Step 1. Just get your school, music class, choir or even just one person from your group  to choose a piece of classical or jazz music.
Step 2. Send your request to  -   3mbskids@gmail.com
Step 3. We’ll e-mail you back to let you know when we’ll be playing your request.
Step 4. Tune in and listen! Easy as that. You can listen on the radio (in/around Melbourne) and stream the show online (all over the world).

Classically Kids EVERY Saturday from 8am – 9am on 3MBS 103.5 FM, with Jacqui and Adam

www.3mbs.org.au

ABODA Victoria presents:

Beyond Recruitment – the Journey Continues

2 – 5pm, Friday 9 September

Camberwell High School

With Sue Arney, Jemima Bunn and ABODA Committee, this clinic will present ideas to maximise the potential of your students, and band and/or string program; strategies to introduce and develop understanding of ensemble concepts; and activities to use up to the first concert and beyond.

Contact vice.president.vic@aboda.org.au

Fred Sjoberg of Sweden is international leader at the next Australian Choral Conductors Education and Training Summer School in Melbourne, along with an excellent Australian leadership team. Fred has conducted the World Youth Choir, the  World Chamber Choir and the European Youth Choir; and currently conducts the French National Youth Choir. He is a widely travelled conductor, educator and adjudicator. At ACCET Summer School next January, learn from him about score analysis and interpretation as a conductor, watch him teach conducting in master class and learn about enthusing young people, as well as discovering choral music of Sweden.

There are many experiences in this Summer School: Dalcroze – building music into the body through movement; diction – vowels, consonants, diphthongs and word accent in singing; specialist repertoire for primary and junior choirs, for secondary and youth choirs and for community and church choirs. In addition, a generous package of music is given to participants.

It will be four choral learning-filled days, and a great way to start the year’s music making. www.choralconductors.org.au

AIM is located @ 1-51 Foveaux St, Surry Hills, a 2-minute walk from Central Station.

Alexander Technique Weekend Workshop with Robert Schubert from the University of Melbourne

A two day workshop led by Robert Schubert specifically designed with musicians in mind.

When: 27^th and 28^th August 2011. 10am -5pm

Where: Boroondara Brass Band Rooms. Ferguson Stand, Glenferrie Oval, Hawthorn

Cost:   $100.00 per person.

The Alexander Technique helps evaluate and improve your habitual movements.The Alexander Technique is a

way of learning about how to be comfortable in your own body. Discover how your habits affect your life

and work towards better movement and posture. By changing how you move as you go about your daily activities

Alexander Technique can help you to resolve long-term pain, voice problems and ergonomic problems.

Alexander Technique can also help you to achieve better self-awareness, better performance, and better patterns of movement in all physical activities.

The cost for this 2 day intensive workshop will be $100.00 per person. Paid directly to Boroondara Brass.

If you are interested in attending this course please email your interest to admin@boroondarabrass.org

Enhance your musicality with the Alexander Technique.

Learn how to take care of your body while you play and perform music. Increase your self-confidence and comfort as a musician.

Participants in this 6-week workshop will experience a practical introduction to how the Alexander Technique can help the musician by improve powers of concentration, aural and rhythmic sensitivity through learning to integrate mind, body and music.

Individual guidance and consultation will be available as well as many group explorations to build skills for peak musical performance.

Dates
Monday evenings, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
29 August to 17 October
(6 classes – no classes during school holiday break: 26 September to 9 October)

Cost
$265 inc GST
(20% discount for University of Melbourne students)

More information & enrolments

ARTICLE: Unlocking Kids’ Musical Gifts

DO all children have the ability to be musical? Read all about it!

Remove vocals from a song, delete a verse, sound like Darth Vader: learn how

Audacity is a free app for PC and Mac users which allows you to do all of the above, plus more.

On Thursday 25 August 2011 I’ll be running the next Amazing Audacity workshop on behalf of the Association of Music Educators (Vic.).

The workshop is an all-day, hands-on, bring your own laptop session where you’ll learn simple audio editing tricks such as chopping out sections of a song, creating fade-ins/outs, remove vocals and create digital stories with narration and sound effects

Details:

25 August 2011, 9.30am – 3.30pm

Statewide Resources Centre, Carlton

Cost:

$130 (AMUSE members)   $190 (non-members)

More details and bookings (including a downloadable registration form).

There is an opportunity to be involved in a Programme being undertaken by  AITSL.   The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) has responsibility for establishing professional learning flagship programs that support national education priority areas. The Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change will aim to enhance teachers knowledge, skills and confidence to plan for, support and lead curriculum change, including school level implementation of the Australian Curriculum. Classroom teachers with curriculum change leadership responsibility in a school are the primary audience for this flagship program.

