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Just
wanting to acknowledge your patience as readers of the ENews is delivered over
a few shorter bursts. My recovery after
the car bingle, continues slowly, and so far progress is steady. Allowing me to write in short bursts assists,
so thank you. Where in the last ENews, there was consistent analogies drawn
around the world’s oceans and seas, I will use farming analogies through todays
publication.
Australia
has a variety of landscapes, with differing farming harvests. Farms in some areas harvest a bounty, and
other areas of land are sandy resulting in poor returns. Such an analogy can paint a picture for Music
delivery across the field. For a whole
generation in Victoria, particularly in the 1990s, Music Education delivered by
a specialist teacher was denied to public school students. This decade in Victoria, brought funding cuts
that decimated music education delivery – creating a vacuum, or desert in some
regions where little could grow.
Culture, knowledge and an inheritance were denied to so many
children. These youngsters are adults
now, and so we have a generation of people who ‘do not know, what they don’t
know’. Thankfully, some are willing to
learn.
Over
only 4 years, the music education sector has received funding from the Victorian
Andrew’s government with whom Music Education has found favour. The rocks and boulders in the desert have
started to be pushed aside. Whatever
your political allegiances, and whatever your opinion of Musical Futures, the organization
has been brave enough to roll through the desert and turn the soil. The process has pushed huge boulders out of
the way, and carried a heavy load. Ian
Harvey has travelled to every corner of Victoria personally, to convince school
principals that a music education is needed.
To convince principals who may have never received a music education
themselves, and can’t see the benefit.
Yet, he has convinced them to start a program.
Whatever
your opinions of the National Music Teacher Mentoring program, the participants
have all reported very positive feedback. Seven teachers are
mentoring 15 teachers across participating schools including one new mentor
based in Warrnambool. Mr. Richard Gill OM led the charge with this program, and
worked hard to put it in place. We must
acknowledge the hard work of Mr. Richard Gill AO, and Mr. Ian Harvey in each
moving huge boulders in making these two programs move through, and turn the
first sod. In reality, these programs do turn the first sod towards
generational change. These giants of the Music Education community have been
working hard for decades, and have each now seen some result. Both have broad shoulders, and have carried
their story to politicians independently of sMAG. Each has made these gains in their own right,
and have fought for music education for decades longer many of us, particularly
involved in the NRSME: http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/9459/
We, as a community, owe them our appreciation.
The whole music community, now has the opportunity to move
through, and provide to the teaching professionals receiving the benefits from
the above, support, networks and resources.
By picking up these thousands of teachers who have received some
Professional Learning, the whole community will ‘replenish the land with the
nutrients needed to sustain long-term growth’ – so to speak. Once all the offerings have moved through,
finally ‘seed can be sewn’ as the next generation begins to flourish. And to achieve this, as Fiona Phillips now
carries the analogy in her attachment, it must rain – and rain steadily for a
long time so that the next generation benefits from ‘a strong harvest’.
Furthermore, the Victorian government in its agenda to
build The Education State, has funded the building of many performing arts
spaces. Primary and Secondary schools
alike are receiving the benefit of brand new Music, dance and drama facilities
all across Victoria. There are so many,
there are too many to name!!!
Wow!!!
We have not seen anything like this for several generations!
We have such an opportunity now, to invest into good soil,
and turn the land over, ready to plant – for a harvest to come in around 10 or
20 years time. The societal benefits will be far reaching, if every educator invests in a their space in the education
field. Are you a Professional Learning provider? What will you invest into the
community? Are you in Music industry?
What can you offer? What has sport done
with industry partners, that Music can now emulate? Are you a music teacher in a school? How can
you inspire, create positivity and get the whole school singing as exampled by
Sue Arney in ‘The Singing Classroom’? - “A Million Dreams” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rxgAh1bnHU
It’s up to you! What will you plant?
Initial Teacher Education - ITE
We
have seen mixed progress in the tertiary sector in terms of Music Education
Specialism delivery. We celebrate news
from the MEERG on the student participation in the University of Melbourne,
Masters of Music - Performance Teaching.
Kenna George reported that approximately 35 students are accepted each year
with most students opting for specialism - instrumental strings.
Aspiring instrumental teachers have the opportunity to gain a qualification at the University of Melbourne, Conservatorium of Music. See an introduction from Professor Ian Godfrey on Youtube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=70&v=Ju5pFmEu2AA. Specific information may be obtained directly from the website: https://mcm.unimelb.edu.au/study/degrees/master-of-music-performance-teaching/overview . Aspiring music teachers gain the skills and confidence to enter the Secondary Education Sector, or the Studio Music sector.
