teachers in schools and professional performers. We advocate that more of these schools should be created in each of the Regions and be provided with instrumental teachers to service the immediate area with instrumental lessons and ensembles. These schools could also act as area hubs for the provision of professional development for teachers, and consultancy
14. Music education in schools and out of school should continue to be funded through a mixed economic model
15. There is an urgent need for the appointment of someone in the government sector who can represent the Education Department in relation to music education. This person could not only facilitate the implementation of the music curriculum to be developed by ACARA, but also undertake a liaison role with the independent and Catholic school sectors and coordinate community music providers such as the MSO
16. Victoria establishes a School Music Advisory Group who can support a music curriculum officer and more broadly the Education Department with expert advice as required.
Teacher education
17. We need an over-hall of existing pre-service training for arts and music education must be a priority.
18. The consideration of other modes of delivery such as the system operating in Hong Kong model needs investigation.
19. There is a serious need for the training of a music leadership team to provide on-going training to music teachers in schools.
20. For a generalist teacher to deliver the National curriculum, and a continuous, sequential and developmental music curriculum, there would need to be a substantial increase in time given to the music in pre-service undergraduate courses. Research shows that the time allocated at the present time ranges from zero to the average of 17 hours of a four-year course.
21. There is no doubt that in order to deliver a quality music curriculum we need specialist music teachers in our schools. In Queensland 87% of primary schools have specialist music teachers. Handing music education to generalists has been given decades to work, and whatever its theoretical merits, it has failed in all states. Most generalist classroom teachers in Victoria do not have the skills and confidence to implement a National Music Curriculum. The notion of using generalist teachers to deliver the curriculum is a weak and poor fallback position.
22. Recent research shows that nothing much is happening in most classes where the generalist teacher is left to take responsibility for the music curriculum. A recent study showed that over seven years about 60% of students did not have any music instruction from their generalist teachers with the remainder having music instruction for only 1 or 2 years. Seventy five per cent of students had never had instruction from a specialist music teacher. Less than one in four has ever sung at their primary or lower secondary schools with the singing experience of most students limited to the singing of The National Anthem.
23. In order to up-skill the music teacher force in Victoria, we recommend the following: -
(i) There be a significant increase in the time allocated to music education in Victorian Universities
(ii) That the VIT have a special provision for music teachers applying for ‘Permission to Teach’ to cover the shortfall in the training and availability of music teachers in the State in line with this provision for language teachers
(iii) That competence to teach music or one or more of the Arts be a requisite for VIT registration.
(iv) That Victorian Universities significantly increase their provision of pre-service primary music education programs country Universities in line with research showing that country trained music teachers predominately preferred country appointments
(v) The provision of short courses for the generalist primary teacher with a music background as a beginning place, with a view to proceeding towards providing specialists to create a Prep - 12 continuum of sequential learning
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Pleasing Progress
Some pleasing progress has been made over the year, and we wait to hear from Anne for the report. Here are some additions for reading.
From the International Music Council: EMC Bonn Declaration for Music Education
Sunday, May 8, 2011
The Song Room - Study Report
The Song Room engaged in a qualitative study into the inclusion of 'The Arts' using TSR in several NSW schools. Qualitative, and quantitative outcomes were measured and are included in the report. Go to this site to download the pdf http://www.songroom.org.au/research/publications-and-reports
The Song Room Research page http://www.songroom.org.au/research
Monday, March 7, 2011
MUSICA VIVA FORUM - ACARA
Musica Viva held a forum in Sydney regarding the place of ARTS in the ACARA natinoal curriculum. Articles and podcasts can be found at http://www.musicaviva.com.au/education/mvis/australiancurriculum?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Forumpodacastedm&sourceNumber=0
Friday, February 25, 2011
UK Research
Music Education in England - A Review
Darren Henley, Department for Education and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Feb 2011
Many children in England benefit from excellent music teaching from excellent teachers. In some parts of the country, the opportunities for children to take part in musical activities are immense. However, some children in England do not currently receive an adequate, let alone good, Music Education.
This Review lays down recommendations for minimum expectations of what any child going through the English school system should receive in terms of an education in music.
It also outlines a national plan, which describes the expectations of how Music Education should develop over the coming years - this section of recommendations is designed to ensure that patchiness is replaced by consistency, so that children are able to enjoy the same level of Music Education, no matter where in England they happen to live.