AITSL have a number of resources available on their dedicated Leading Curriculum Change web page   www.aitsl.edu.au/lcc

Please also note that this website is the place that all interested individuals go to register an expression of interest in The Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change.

Should you have an interest in leading such curriculum change, follow the link above and consider applying to be partof the programme.

Read the research brief here

This report presents results from a study of Australian households which was commissioned by the Australian Music Association. The results are based on 1,000 interviews with households randomly selected across all of Australia.

Here are some of the findings:

• 36% of Australian households contain at least one person who now plays a musical instrument. This equates to a rough estimate of 4 million people of all ages (5+ yrs) who play.
• Music players have a young profile. It was found that 35% are aged 5-17 yrs and a further 28% are aged 18-34 yrs. That is, almost two-thirds of music players fall within the 5-34 yrs age bracket – compared to just under half of the total population (5+ yrs).

access free, award-winning lesson plan here

This lesson plan is for upper primary students – read a book (as a class), draw each chapter, choose music to accompany the mood of each chapter, create a class movie.

Enthusiastic and aspiring musicians and music teachers have been invited to attend Orchestra Victoria’s free intensive two day workshops in Bendigo this Wednesday and Thursday 17-18 August, 2011.

Students will be mentored by professional musicians to improving their ensemble playing and technique. Under the baton of Dominic Harvey, the workshop will conclude with an evening concert on the 18^th August at 6:30pm, where the students will play alongside Orchestra Victoria and showcase their new skills to the community.

Music teachers, ensemble leaders and local conductors have also been invited for the two day Professional Development workshop. This unique education model will again be led by Dominic Harvey and will help the students and teachers to extend their skills.

If you would like to attend what promises to be an amazing FREE concert, call The Capital in Bendigo on 03 5434 6100

If you require more information, please contact Orchestra Victoria on 03 9694 3600.

read blog post here

Technology use in the classroom attracts political interest … but this article suggests that “technology in music” should be used to promote creativity. Read more …

Bubble Harp draws bubbles around your fingertips, recording and replaying your movements while creating music. It’s a combination of drawing, animation, music, art, geometry and gaming.

$1.99 at iTunes store for iPad or iPhone

http://www.ipadsforeducation.vic.edu.au/education-apps/apps/78-bubble-harp

Su Hart, an expert in the music and culture of the fascinating Baka rainforest people of Central Africa will be visiting Melbourne in late March next year and is available for workshops in primary and secondary schools.  Su has learned first hand from 20years of visiting the Baka and with their blessing has taught this music around the world and it will be wonderful to have her in Melbourne.

“Su Hart has a gift for working with youth.  It was wonderful to see our choir so completely engaged,  body, spirit and voice,  in singing the songs of a culture so far removed from their own. Su provided with an amazing opportunity to come together as a choir in joyful music making.  ”
Barbara Prowse (Director – Campbell River Children’s Choir, Canada)

Information about sessions Su might be able to do at your school is listed below. You can also find information at her web site: www.suhart.com

Please let me know if you are interested in having Su visit your school next March, and I will put you in touch with her.

Mark O’Leary
Young Voices of Melbourne
mark@yvm.com.au

RAINFOREST MUSIC WORKSHOPS BY SU HART
Introduction
For millennia the Baka have lived deep in the forests in Central Africa surviving through a profound awareness and understanding of their natural world. They find everything they need from the forest around them. Living in a world of natural sounds everyone grows to be good at listening and taking part in music-making. Sharing and co-operation are essential for survival. Today , with the outside world encroaching on their forest, their culture and way of life are under threat.

Su Hart, a trained teacher and singer, has visited the Baka many times since 1992 and has built her first-hand experiences into an input for schools around National curriculum guidelines.

Su has experience running independent workshops in many schools throughout UK, USA and Canada. She has worked extensively with Jenny Mosley Circle Time and Sing-up. She runs a community choir in Bath, UK and tours as a professional singer internationally with Baka Beyond. www.bakabeyond.net/

The workshop sessions have children and teachers actively participating with confidence. Through learning about the life of the Baka they develop their own skills whilst gaining an understanding of the diversity of cultures.