Aspiring instrumental teachers have the opportunity to gain a qualification at the University of Melbourne, Conservatorium of Music. See an introduction from Professor Ian Godfrey on Youtube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=70&v=Ju5pFmEu2AA. Specific information may be obtained directly from the website: https://mcm.unimelb.edu.au/study/degrees/master-of-music-performance-teaching/overview . Aspiring music teachers gain the skills and confidence to enter the Secondary Education Sector, or the Studio Music sector.
The Bachelor of Music at the University of Melbourne, Conservatorium of
Music offers tremendous opportunities as outlined by Prof. Gary McPherson here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhumZDVS8x4&t=41s Graduates are confident
to pursue a professional music career on graduation, or move into the Masters
degree already mentioned.
We celebrate delivery and participation at the University of Education,
Graduate School of Education Masters Course with a specialization in Arts
Education. https://education.unimelb.edu.au/study_with_us/courses/master-of-education/overview/arts-education Many pre service
teachers have participated in specialized Music Education training, which is
showcased on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Music-Education-At-Melbourne-121801714542789/ Graduates usually gain
employment in a classroom setting.
We do
have some positive news from Deakin, however we will hold this over until the
next ENews, or provide an update at the Forum.
Our incoming Co-Chair, Fiona Phillips, lectures at Deakin and will be
able to elaborate in the near future.
As
ITE falls under Federal legislation, and having written to the Hon. Mr. Simon
Birmingham, we have received a helpful reply.
While aspects of the letter outlined aspects we were already aware of,
Mr. Birmingham provided insight into the separation of Federal and State
auspice, as well as unpacking some of the regulatory language.
Hon.
Mr. Birmingham stated:
“Whilst
English/literacy and maths/numeracy have been identified by the Government as
national
priority
learning areas for primary specialisation, ITE providers are able to provide a
specialisation in
any
learning area of the primary curriculum, including the arts, if it is an area
of employer demand.”
He referred
to the AITSL documents, which are also regulatory, outlining clearly that if
employers demand staff in a specialism, ITE providers can be persuaded to
supply. While I am not an Oxford
scholar, my reading of his letter and the AITSL documents, and my understanding
of local school behaviour responding to community demands we have a line of
action that can be pursued. It would seem to me that if a local community
demands music education delivery, voices and pressures local schools to provide
a music education, then principals will be crying out for staff.
Should
you have children in a public school, you would do well to write to the
Principal, and School Council requesting a Specialist Music Teacher who
delivers a whole of class, sequential, continuous and developmental program
against the Victorian Curriculum.
Members
of the tertiary community may request a copy of the letter to sMAG from the Hon. Mr.
Simon Birmingham by return email: smag.schoolmusicactiongroup@gmail.com . We
look forward to what developments Fiona Phillips and Sue Buchan will lead the
Music Education community towards with this information now at hand.
After perusing the Hon. Simon Birmingham's letter, I have a hunch. Would you each please pop this on all social media platforms, as it really showcases Aussie kids, as Music Education kids: https://www.youtube.com/
After perusing the Hon. Simon Birmingham's letter, I have a hunch. Would you each please pop this on all social media platforms, as it really showcases Aussie kids, as Music Education kids: https://www.youtube.com/
The VCAA Guide to Music Education
As
reported in a previous edition of the ENews, we still await the publication of
the VCAA Guide to Music Education. Helen
Champion put in countless hours of work in creating the guide. She invested the time to consult Music
Educators around Victoria, and developed a rich resource. We believe the Music Education community will
celebrate the guide when it is published online. Such a document will engender and support
deep and rich Music Education throughout Victoria.
The
VCAA will communicate the Guide to Music Education release via their
communication usual portals when it goes live.
If you wish to make inquires, you can find the VCAA contact details
here: https://www.vic.gov.au/contactsandservices/directory/?ea0_lfz149_120.&organizationalUnit&9ab88530-1d59-47b0-9907-337563fa148e
The SIMP
We
have had serious discussions at the MEERG around the SIMP. The Chair advised that following discussions with the
Minister for Education, DET will establish a working group with representatives
from each DET region and central office to share best practice and discuss ways
to improve the support and coordination for music education. The first meeting
will be held in Term 3 2018. DET will use the new working group to share best practice
and consider improvements to the SIMP. The Department will use the new Music
Working Group to identify local and regional area PLC (Professional Learning
Community) leaders and communication opportunities. Inquires to the new Music
Education Team at DET can be directed here: music.education@edumail.vic.gov.au
Rather
than provide a long catch up here, we would prefer to discuss progress in
person when we gather at the forum. Using the farming analogy, farmers always must
consider carefully what to plant and sew, according to the current climate. Please
encourage colleagues to gather at the forum.