Read more and download the Review:http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-00011-2011
Read reactions from:
UK Government: http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-00012-2011
Music Education Council: http://www.mec.org.uk/news/2011/2/8/mec-press-release.html
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music: http://www.abrsm.org/?page=press/pressReleases/item.html&id=718
National Campaign for the Arts: http://www.artscampaign.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=404%3Adarren-henleys-music-education-review-released&Itemid=97
Cultural Learning Alliance: http://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/uncategorized/the-henley-review-is-published
Youth Music: http://www.youthmusic.org.uk/news/Youth-Music-response-to-the-Henley-review.html
Arts Council: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/news/we-respond-darren-henleys-review-music-education/
Music Teacher Magazine: http://mteditor.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/henley-the-dust-settles/
Music Industries Association: http://www.thecmuwebsite.com/article/mia-welcomes-gove%E2%80%99s-music-education-commitment/
The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/tomserviceblog/2011/feb/07/henley-report-music-education
BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12381650
The Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/uturn-by-gove-saves-music-teaching-ndash-for-now-2207458.html
MUSIC COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA
NATIONAL CURRICULUM
The Arts Shape Paper for the National Curriculum
Submission to the Australian Curriculum, Reporting and Assessment Authority (ACARA)
Richard Letts, Music Council of Australia (with submissions from the field), December 9, 2010
ACARA has the responsibility for the preparation of the National Curriculum. It does so in a staged process with frequent consultation with the field. It is now embarked on the preparation of curricula for dance, drama, media, music and visual arts and has prepared a “Shape Paper”, setting out general guidelines for curriculum writers in the five art forms. It has published a draft and invited comment. The comments will be used to modify the Shape Paper prior to its presentation in 2011 to the curriculum writers.
The MCA response has been developed over a period of about ten weeks. Input was invited from Council members and many others who have established connections with the Music Council and it has been incorporated into the MCA submission.
Read the MCA submission:http://www.mca.org.au/images/pdf/Advocacy2010/mcaAD10acara%20Shape%20response%20DEC9.pdf
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
VCAA response sent to ACARA
From Helen Champion at the VCAA
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcaa/natcurric/response_from_victoria_arts_shape_paper.pdf
is the link to the response that Victoria sent to ACARA.
This response was prepared by VCAA on behalf of the school sectors and draws on feedback to the paper provided at the November/December consultation forums hosted by VCAA. The response reflects contributions from the four consultation forums and other meetings with subject associations and Arts organisations.
Thank you for your contributions at the forums and through emails and phone calls. Your support was invaluable in the preparation of this response.
ACARA's response to the extensive feedback they have received from individuals, organisations and states will be the next step in the process of developing Australian Curriculum: The Arts. To keep up with developments subscribe to receive updates from ACARA :
http://www.acara.edu.au/news_media/subscribe.html
Please forward this email to your networks and contacts.
Michele and Helen
-----
Michele Davies
Curriculum manager, Visual Arts
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Helen Champion
Curriculum manager, Performing Arts
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
VIT Permission to teach and Articles
Changes to the Victorian Institute of Teaching Permission to Teach Policy 2011
Instrumental teachers in schools need to know that there have been changes to the VIT Policy on the employment of teachers who are not fully registered and presently granted a “Permission to Teach”, or those who plan to work in a school in the future.
These changes could affect instrumental teachers presently working in schools.
From the 11 page policy document, I have extracted some of the relevant changes but strongly recommend you look at the website at WWW.VIT.vic.au/registration/categories - Find Permission to teach
v There are two categories of registration
Category one. A person who is qualified to be registered as a teacher.
Category two. A person with appropriate skills and experience to teach who is eligible to be granted permission to teach. Many instrumental teachers in schools come under this category.
v Only a person who is register or who is granted permission to teach can undertake the duties of a teacher in a school. The duties of a “teacher” include the delivery of an educational program or the assessment of student participation in an educational institution.
v Only registered teacher should undertake the duties of a teacher in a school.
v Sports Coaches, Instrumental Music Instructors, and other instructors whose duties relate to co-curricular or extra-curricular programs are not considered to be undertaking the duties of a teacher.
v However, in particular circumstances, the institute may grant permission to teach to a person who is not fully qualified as a teacher to undertake some, or all the duties of a teacher for a limited period of time. This allows a school to employ a person who is not fully qualified as a teacher where no qualified and suitable registered teacher is available.
v Evidence that the school has first sought to employ a registered teacher is required.
v Permission to teach is not a renewable form of registration and is limited to a maximum of 3 years for any grant.