PRIMARY SCHOOL BAKA RAINFOREST WORKSHOP.
The workshop is usually 1 school day in length but can be a half day or an hour assembly
Slide show and/or DVD presentation as an assembly, or whole school presentation (approx. 1 hour with questions) exploring the context of life in the forest; how to find food & medicines, how to build houses. We will learn about myths and religion from first hand stories, illustrated with recordings and objects from the forest.Practical sessionsWhere whole school or large numbers are involved, 3 separate practical sessions can be run in the day (approx. 45-60 students per session). Each group learns different songs, games or dances so that they can perform to each other at the end of the day.Su draws on many aspects of forest music-making to develop listening skills and general musicianship:

• clapping independent rhythms in groups
• call and response songs and chants learned from the Baka children
• co-operative games
• songs with dances (simple forest costumes can be made for the dance)

SECONDARY SCHOOL WORKSHOPS
The input can be anything from a 1 hour talk to a whole day.
To be arranged to suit your needs.
Talk, discussion & questions:
Su shares the story of her life with the Baka from a chance introduction through a TV documentary to becoming a lifelong friends of the tribe. By recording and marketing the Baka’s music royalties Through a growing understanding of their way of life, positive and appropriate changes, which the Baka decide for themselves, have been effected.

The talk is illustrated with slides, music, film footage and objects from the forest. Some of the issues touched will be:

• Global Citizenship
• Human Rights
• Appreciation of Diversity
• Sustainable Development
• The Arts in Society
• Equalities
• How we can affect positive outcomes

Making Music Sessions
Focusing on listening and co-operation skills and exercises

• Clapping rhythms independently of other groups
• Call and response chants & songs with separate parts
• Songs with movement and percussion
• Performance skills

YOUTUBE LINK HERE

Aston String Quartet plays a ‘classical interpretation’ of a Cold Play song

Play it to any age-group

Melbourne Youth Music and Guest Artistic Director Andrew Mott invite 15 to 30 year olds to attend our Conductor Development Program as part of the MYM 2012 Summer School at the Victorian College of the Arts Southbank, January 16 – 20.  The program is ideal for aspiring young conductors or graduate teachers who would like to gain further proficiency in conducting a range of ensemble styles and levels.  The program is primarily based in practical experiences, working with facilitator Dobbs Franks.

CONDUCTOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
The Conductor Development Program will offer aspiring conductors and music educators an invaluable experience, enhancing their conducting technique across a range of musical genres.  During the course of the week, activities will include visits to the various ensembles of the MYM Summer School, meeting the program directors as well as observing and directing wind, jazz and string ensembles at all levels.  Each participant receives significant amounts of podium time working with a dedicated chamber orchestra on substantial repertoire, mentoring sessions to develop essential conducting technique as well as skills development in score preparation, teaching and rehearsal skill.  Admission to the Conductor Development Program is by application only, for ages 15 – 30.  Participants may also be contacted by email requesting a reference from their school / music teacher stating the applicant’s musical skills and previous conducting experience.  Participants should have the ability to read orchestral scores and a basic understanding of conducting patterns.

DOBBS FRANKS
Dobbs Franks is equally at home conducting symphony, opera, ballet, music theatre or chamber ensembles.  His career spans more than 50 years.  His Australian sojourn includes the Australian premiere of West Side Story (1960), Porgy and Bess (1965) and World Premiere of Richard Meale’s Mer de Glace (1991).  He has been Music Director of the Australian Ballet, Tasmanian Symphony, West Australian Ballet, and Conductor of the Australian Opera, Guest Conductor of all of the Australian and New Zealand symphony orchestras and Head of Music of the Australian Opera Studio.  He has frequently been on television and radio in a variety of roles.  In addition to his many activities in Australia he has performed in 49 of the 50 states of the USA, Canada, Mexico, Scotland, England, Switzerland, Greece, Israel, Korea, China, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and New Zealand.  His latest recording is a DVD of Verdi’s Nabucco which he performed and recorded in Tokyo, Japan in September, 2010.

Program Fee             $435
Program Structure       30 Hours

REHEARSALS
9:30am – 3:30pm         Monday 16 – Friday 20 January

APPLICATIONS
Visit www.mym.org.au and follow the links to Summer School to complete the online registration form.  Applications close 09 September, and placed are limited to ensure maximum contact with ensembles and facilitators.

ENQUIRIES
(03) 9376 8988
mym@mym.org.au

The ‘Music Count Us In’ Dance movie is now uploaded to the MCUI wiki. You can find it, with all the other teacher resources HERE.

See if your classes can dance along with these characters …. DANCE VIDEO LINK

Then play along with the JellyBeans-style ONLINE percussion score

Ask the class to invent new moves or actions for the song “We’ve Got the Music”

Watch the Auslan video and learn hand-signs for this year’s MUSIC: COUNT US IN SONG … AUSLAN VIDEO LINK

VOSA are pleased to present the 15th ECCPA conference in Melbourne (MLC, Kew).