We will break off into sector groups in different rooms and allow a
focus and reflection time.
Multicultural Melbourne
Indulge me a
little, while I speak of my beautiful city and my own story. We all have a
story, and we Aussies love to share our stories. Here is a small portion of
mine.
We have in our
city, and throughout Victoria, access to the richest cultures of the world from
actual members of those cultures. As a
child, I was one of those many thousands of public school students who were
denied a music education during those ‘desert like’ decades. My parents more than made up for it, singing,
dancing and playing the records of their English heritage every weekend. In the ‘village’ where I grew up, the parents
of my friends shared the music of their heritage as we all played in the
backyards in the summer time. I learnt
to dance ‘The Zorba’ and all about the Bouzouki in one home. In others, at parties, when the feasting was
done, and vino was well drunk, the patriarch of the Italian family would stand
up and start to sing Verdi and Rossini. While I was denied a music education in
primary school, I learnt of the European greats at the feat of painters,
farmers and bricklayers. You see, Music
Education was compulsory in Italy in the 20th century. The leaders
knew music would carry the culture through the generations. Our indigenous people know this, and carry
the culture of their people through corroboree, art, music and dance.
We all have an
immigration story. My immigration story
impacts on my public secondary school education. My Grandfather decided to bring the family to
Australia after WW2. During the war, he
had served in the British Royal Air Force in the Red Beret. For the first 3 years, he spied out enemy air
attacks, and intercepted enemy messages and forwarded them to Bletchley where
Alan Turing was working. In 1942, when
Darwin was attacked, he along with hundreds of thousands of British, was
seconded to Australia. He camped on the
MCG with all the Americans, Canadians and other allied forces before being
deployed to Darwin to fight the Kamakaze.
While here, The Blitz occurred, and his house was lost. Before the loss, he was a wealthy man. So when the offer came to resettle in
Australia came, he chose Melbourne. While in Australia, all the generations
passed on the culture through the music.
Songs of great strength and character.
A piano was purchased, and we all got to learn. We played Mozart, and Beethoven, McCartney,
and folk songs. The house was full of
music.
Yet, at secondary
school, there was no music. I had to
study piano privately to pass the VCE. A new principal came, Dad got on the
school council and asked for a Music program, and the school hired someone who
offered pop/rock music. Well, none of the
children in this village were interested in 3 chord songs, with only a 4 part
band. All the students were children of Europe’s
WW2, and wanted to hear the sounds of cultural greats from Europe – not pop
music! You see presumptions were made.
The teacher didn’t research the clientele.
Who do we have in
our classrooms now, Victoria? Many of us
have the children of Persia, Arabia and Africa.
Play the Tabla and the djembe.
Ask the young people what they want to hear, and connect them to culture.
On the flip side of
this story, I have met musicians from all the top conservatoria of the world
here in Melbourne. During those 1990s
when music teachers could not get jobs in schools, I ran a private studio, and
was able to hire Moscow conservatorium graduates, guitarists from Spain, and
all the best musicians Multicultural Melbourne could offer. Many would bemoan the cultural musical desert
they encountered in their corner of Australia. Slavomir provided a better
example, and established the Australian Chopin Society in Melbourne: http://en.chopin.nifc.pl/chopin/institutions/detail/cat/1/id/8 So,
if I heard bemoaning after knowing Slavomir, I would kindly ask the question,
‘What of your heritage can you bring to your corner of the music field here in
Australia?’ A few have proceeded to
inject a little of their rich history into our space. One has chosen to use his extensive violin
skills gained in Austria, and refined in the USA playing behind Bernstein and
Pavarotti, by reviewing and reworking violin instrumental examination
repertoire. Another has brought her
extensive Russian heritage of piano playing and establishing a summer piano
accompaniment festival.
What aspect of your
heritage or country of origin can you bring to the field here? Which of you will form the Melbourne Italian
Opera society? I will be the first to
subscribe!!