A number of us have recognised that some of the changes (in bold) are not in the best interested of music education in schools and will be approaching the VIT to discuss this. I will keep you posted.
Anne Lierse
1. Richard Gill - The Age
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/focus-on-national-tests-robs-children-of-true-learning-20110208-1alk7.html
2. Press release on music in UK schools
http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a0074209/education-secretary-pledges-825m-for-music-education
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Response to ACARA Draft of Shape Paper for Music
Following the Forum held late in 2010, the collective professional response has been summarised by Anne Lierse. The submission has been collated and mailed to the relevant government authorities. Any questions can be forwarded directly to Anne at: alierse@ozemail.com.au
2.3.4 Defining Music – comment from delegate
. Performing, creating and responding to music are the fundamental music processes in which humans engage. The musical knowledge acquired by singing, playing an instrument, creating and composing, and moving to music can be acquired in no other way. Music is a basic expression of human culture.
3.2 Organising strands
• The language used in the descriptions of music learning was problematic in that there was an unsatisfactory attempt to have a common set of terms for all art forms -- this tended to "de-specialise" music learning experiences.
4.1 There was considerable concern expressed by the ALL of the delegates in relation to each of the 5 arts being taught as foundation subjects from K- 8. Although in principle they supported the entitlement of all young Australians to engage with all five Art forms, offering all the arts forms with equal time allocation up to year 8 was seen as problematic. Concerns ranged from finding time on the timetable, the provision of skilled arts teachers to schools in each of the five art forms, and the unrealistic time allocation for effective teaching of each of the Art forms (160 hours quoted which equals around 25 minutes a week). The consequences of this suggested instruction time would not be good for any of the five art forms as the development of competence in each of the Arts is severely compromised. There would need to be a serious dumbing down of content and skill development. This is in conflict with the aims of the Australian curriculum. In addition, this structure does not recognise the inherent differences of the performing arts (music and dance) that require students to develop physical capacities in order to progress. This needs continuous instruction and practice over many years. The performing arts should not be lumped with the other Arts.
Instead, we strongly advocate that there should be a statement that ‘Students should be able to communicate at a basic level in the 5 Art forms and should be able to perform proficiently in 2 or more art forms’.
The following thoughts were expressed the delegates:
. 38 per cent of country Victorian primary schools do not have a classroom music program. Maybe a similar or less number might have an art teacher. How many primary schools have a media, dance or drama teacher? Why is that? It is not practical, possible or necessary to do so. There is ample literature advocating the importance of music to children, particularly young ones and ideally music needs to be taught and reported on as a stand-alone subject. Look at any successful music program and you will find it run as such. At the very least, the visual and performing arts must be separated. It is completely impractical.
. Recent research showed that 45per cent of Victorian rural music teachers indicated that they felt music was negatively affected by its placement within a combined Arts KLA. Furthermore, principals indicated that music’s place in the curriculum was often threatened by competition from other subject areas – namely literacy and numeracy. In other words, the timetable is already over-crowded.
. 5 arts are too many to try and squeeze into an already overcrowded curriculum. Let them start with two and teach them properly with one hour each until grade 6.
. There is a need to recognise that music, being a language, is quite distinct from the other art forms it is grouped in with: dance, drama, media arts and visual arts.
. It is not useful to be examining the structure and usefulness of each individual tree in the forest when the inherent structure of the forest is so fundamentally flawed. To be proposing the planting of five different species with completely different survival needs within one competitive environment where sunshine, nutrients and water are strictly limited is to doom the entire forest to a slow death or at best, a deformed and sickly growth with the ultimate extinction of some species.
. This Draft of the Shape paper condemns children with the potential to take up music as a career to take up lessons with a private teacher at their own expense. This does not happen in maths or history or any of the other subjects. We should be trying to improve the status of music not destroy it.
. Schools are not preparing children to take music as a serious study. What messages do you give children about the value of music and the arts if you give then only 25 minutes each week. The music course offered cannot be serious and rigorous. What opportunity is there for skills development and stylistic engagement? There is a serious risk that music education will be degraded to a play around with pop and rock music experience.