ECCPA is geared to everyone who works with young children 0- 8 years.  The conference will:
Reinforce the benefits of music and the arts for a musical journey
Explore holistic education for young children
Over 42 ‘hands on’ workshops to choose from in one weekend
Be Ideal for anyone working with young children (0-8 years)
Provide outstanding professional development for participants
Boost your confidence and renew your enthusiasm in areas of creative expression such as singing, dancing, percussion instruments, language and play
Provide ways of integrating creative arts concepts into many aspects of daily activities
Provide outstanding opportunities to network with others in this special field
Provide the opportunity to view and buy a wonderful range of resources
For more information or to register online please visit the VOSA website at www.vosa.org or contact the VOSA office at admin@vosa.orgor call 61 3 9015 8350.

Dear Australian Schools

Flame Awards 2011 reward and publicise Australian schools who have creative and engaging music departments. Entries are due 22nd August, 2011. FLAME AWARD WEBSITE LINK

To give you ideas about what to write, please visit the Case Studies on the More Music Toolkit. WEBLINK HERE . There you can read about past Flame Award finalists

This year, the Flame Awards offer a $15000 prize pool to private, public, primary and secondary schools.

Please send in Flame Award submissions re. creative and engaging Music programmes in Australian schools. Due date Monday 22nd August 2011.

Open to Government, Independent, Catholic, Primary and Secondary schools. Prize pool is $15 000.

www.musicplayforlife.org/index.php/campaigns/flames

Due to so many schools preparing for State Choral/Instrumental festivals, we’ve extended the FLAME AWARDS submission date until Monday 29th August, 2011.

ANY Australian school can enter – just tell us about your creative and engaging MUSIC programme. $15000 prize pool.

FLAME AWARDS WEBSITE

free resources here

great (free) chord chart posters at this website

George Garzone – Saxophone Workshop
Thursday 11th August, 7pm
@ Melbourne Brass & Woodwind Showrooms
578 North Road, Ormond VIC 3204

Cost: FREE!

Please reserve your place early, space is limited.
sales@ozwinds.com.au
or contact Nick Taylor Ph: 0402 776 495

Sibelius 7 – PD session – August 16th Free
Future Music invites you to join us when Sibelius Education manager Peter Wardrobe will show you the new and very different style of the new Sibelius 7 screen.

This is a major re-work of the popular notation program with a ‘ribbon’ style screen and includes 32 gb of elite high quality sounds.

Peter will answer your questions and explain the best ways to deal with the change in format, and how Sibelius 7 is relevant to music education.
PD certificates will be available.

Date: Tuesday August 16
Time: 4.15pm
Place: Burwood Music Centre (for Future Music Australia)
Address: 2a Florence St Burwood (off Huntingdae Rd)

We plan to finish at 6pm with drinks and light refreshments.

RSVP is essential:
Please call Judy on 03 9808 8988

Do you work with singing activities in the secondary school - either as a classroom music teacher, choir director or teacher of singing?  Are you keen to improve your confidence and your understanding of how to work with singing?  Alternatively, are you an established teacher with ideas, strategies and knowledge that could help other teachers learn to be more effective in this area?

I am looking for a small group of 9 to 18 secondary teachers who are willing to commit for one month to improvement by participating in a unique form of professional development.  This PD will be completely COST FREE to you and take the form of an action research project.

You will participate in a series of 5 workshops with topics that include:

• What is beautiful singing?
• An introduction to vocal anatomy.
• Principles of voice teaching.
• Listening & demonstration from real secondary students,
• Sharing your knowledge, experiences and resources and
• Peer to peer teaching

The workshops will take place during the month of October and will involve one night a week (for 2 hours) and one Saturday afternoon session. A central Melbourne-metro venue will be used.  In addition, you will receive a free information pack and set of notes.

A condition of participation is that you record weekly entries in a journal which will submitted and used for research purposes.  You will also participate in debriefing sessions and group interviews where we work to find strategies that work best for us. Participation is completely anonymous and you can drop out of the project at any time.

Email dazjazz24@gmail.com to register interest.

Play some well-known songs on glockenspiel (reading the letters of the alphabet), then guess their name.
eg.    E  D  C  D  E  E  E      D  D  D     E  G  G
is      Mary Had a Little Lamb

Download a free worksheet.

Do you have outstanding Year 12 woodwind, brass, percussion or string bass players in your school?

Expand their horizons and pass this information on to them today! Applications close next Friday, August 12th!

The Grainger Wind Symphony Young Players Scholarship

The Grainger Wind Symphony Young Players Scholarship is an annual scholarship open to young woodwind, brass, percussion and string bass players. The scholarship seeks to encourage talented young musicians to pursue their interest in wind music beyond secondary school. By raising awareness of the strong community music scene in Melbourne, the Grainger Wind Symphony hopes to engage a whole new generation of musicians in this proud tradition.