Let’s all farm this field together, and
yield a future harvest. Yet, it must rain ...... ......see article from Fiona Phillips below
EVENT: FORUM
Date: Thursday July 12
Time: 4.00 pm – 6.00 pm
VENUE: Federation Hall - VCA: 234 St Kilda Road, Southbank,
Melbourne
https://www.melbournerecital.com.au/venues/federation-hall-victorian-college-of-the-arts/
FOCUS: Victorian Music Education
Charter
Music teachers, SIMP providers, Tertiary lecturers, Music Industry professionals, Performing Musicians and all those interested in Music education are invited to the July Forum.
Speaker: Prof. Gary Macpherson
Retiring sMAG Chair: Catherine Lyons
Music teachers, SIMP providers, Tertiary lecturers, Music Industry professionals, Performing Musicians and all those interested in Music education are invited to the July Forum.
Speaker: Prof. Gary Macpherson
Retiring sMAG Chair: Catherine Lyons
New sMAG Co-Chair induction: Ms. Fiona Phillips and Ms. Sue
Buchan.
The forum will review the proposed Victorian Music Education Charter for everyone to put to all political candidates.
The forum will review the proposed Victorian Music Education Charter for everyone to put to all political candidates.
Formal hand over of leadership will occur at this event, where
reflections over the last 4.5 years will occur and Fiona Phillips and Sue
Buchan will be welcomed as new Co-Chairs of sMAG. Mr. Carl Williams will be
welcomed as Vice Chair.
sMAG FACEBOOK GROUP.
Networking
and supporting one another on Facebook provides for rich sharing at times. Please join the group, and join the
conversations: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1101931139911842/
Kind
Regards,
Catherine
Lyons
Becoming more musical = success.
A story of becoming musical and a letter from a principal’s desk
This is the story of what is possible if a school commits itself to becoming more musical.
The story is of a primary school situated in regional Victoria struggling to become more musical. There were student attendance issues, low staff moral and family connectedness and engagement was sluggish at best. The school had a desire to include more music and had tried a few “one off” NGO offerings. The effort applied to balance the budget and make room for music was intense and exhausting. The goal to include more music and become more musical as a school, was seeming as if it was impossible and defeat had all but set in. It appeared as it music was something that they were not going to be able to do. Some of the generalist staff had undergone professional learning / training or could remember a few things from their ITE studies, but more often than not they had received little or no understanding of how to use music effectively in the classroom and especially in the setting they found themselves in. “It takes time to become musical and not enough time was provided in my ITE” (Heinrich, 2012; Phillips, 2013).
Governments have much evidence (Victorian Government, 2015) in front of them of the benefits of a sequential music program for learning and development, but at an AITSL level they have identified other learning areas as being a focus and this pushes back on the system causing ITE providers to focus on building capacity and skills in the identified areas. The result is a national drought of musically prepared teachers. With very few teachers who had any sort of well from which to draw from in terms of musical knowledge, and who also felt inadequately prepared to implement effective music learning, and with no funds to employ a specialist teacher, all seemed lost. It was into this situation that a place based philanthropic organisation stepped in. The place-based funder had undertaken research and discovered that only 1 in 8 schools in the region had access to a trained music teacher. They had also undertaken research that indicated increasing opportunities for education and participation in music was an effective way of building social capital and improving academic and holistic developmental outcomes. Their goal was to lift these outcomes in the region and therefore increased access to, and participation in, music education became a focus of their funding. Initially the principal was sceptical, but after seeding funds were released and a program was designed and implemented he saw the beginnings of gains across most indicators and was convinced. The program to become more musical has evolved in response to the community. The following is an excerpt from a personal response of thanks to the CEO of the philanthropic organisation.
“I wanted to take the opportunity to write to thank you for your continued support of our school and community and to let you know some recent highlights for us as a school.
These include
· Our music program is a success that we can all be proud of. Students are eager to be part of this terrific program. Our year 6 students anecdotally report that they have contacts with the secondary college and that this assists with transition. Once at secondary college they are able to immediately join the college’s intermediate band in year 7 and miss the junior band. Our year 6 have also had a number of opportunities to perform alongside secondary students. This is a terrific experience.
· Our academic results are showing continual signs of improvement. This is particularly true for maths.
We are continuing to work hard to improve reading outcomes and have a clear evidenced based
instructional model in place.
· We are also beginning to see that the integration of a KODALY/ORFF based pedagogical approach to singing and body percussion in the early years might make the best connections to THRASS and continue to lift these areas of spelling, reading and writing. It is a work in progress but this approach has the benefit of including songs from culture and celebrates the diversity in our community.