. In the late 1960's and early 1970's I was lucky enough to attend a well resourced public high school that considered music important and offered classroom music and performance opportunities in all years. Individual tuition was also offered free of charge for a large number of instruments... I would not have been able to afford to study an orchestral instrument had this programme not existed (i.e. now). The current situation is considerably worse, and I am regularly faced with picking up the pieces for adult and teenage students who suffer from the existing lack of specialised individual and classroom music learning opportunities in schools. Some of those students - passionate and talented musicians - struggle to cover the requirements of VCE music in schools where classroom music is not offered until Year 11. The ACARA generalist proposals offer no improvements… If the ACARA proposals are implemented, even more students from low income families like my own will be deprived of musical education as they are forced to pay for private lessons in areas such as basic music literacy and performance skills that should be covered from the earliest years of school. We desperately need a well-devised, progressive and participatory musical education programme that begins in the earliest school years and gives all students a thorough grounding in musical basics and exposes them to the widest possible variety of musical cultures.
. Music and dance are skill based needing continuous sequential and developmental instruction. Music and art are an intrinsic part of every society on the planet but we are in danger of becoming spectators rather than participators. There is an inherent danger in trying to do too many things and it is simply not possible or realistic to be expecting primary schools to teach these five specialist areas. At primary level any good music program incorporates a degree of dance as does PE. Drama is an intrinsic part of both English and music and media is a part of technology. To offer specialist study in music and art is perfectly adequate for children 5-12 years. Let these be offered and taught by different teachers who know their craft and a wider selection of subjects be made available at secondary level.
4.5 Learning Music K-12
Generally, members attending the Forum had issues with the descriptions offered. There were five major areas of concern
1. The emphasis on providing a curriculum that is continuous, sequential and developmental needs to be strongly emphasised.
2. The necessity to have a skilled music teacher cannot be over emphasised. Unless taught properly, damage done to the integrity of the subject perpetuates the low status it presently experiences in so many schools. Poor teaching can do damage to technique, and understanding, and aesthetic appreciation which can be a serious barrier to development.
3. The descriptions of music learning for all of the bands seem very general and lacking any real musical specificity and developmental aspects.
4. In addition, there is insufficient recognition of how the needs of the gifted and talented students can be addressed, nor how the needs of students at upper secondary level can be accommodated.
5. Many teachers expressed concern that the issue of participation in choral and instrumental ensembles has been side-stepped. Delegates saw the place of instrumental and choral ensembles as fundamental to the individual’s music skill development at all levels. This in turn results in the future quality level of ensembles and orchestras and choirs – and the hope of quality outcomes for year 12 music studies.
There are a number of curriculum documents that have been developed nationally and internationally which particularly address the third issue. I refer to two such documents in particular which offer the essential elements for the development of an Australian curriculum in music classrooms from K - `12
1. Guidelines for Student Learning K - 3, 3 - 7, 7- 10, 10 - 12, in the National Review of School Music Education (2005)
2. U.S. National Standards for Art Education: Summary Statement- What students should know and be able to do in the Arts/Music
The US National Standards for Music does actually address most of the issues raised at the Forum.
A brief summary of these Standards for Music Grades 1 -4
The Content Standards are listed under the heading:
Content Standard 1. Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music from diverse cultures.
Tasks include discussion of pitch, rhythm, timbre, diction, posture, maintaining a steady tempo, singing expressively with dynamics, phrasing, interpretation, memory, rounds, ostinato patterns.
Content Standard 2. Performing on an instrument alone or with others.
Again there is a list of age related ‘standards’ such as melodic and choral patterns, echo short rhythms and melodic patterns, matching dynamic levels etc.
Nos 3 – 9 Content Standards are titled: improvising, composing and arranging, reading notation, listening to and analysing music, evaluating music and music performances, understanding relationships between music the other arts and disciplines, and lastly understanding music in relation to history and culture.
Comments from the Forum included:
. There is a need for statements of learning standards at every year level. Teachers need greater direction and specificity of standard if adequate assessment and reporting criteria are to be developed. Currently there is much left up to the individual teacher to develop standards due to the breadth of statements in VELS both across art forms and in each year level.
• The descriptions of music learning for all of the bands seem very general and lacking any real musical specificity -- i.e. these statements seem to "fiddle around" without getting to the core of things. There needs to be outcomes.
• None of the descriptions of music learning seem to focus on the quality of musical experiences that young people will have -- i.e. there is no overt aesthetic contact / engagement specified.