Opportunities for your students

Every music teacher hopes to instill in their students a love of music that is carried beyond the boundaries of school life. Why not give your students the very best of opportunities and help them carry their passion forward into post-secondary school life? The Grainger Wind Symphony Young Players Scholarship is the ideal platform for your high-achieving students to practise performing their program before a panel, become accustomed to the audition process and receive feedback on their performance, whilst encouraging them to continue pursuing music beyond secondary school.

Opportunities for your school

Each successful applicant will perform a solo work in one of Grainger Wind Symphony’s upcoming concerts. To help support the school that supported them, we will provide 25 tickets to their secondary school. What better way is there to engage your up-and-coming players and reignite their passion in music than seeing someone they look up to performing alongside a top ensemble?

For more information, please visit our website at www.graingerwindsymphony.asn.au

Curated and organised by dedicated experimental instrument builders Rod Cooper, John Jacobs and Ben Kolaitis, the Hmm… festival celebrates all things handmade in contemporary experimental instrument building and design.

With talks, workshops, performances, makers market and installations Hmm… will showcase unconventional and surprising sound devices from circuit bent toys, handcrafted resonators, hacked TV’s pirate transmitters and fruit controlled synthesizers!

The festival will feature installations and performances from a diverse line-up of renound local, interstate and international experimental sound artists.

READ ARTICLE HERE

“Harmony is the key to national sing-along” – an article from NSW DET home-page.

Announcing a one-of-a-kind workshop with renowned harpist Alice Giles, Head of Harp Area at ANU. Alice has recently returned from an exciting trip to Antarctica on an Australian Antarctic Division Arts Fellowship. She has an international reputation as a teacher.

On Monday 12 September, Alice will give an introductory workshop on the harp, including short performances, specially designed for primary and middle-years students. This will be followed by a masterclass, in which school-aged harpists of all ages are invited to perform. School groups are welcome to attend both the workshop and the masterclass, or just one of the sessions. The workshop will take place from 9:30am until 10:30am, and the masterclass will run 11:00am until 12:30pm.

More information and booking forms   conservatorium.unimelb.edu.au/programs/short/harp

The 4^th ‘Hearts in Harmony’ community music day at ACU is about building happy and healthy communities through music. It is a very affordable opportunity for you to get some wonderful professional development as well as a magical day of music making for your students (no charge for under 12) and their families. Most importantly, it give the pre-service teachers an opportunity to participate in community music making thereby extending their limited hours and experience in studying music and arts education at the tertiary level. Please email for a flier janie@welcometomusic.net

Isle of Tune website

Create a video-game-type composition where trees and houses = musical tones … cars = players

LEADING NOTES WEBSITE

Free podcasts and online presentations re. connecting with students while teaching Music.

Philosophy and pedagogy discussed.

FREE teacher workshops (Music: Count Us In) in Victoria:

Monday, August 8 – 4.00 – 5.15pm
Statewide Resources Centre
150 Palmerston Street, Carlton

Tuesday, August 9, 4.00 – 5.15pm
Gladstone Park Secondary College
Taylors Road, Gladstone Park

Thursday, August 11, 4.00 – 5.15pm
Ivanhoe Primary School
Waterdale Road, Ivanhoe
To book: mcui@amuse.vic.edu.au

AND JUST ADDED . . .
Saturday, August 13, 11.00 – 12.30
Australian Catholic University, Ballarat
1200 Mair Street, Ballarat
To book: Sarah.Maidlow@acu.edu.au

Greg Thwaites has supported the cause of Music: Count Us In by creating a free app for iPhone, iPod &iPad. By downloading this free program, students / staff / parents can learn the song from just about anywhere. Ask kids to download the app and leave them to learn the song in their own way!

LINK TO THE FREE MCUI APP

Of particular interest to Music Educators will be the Australian debut of Sun Rings presented by The Kronos Quartet – an artistic commission by NASA that is an amalgam of chamber music, hypnotic visuals and sounds of deep space as recorded by the Voyager spacecraft.
The Festival provides opportunities for schools to engage with the arts and supports teachers with free educational resource packs to use in the classroom. If you book as a secondary school group then tickets are just $15 per student, with one free teacher ticket with every 10 students attending.

There are also a variety of fantastic free events to be enjoyed by all ages including Angels-Demons. Parade  and Cacophony: The Art of Conflict.

To download a copy of the Secondary Schools Brochure, Booking Form and Education Resource Packs visit melbournefestival.com/education<http://www.melbournefestival.com.au/education> .