· Our student attitude to school survey results, a Department of Education and Training survey, (most recent 2017) show very high levels of connectedness with the school. Students report very high levels of agreement with all areas of the survey.
· Our recent survey of staff opinion (2016 and 2017) showed the highest agreement in all areas in more than a decade. This is evidence that our staff are very committed to working as a team to support all students and that we have developed a very supportive staff culture.
· Attendance data has improved significantly in the past 4 years. On average students are now attending about 7 days extra per year. This has continued to further improve in 2018
· Our student numbers have increased in 2017 and 2018. This is the first time in 15 years that enrolment has increased.
· We have strong future plans to work closely with our community to improve outcomes in the Early years.
Not all of this can be attributed to the music program and us 'becoming more musical' but anecdotally this focus on intentionally being more musical and the work to become more musical is the only thing that was introduced over this period and has remained. One of your trustees indicated that it would take time to become more musical and they were right. If you had not stepped in to support us becoming more musical we would never have continued the journey – we couldn’t have begun even - and we would never have experienced and known the benefits of what is continuing to be a more musical and successful place."
This is not the only school for which becoming more musical has equalled success – there are a number of primary schools that have become more musical and have experienced the benefits of this shift. What is significant, and somewhat alarming about this story is that becoming musical had to be funded by a philanthropic organisation. Unfortunately, it is reflective of an on-going climate change in ITE and in education generally resulting in conditions that are sure to end in a musical drought. Cultural institutions are trying to provide ‘bottled water’ and some NGOs disaster relief – if you get my metaphor – but what the regions really need is regular rain. Regular rain in the form of sequential developmental music education that is responsive to children and sensitive to the communities that they live in. It needs to rain locally and for a significant time. We must be diligent and keep encouraging each other to present the message that Music matters. Music not as another letter in a sequence of MMADD or STEAM or MINDFULNESS but music for music’s sake, for it is music and people in a school becoming more musical that has made the difference. Becoming more musical for this school equals success.
Fiona Phillips B Ed, Grad Dip Music Ed, Grad Cert Higher Ed, M Ed by research, PhD candidate.
· We are also beginning to see that the integration of a KODALY/ORFF based pedagogical approach to singing and body percussion in the early years might make the best connections to THRASS and continue to lift these areas of spelling, reading and writing. It is a work in progress but this approach has the benefit of including songs from culture and celebrates the diversity in our community.
· Our student attitude to school survey results, a Department of Education and Training survey, (most recent 2017) show very high levels of connectedness with the school. Students report very high levels of agreement with all areas of the survey.
· Our recent survey of staff opinion (2016 and 2017) showed the highest agreement in all areas in more than a decade. This is evidence that our staff are very committed to working as a team to support all students and that we have developed a very supportive staff culture.
· Attendance data has improved significantly in the past 4 years. On average students are now attending about 7 days extra per year. This has continued to further improve in 2018
· Our student numbers have increased in 2017 and 2018. This is the first time in 15 years that enrolment has increased.
· We have strong future plans to work closely with our community to improve outcomes in the Early years.
Not all of this can be attributed to the music program and us 'becoming more musical' but anecdotally this focus on intentionally being more musical and the work to become more musical is the only thing that was introduced over this period and has remained. One of your trustees indicated that it would take time to become more musical and they were right. If you had not stepped in to support us becoming more musical we would never have continued the journey – we couldn’t have begun even - and we would never have experienced and known the benefits of what is continuing to be a more musical and successful place."
This is not the only school for which becoming more musical has equalled success – there are a number of primary schools that have become more musical and have experienced the benefits of this shift. What is significant, and somewhat alarming about this story is that becoming musical had to be funded by a philanthropic organisation. Unfortunately, it is reflective of an on-going climate change in ITE and in education generally resulting in conditions that are sure to end in a musical drought. Cultural institutions are trying to provide ‘bottled water’ and some NGOs disaster relief – if you get my metaphor – but what the regions really need is regular rain. Regular rain in the form of sequential developmental music education that is responsive to children and sensitive to the communities that they live in. It needs to rain locally and for a significant time. We must be diligent and keep encouraging each other to present the message that Music matters. Music not as another letter in a sequence of MMADD or STEAM or MINDFULNESS but music for music’s sake, for it is music and people in a school becoming more musical that has made the difference. Becoming more musical for this school equals success.
Fiona Phillips B Ed, Grad Dip Music Ed, Grad Cert Higher Ed, M Ed by research, PhD candidate.
