www.funmusicco.com/musicteachersblog/2011/03/using-peak-state-in-music-education/

This article describes a new trend in being ‘peak state’ to increase enjoyment and retention!

HERE is a video about DJ EarWorm’s 2011 pop song mash-up.

read article here

Closing date is 10 February 2012!

Applications for the 2012 round of CASP are now open, for projects taking place between 9 April 2012 and 7 April 2013.

Applicants will be advised of a decision on 26 March.

CASP provides small grants to arts and community organisations and local arts councils in regional NSW for short term, locally initiated projects. The aims of the program are:

• to assist locally determined cultural activities;
• to increase opportunities for regionally based groups to access a diverse range of arts programs;
• to enable communities to explore and express their cultural identities;
• to encourage communities to work together to develop and participate in cultural experiences;
• to bring social and economic benefits to the community through training, employment and promotional activities; and
• to leads to greater awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity in rural and regional New South Wales.

Christopher Norton will be presenting a series of Piano Teacher Workshops in January 2012 – visiting 9 different Australian cities.

You can download full details and the invitation at www.halleonard.com.au/workshops

http://m.smh.com.au/national/education/schools-band-together-and-tune-in-to-underprivileged-students-needs-20111204-1odff.html

a must read

Just for fun, watch Mr Bean conducting a Christmas band – a good introduction to rubato?!?

THIS YouTube clip shows a group of friends (all Cornish fishermen in the UK) singing the beautiful harmonies they come up with while fishing. Real-life sea-shanties!

READ HERE for information on the winners of 2011 Flame Awards – inspiring Australian school music programs. You can read more detailed summaries on the More Music Toolkit www.moremusictoolkit.org.au/faq-case-studies/case-studies

www.wikifonia.org/

THIS WEBSITE is a rich source of free (and paid for) music games on a computer. Just download and play. My favourites are Staff Wars 1.2 (teaching notation reading), JamaMambo (rhythm reading) and Rhythm Dictation. Put the games on a digital projector and teach concepts to the class as needed. ENJOY!

www.funmusicco.com/musicteachersblog/2011/11/top-10-ted-talks-for-music-education/

10 great TED videos (free) re. music education

The Giant Theremin

City of Melbourne
What type of instrument brings people together to make new sounds and music, while being physically active and having lots of fun?

The answer is a Giant Theremin, a super-sized instrument controlled by movement rather than conventional touch. The theremin’s distinctive warble will be accompanied an array of distinctive sounds which will make it impossible to resist running, dancing, jumping and forming unusual shapes in the activation zone to create a symphony of movement.

The Giant Theremin experience will be free for Melbourne locals and visitors of all ages. The installation will be located in Les Erdi Plaza in the City of Melbourne’s Northbank precinct from 18 November 2011 until February 2012.

Learn more about the Giant Theremin at www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/gianttheremin

Other VIC HEALTH arts / health promotion events can be found at www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/motion

Hal Leonard Australia is excited to announce that registrations for the 2012 Choral Reading Days with George Torbay are now open.

You can download a registration form on our website at www.halleonard.com.au/workshops

Presented by the ever popular George Torbay, with Classroom Resource and School Musical bonus sessions, the cost of the reading day is $65 inc GST which includes morning tea and lunch – see below for venue details, and an outline of the Reading Day schedule.

Schedule for the day:

9am Registration
9.30am 2 part and Unison
This repertoire is suitable for Primary to easy Secondary choirs.
11am Morning Tea
11.30am SSA and 2 part
This repertoire would suit a more advanced Primary to junior Secondary choir.
1pm Lunch (provided)
1.45pm SSA, SATB, Men’s Voices
This session will include pieces for Men’s voices and include repertoire suitable for more advanced Secondary School Choirs.
BONUS! Classroom resources sessions*
9.30am, 11.30am, 1.45pm

February 11th, 2012 Melbourne
@ Carey Baptist Grammar School
De Young Centre of Performing Arts,
349 Barkers Road, Kew

We are working hard to secure repeat funding for MCUI 2012 … if it proceeds again, it will be Thusrday 6^th Sept, 2012.

Join with us in crossing fingers re. repeat support from the Australian Government.

Conducting Summer School (2 week intensive course) with Jerry Nowak: 9-20 January, 2012 @ Paddington, NSW

More information HERE

HERE is a YouTube attempt to make a song about the characteristics of classical music periods — careful, as there as some swearing near the end. Brainstorm the characteristics of different musical eras (write them on the board). Challenge your students to create a better song about periods of music.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra offers a spectrum of concerts for school students, designed to inspire active participation in music. All the information is now available on the MSO’s website, along with downloadable booking forms and the 2012 concert diary; schools will also receive a MSO Education and Community Outreach brochure at the start of Term 1, 2012. If you have further questions please contact 03 9626 1198, or email education@mso.com.au

Article in Sydney Morning Herald …

m.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/music-the-most-abstract-of-the-arts-is-mathematics-on-the-move-20100514-v4ck.html

MYM is seeking more males aged 15-30 for it’s Summer School in Musical Theatre (16-20 January, 2012). For more info, visit www.mym.org.au or call 03 9376 8988.

Melbourne Youth Music’s 2012 Summer School, running from Monday 16 – Saturday 21 January at the Victorian College of the Arts, offers four separate bands, conducted by Monte Mumford, Stephen Hardie, Amy Wert and Tanya Bethune.  Join Summer School Artistic Director Andrew Mott for an intensive week of exciting music, new friends and great fun!  We still have vacancies in all bands, particularly bassoons and low brass. For more info: www.mym.org.au or phone 03 9376 8988.

Melbourne Youth Music’s 2012 Summer School is running from Monday 16 – Saturday 21 January 2012 at the Victorian College of the Arts. The Summer School Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Orchestra still have vacancies for most instruments, particularly horn, viola and double bass. Visit www.mym.org.au for more information.

HERE is a free teaser of a documentary about 30 years of Paul Kelly, entitled “Stories of Me” which will be released in 2012.

HERE is the link for government documents regarding Queensland’s instrumental music programs in schools.

Here are Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts’ assessment tasks and marking schedules. They may inspire your own!

WATCH here – 12 minutes of free Professional Development for teachers?

A European subway station installed an interactive keyboard on its stairs. Watch how the public responded. It goes to show that music is a great motivator!

HERE is a free worksheet from FunMusicCo which uses mobile phones (alpha-numeric buttons) to help students to learn the definitions of Italian terms. After completing the sheet, students could create their own worksheet using mobile phone buttons.

HERE is a free video explaining how to use the worksheet.

Play THIS YouTube clip of a string quartet playing music from 300+ years of history — how many titles can they write down — and from what period is each piece? Finally, ask students to make their own list of famous, representative pieces from each era / period.