Voice Over for TV & Radio Commercials:  Sat 27th & Sun 28th August: 10am – 5pm

10 Week Intro to Radio: Begins 30th August, every Tues night 6-9pm x 10 weeks

Compact Intro to Radio: Mon 26th – Fri 30th September: 10am -3:30pm

Creative Writing for TV & Radio: Sat 5th & Sun 6th November: 10am -4pm

Writing & Presenting Radio News: Sat 19th & Sun 20th November: 10am – 4pm

contact heidi@melbourneradioschool.com

School of Music – Conservatorium
Information night for prospective students, parents and music teachers.

The information night will inform prospective students and music teachers about the BMus, double degrees and postgraduate courses. Perfomance
and musicologists/ethnomsicologists will be present to answer any questions about the course structure and oportunities offered.

Open to year 10 – 12 students and mature age students.
Tuesday 23 August from 7.30 pm
Music Auditorium (next to Robert Blackwood Hall)
Building 68, Clayton Campus

For bookings and inquiries
Email: music@arts.monash.edu

More free lessons are available on musiccountusin2011.wikispaces.com

Try out the Boomwhackers playalong movie (played on glockenspeiel or boomwhackers) & Ukulele playalong movie

Some Queensland schools have recently unblocked the JellyBeans style online-percussion and singing videos, which are great fun! LINK IS HERE Most states have been enjoying this site for a few months now

Bring on September 1st @11.30am

More content added to the ‘More Music Toolkit’ this week (more case studies on exemplary music programs around Australia)

moremusic.musicplayforlife.org

Feel free to email me with feedback: schools.mpfl@mca.org.au

Watch this YOUTUBE CLIP of the MozART Group from Poland. It is an entertaining collage of Classical String Quartets re-interpreted

Now choose a Classical piece of music (Google search for the Classical Top 100) or nursery rhyme and change it drastically … into pop, funk, country, metal, etc. You may wish to write lyrics to go with the Classical melody.       OR

Choose a piece of pop music and arrange it for a classical ensemble. Start by putting the vocal line into an instrument, then find chords to go underneath.

HINT: Google search for the song name + free + midi. You may well be able to save a midi file from the internet, which will open in Finale / Audacity / Sibelius, etc.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110505083421.htm

ScienceDaily (May 5, 2011) — New research shows that musicians’ brains are highly developed in a way that makes the musicians alert, interested in learning, disposed to see the whole picture, calm, and playful. The same traits have previously been found among world-class athletes, top-level managers, and individuals who practice transcendental meditation.

Music on the Mind – Music and Therapy

15 August 2011, 6pm, Salon, Melbourne Recital Centre. FREE, bookings essential.

Music can be used therapeutically for people of all ages. Songs can be uplifting, and listening to music may activate imagery that alleviates pain, and transports the listener to a place of aesthetic beauty.

Join Prof Denise Grocke as she explores these aspects of music therapy and shares some of her real life experiences from clinical practice.

wiki link here

a list of social-networking sites and free interactive whiteboard (IWB) resources for music education

The Midnight Music “BYO laptop” workshops are run by trainer Katie Wardrobe from Midnight Music.

Teachers bring their own laptop to the workshops (or borrow one!) and install free software or demo versions of paid software applications ahead of the session. Sessions include “how-to” tutorials and curriculum integration suggestions. No prior knowledge is assumed (unless specified) and the atmosphere is fun and relaxing.

How To Host A Bring Your Own Laptop Workshop

Hosting a workshop for music teachers in your area is easy. You’ll just need to provide the following:

• a classroom with tables and chairs (adult-sized!)
• access to power for workshop attendees
• wireless access to the internet is desirable
• morning and afternoon tea provisions (tea, coffee, hot water, milk, sugar, cups.  Biscuits would also be nice!)

Other details

• Workshops will run for a full day from 9.30am – 3.30pm (or 10am – 4pm)
• Teachers from other schools will bring their own lunch
• All workshop bookings and enquiries will be taken care of by Midnight Music
• The workshops will be run with a minimum number attendees (approx. 10 people – number to be determined by Midnight Music)

Rates

• Full-day workshop: $150 per person
• Host school/institution entitled to one FREE registration

Enquiries and Expressions of Interest

If you are interested in hosting a workshop for teachers in your area, please fill out this form making sure that you include a couple of possible workshop dates: http://midnightmusic.com.au/byolaptopform

If you’d like more information, please email Katie: Katie@midnightmusic.com.au or visit this page:

http://midnightmusic.com.au/byolaptop

Workshop Descriptions

Please note: other workshops available by negotiation.