• There is no real consideration of age appropriate musical engagement.
• There is a lack of stylistic definition as far as repertoire is concerned -- i.e. there was a concern that the repertoire could be based on pop music rather than requiring a more balanced stylistic exposure.
• There were problems with references to "imaginary" !
. The National Review of Music Education highlighted the fact that
specially trained musicians as teachers should be available to nurture
students' development. The fact that in many states of Australia students
are taught by non specialist teachers until their Secondary schooling
ensures the majority of students have neither the skill nor inspiration to
pursue music as an elective throughout their later Secondary years.
• The question was asked, why re-invent the wheel when there are already good models of music curriculum already in existence that are validated by successful implementation -- e.g. classroom music in Queensland and instrumental music in Western Australia?
. There is no reference to a skilled musician/music teacher relationship or to the quality of a student’s musical experience.
. It was assumed in relation to music in the Shaping Paper, that the focus was on classroom music ... there seemed no overt accommodation of instrumental music and where "instrumental music" was mentioned, there was no clear indication of what was meant here.
. Overall, there was an unfortunate absence of the word/concept of "musicianship" in the descriptions of music learning; there was also no mention of the need in music learning for students to be engaging with skilled musician-teachers.
. There is no reference to teaching music as a continuous weekly subject and in fact the time allowance for the whole of the arts is very small – with music being just one fifth of that!
. While so many other countries (Britain, Venezuela, Finland etc) are beginning to recognise the incredible value of music education across a broad range of extrinsic areas and issues we are fighting for the integrity of music education in this country.
K - 2
• The early years description of music learning was problematic in that, in music, these years represent the cognitive-developmental period when there should be a focus on establishing musical concepts and skills. The Shape Paper as a whole has failed to take account of children's cognitive-developmental stages where, in the case of music, more time could be given in the early years and less time in later years where other art forms may come to the fore in terms of time allocation. The implied equal distribution of time "entitlement" for all the art forms at all levels fails to take account of children's different patterns of development in the respective arts forms.
. At all levels, proficiencies for music should include: performing, creating, and responding to music as the essential processes. Areas of study would include: aural development, basic analysis, structure and form, the elements of music, notation, historical and cultural perspectives, and informed acquaintance with exemplary musical works from a variety of cultures and historical periods.
3– 8
. This age range is far too wide for one band. Paragraph 25 under 4.1 breaks the bands as from K-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8. This is much more appropriate.
Lower secondary levels (years 7 & 8 in Victoria) need a distinct curriculum taught by a skilled teacher with a time allowance with a minimum of 1 hour a week. Without this the likely hood of students electing music in Years 9-12 will seriously diminish.
. The band 3 to 8 needs to be further broken down -- i.e. the notion of the "middle years of schooling" does not apply in all jurisdictions; moreover, in Victoria, this band covers the period when students would generally be taught by a generalist teacher to year 6 and then by a specialist music teacher in years 7 and 8; the descriptions of music learning should accommodate this change in teaching delivery.
. What proposed is hopeless for secondary level students (from Year 7). It is too late to take music study seriously at secondary level. You need super level teachers to meet the needs of students which such a range of experiences and musical backgrounds. Some students enter year 7 with no music education while some are working as an advanced level instrumentalists. Students by year 7 have established opinions of style preference many do not want to listen to any other music. Primary Level music education conducted by skilled music teachers opens their minds. Music education must be continuous, sequential and developmental.
9 - 12
. There seems to be no recognition of or accommodation of the need at the upper secondary level for higher-level music performance skills that generally can only be developed by one-on-one teaching. In this respect, music is a highly distinctive and discrete learning area within the Arts and this needs to be recognised and accommodated. The development of musicianship (aural, theory, musical style), opportunities for creativity, and performance in groups and in solo contexts are crucial for the development of a young performer. This skill development needs to be part of the school music curriculum and plays a crucial part in and complementing the private instrumental lesson in the development of a complete performer.
We note that words such as musicianship, sequential and developmental are not mentioned in this document.
4.7 . We especially need to consult with and learn from Aboriginal elders and musicians, to devise culturally sensitive ways of learning about their music, so that future Australians (including Aboriginal kids) grow up less ignorant and with deeper understanding of where we all belong in the history of this land.
. The problem of including Indigenous Australian music when it may be inappropriate for teachers themselves to be trying to engage this form of music without being fully aware of cultural sensitivities, etc.
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