Sibelius Basics: Scores and Worksheets

Interactive Whiteboards in the Music Classroom

During the session we’ll talk about effective (and fun!) ways to use your IWB for:

• Teaching music literacy skills
• Delivery of aural training exercises
• Creating a bank of learning resources that can be used many times across multiple classes
• Recording student performances
• Enhancing listening classes
• Creating soundscapes, arrangements or compositions
• Effective class ensemble performances

Amazing Audacity

Easy recording, editing, sound stories and backing tracks.

Great Ways To Use Technology in the Music Classroom

READ ARTICLE HERE

A Finnish study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry found depressed patients who had music therapy, as well as standard counselling and medication, showed a greater reduction in anxiety and depression than those who didn’t.

Musical Picture Books
Monday 26 September

Award winning children’s books The Night Garden and The Rainbirds are brought to life at Melbourne Recital Centre these school holidays.

The Rainbirds
David Metzenthen (author)
Sally Rippin (illustrator)

The Night Garden
Elise Hurst (author / illustrator)

The illustrations of these wonderful books will come alive with animation on the big screen, with the stories told through the use of well known orchestral music, including Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

This concert is appropriate for primary school age children.

Clare Bowditch and co-writer Jim McPherson have been busy penning Tales From The Life Of Eva Cassidy, the story of an amazing artist and her songs.

For those of you unaware of Eva Cassidy, she was known as The Songbird, who sold and continues to sell millions of records worldwide, but only after her premature death at age 33. It will be your chance to hear Clare sing a very different repertoire, including songs Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Fields of Gold, Wade In The Water and more. You can find out more information about the show here: www.talesfromthelifeofevacassidy.com.au

DSO Kids has some new, online, free music games – learning about classical composers through games.

LINK HERE

Learn how to be cool, calm and collected in performance.

This 8-week workshop is open to all musicians who want to overcome performance anxiety and explore, understand and expand their skills in performing confidently.

Come and experience the underlying dynamics inherent in presenting to an audience. Learn not only how to shape these dynamics creatively but also how to enjoy them!

Participants will come away with new tools that will equip them to make performance choices that are creative, authentic and powerful, connecting the performer to the audience.

The aim is for you to develop the capacity to face an audience and feel good in the process!

Dates
Wednesday evenings, 6:30pm-8:30pm
24 August to 26 October
(8 classes – no classes during school holiday break: 26 September to 9 October)

Cost
$350 inc GST
(20% discount for University of Melbourne students)

More information & enrolments

Website for skill drill practice in reading rhythms

Select level of difficult – from exercise 1 to 21.

ARTICLE: premature babies, brain and music – what’s the relationship?

ReCount invites all Year 9-12 students to re-mix, re-hash, extend, mash-up or re-record “We’ve Got the Music”. It can be done in a single lesson at school, or be set for this week’s homework

Entry is free (and submission dates have been extended to August 8, 2011). Download individual tracks from the original song (free). These MP3 tracks can then be edited and re-mixed into ANY style of music, using software such as Audacity (free), GarageBand, Reaper, Acid, Mixcraft …

Be creative and get involved – prizes include R24 and H1 Zooms (digital recording equipment)! Please email queries to schools.mpfl@mca.org.au

e-bulletin link here

An indispensable resource for anyone interested in the arts in regional, rural and remote NSW.

The Victorian Chapter of the Australian National Association of
Teachers of Singing  Inc. (ANATS) is holding a workshop with the
renowned speech pathologist, Ron Morris on Sunday, 18 September at
Melbourne Girls’ Grammar, Anderson Street, South Yarra from 1-5.30pm.
Ron will be working on accent method, breathing and articulation. This
is relevant, not only to teachers of singing but drama teachers. those
involved in productions choirs and speech teachers and therapists.

For further enquiries phone Wendy Todd on 0422 548 237.

description of TV show here

ABC aired a TV show highlighting the choral direction of 91-year old Jessie Carmichael.

Songsmith generates musical accompaniment to match a singer’s voice. Just choose a musical style, sing into your PC’s microphone, and Songsmith will create backing music for you. Then share your songs with your friends and family, post your songs online, or create your own music videos.

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/songsmith/

Dr Sandra Dackow (Chief adjudicator of the Billy Hyde String Orchestra Festival) will work with a string group to demonstrate teaching / rehearsal technique.
2.00 – 5.00pm,  Sunday 14th August
Wesley College, Glen Waverley Campus
620 High Street Road, Glen Waverley
$25  / $20 AUSTA members  /$10 concession
Dr Sandra Dackow will be working with a student group. Topics covered will include:

- rehearsal techniques for student string orchestras

- arranging tips and suggestions for strings

- teaching technique in rehearsal

Limited spaces also available for Dr Dackow to run workshops with your students, in your school, on Tuesday 15 August. Emaillesleyqualtrough@yahoo.com.au

LINK HERE for more information

The Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN) and MusicNSW have developed  a detailed tax checklist for musicians. It includes advice on how to set up a business, registering for GST, and what artists can claim when preparing their tax returns.

Il Volo = 3 Italian teenagers singing opera.

Newspaper article about Il Volo – the Three Teeners

YouTube clip of Il Volo singing O Sole Mio

Organise students into table groups. Inform them you will play 5 pieces of music from 5 different centuries (1600’s 1700’s 1800’s 1900’s 2000’s). Use iTunes library or GrooveShark to play 5 very different pieces of music. Each team must discuss (quietly) which century belongs to each piece of music. Score 2 points for each correct century or 2 points for being 100 years either side. Score 1 bonus point for every correct reason given for answer!

Learn to play music in just one weekend at The Understanding Music Seminar -
the seminar that opens the door to a world of musical ability and understanding.

BYRON BAY 2-4 SEPT  *  SYDNEY 9-11 SEPT  *  MELBOURNE 16-18 SEPT 2011

Also Understanding Singing Seminar 20-21st SEPT & Songwriting Seminar 23-25th SEPT in Melbourne.

Duncan Lorien has worked as a recording artist, songwriter and producer with BMG Publishing, Polygram, EMI Records, PRT Records, Chappell, Intersong, Ocean Disque and ARC Records.

He is heading to the Northern Rivers this September to present a three-day seminar taking beginners, music students and even experienced musicians through a series of lectures and hands-on techniques, designed to break through all the barriers to learning music. Amongst other things, attendees will learn scales on keyboard and guitar, chords on keyboard and guitar and learn about chord inversions and improvising in both blues and jazz, as well as learn how to read written music for both instruments. For more information or to book, email ums@netspace.net.au or visitwww.understandingmusicseminar.com.au

Returning by popular demand!

After our first workshops on the analysis component of the VCE Music Performance exam sold out, we are pleased to announce a further two workshops in the September school holidays.

Adam Yee will take students through a through a range of practical strategies for the VCE Music Performance examination sections B & C: listening and analysis, in a 2.5-hour workshop designed for both year 11 and 12 students.

Participants from the July workshop gave extremely positive feedback:

• Monday 26 September:
• Morning workshop: 10:00am – 12:30pm
• Afternoon workshop (repeat of morning session): 1:30 – 4:00pm
• $50 per student

Enrolments and further information: http://www.conservatorium.unimelb.edu.au/programs/youth/analysis

This month we have a VCE Preparation Workshop hosted by Neville Shade of Methodist Ladies college on the 9th of August and the George Garzone Masterclass of the 10th of August.  Both events start at 7:30pm and doors open a 7pm.

Glenn Foster
The Music Place
339 Clarendon Street
South Melbourne, Victoria, 3205
Australia

Ph# +61 3 9699 9099
Fax: +61 3 9699 9266
melbourne@musicplace.com.au
www.musicplace.com.au

article in themusic.com.au

A recent report reflects on the positive impact on Victoria’s budget, thanks to LIVE music.

VCE masterclass day

… for voice and piano on September 4

at Melbourne High School

LINK to entry form

Vocal PD for Choral Directors with Kate Sadler at The Sadler Studio
After a lot of interest and questions from Sounds Great delegates, colleagues might like to know about:
THE SINGERS’ SUPPORT UNIT
These 4 x fortnightly Monday evening sessions are run four times per year and are designed to give insights to the workings of the voice and troubleshoot vocal curly corners. The courses have been attended by singers from some of Melbourne’s great choirs, music therapists and singers who have wanted specific help with songs.
All topics covered are of interest to the Choral Conductor who wants draw out a strong, vibrant and cohesive sound from his/her choir.
For more info:
www.thesadlerstudio.com (look for The Singers’ Support Unit)
Contact Kate Sadler:
0421 709 708 or thesadlerstudio@bigpond.com

Lots to see re. Music Technology in the Middle School – from online games to theory websites to free midi sites … and much more

CLICK HERE TO VISIT LINK

ARTICLE LINK HERE

Gurrumul took out FIVE awards this year, at the National Indigenous Music Awards 2011!!!

READ MORE HERE

While listening to the free MP3 of “We’ve Got the Music”, ask students to write their own press release for the local paper, describing their preparation and/or performance of “We’ve Got the Music” for Music: Count Us In. There is a sample press release to be found HERE.

Deep Blue Orchestra is a new style of energetic orchestral performance. Towns can request a concert (via Deep Blue’s website), and audience members can ask for copies of sheet music in order to participate in one song during the concert.

Deep Blue also promotes young musicians through workshops and their Young Blue program.