Parkhurst State Primary School in Queensland has won first prize in the 2011 Flame Awards and received $10,000.

The awards are the Music Council of Australia’s national scheme to highlight and reward the most inspiring school music programs.

The schools were picked from a pool of 23 national finalists in the Awards which this year set out to highlight schools using creative ways to engage children in music making and singing.

Read Parkhurst’s winning entry here

HERE you will find the new 2011 Lobby Kit for more music in Australian schools. The current version (just uploaded) has no photos … look out for the pictorial version, coming soon.

NOW is the time to lobby school Principals and Parent/Teacher Committees to get MORE and meaningful music into your school. Use the new Lobby Kit for ideas, statistics, models, quotes and inspiration.

www.moremusictoolkit.org.au/advocacy-tools/62

READ ARTICLE HERE

Victoria is looking for 25 schools to specialise in a particular field. Let’s hope some of them become MUSIC specialists

3RD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL ARTS AND HEALTH CONFERENCE, 14 – 17 NOVEMBER 2011
NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA & NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, CANBERRA
Early Bird Registrations Close Wednesday 26 October 2011

PLENARY SPEAKERS

Clive Parkinson Director, Arts in Health, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

Hon Simon Crean MP, Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, and Minister for the Arts

Molly Carlile, Manager, Palliative Care Services, Austin Health & Arts and Health Program Manager, Olivia Newton John Cancer Centre for Wellness, Austin Health, Melbourne

Kristen Whittle, architect and urban designer, Bates Smart, Melbourne

Sharon Woodworth, AIA, architect and nurse, Senior Associate, Anshen+Allen, a part of Stantec Architecture, San Francisco

Anthony Ogden & Chris Richardson, architects, BVN Architecture, Brisbane

Mike White, Research and Development Fellow in Arts in Health, Centre for Medical Humanities and St Chad’s College, University of Durham, England

Imants Tillers, artist

Kim McConville, Executive Director, Beyond Empathy, NSW

David Doyle, Executive Director, DADAA, Fremantle & David Handley, Founding Director, Sculpture by the Sea – Bondi, Cottesloe and Aarhus, Denmark

Carrie McGee, Educator, Community and Access Programs, Department of Education, Museum of Modern Art, New York
Meet me at MoMA Alzheimer’s Program

Adriane Boag Program Co-ordinator, Youth and Community Programs, Education, NGA

Alice Thwaite, Director, Equal Arts, Newcastle, UK

Dominic Campbell, Festival Director, Bealtaine, Ireland

Dr Gerri Frager Medical Director, Pediatric Palliative Care Service, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia and Director of the Medical Humanities – HEALS program, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Dr Gary Christenson Director of Mental Health, Boynton Health Service, adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis;

Dr Bernie Warren, Professor of Drama in Education and Community, University of Windsor, Canada and Founder, Fools for Health

Dr Peter Spitzer GP, Medical Director, Humour Foundation, Chief Investigator, SMILE Study, University of New South Wales,
Visiting Medical Office, Southern Highlands Private Hospital, NSW

Dr Peter Wright, Senior Lecturer, Arts Education and Research Methods,

Professor Robyn Richmond, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of NSW

Professor Brad Haseman Assistance Dean (Research), Creative Industries Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Chair, Community Partnerships Committee, Australia Council for the Arts

Sally Basser, Office for the Arts, Prime Minister and Cabinet  National Cultural Policy

Critical Mass Panel – Dominic Campbell, Dr Gary Christenson, David Doyle, Carrie McGee, Clive Parkinson, Mike White, Dr. Peter Wright

Please refer to the website for the extensive list of presenters scheduled for breakout sessions.
Early Bird Registrations Close 26 October 2011.
Arts and Health Australia (AHA) Healthy People, Healthy Communities – Engaging with the Arts Affiliated with The Australian Centre for Creative Ageing

Regional Office: The Macquarie Garrison Building,
Suite 2 / 26 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Australia
Postal Address: PO Box 243 Kings Cross NSW 1340 Australia
Tel:  02 6583 5040    Fax:  02 6584 0024    Mobile:  0416 641 482
Email:    info@artsandhealth.org    Web:     www.artsandhealth.org

In September 2011, NAMM created an 8-page “music education advocacy” lift-out included for the Washington Post!

www.namm.org/files/WashPostInsert.pdf

http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a0074209/education-secretary-pledges-825m-for-music-education

“£82.5m will be given to music services across England next year.

The money will be used to make opportunity more equal in music education and enhance the prestige and esteem of music teaching as a career route for professional musicians.”

ABC Keys to Music – listen to a 4-part series of audio podcasts from May 2009. Richard Gill and Graham Abbott discuss the importance of quality school Music Education for all Australian children.

(Scroll down the webpage to the heading “Music Education Series”)

ACARA launches Australian Curriculum Wiki to facilitate consultation on the new Australian curriculum.

Advocating the Arts as vital to tomorrow’s learners …

http://www.p21.org/documents/P21_arts_map_final.pdf

http://www.mca.org.au/advocacy/2011-papers/17228-review-of-private-sector-support-for-the-arts

A Review of Private Sector Support for the Arts

http://www.mca.org.au/research/research-reports/research-reports/16764-strategic-utilisation-of-the-national-broadband-network-to-expand-opportunities-in-music-education

read article here

ARTICLE: Unlocking Kids’ Musical Gifts

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

ministers.deewr.gov.au/garrett/arts-curriculum-can-boost-student-school-experience

22nd March 2011 – Peter Garrett Media Release

http://www.bellingencourier.com.au/news/local/news/general/ann-phelan-rewarded-for-music-leadership/2217342.aspx

Congratulations to Ann Phelan, who has just been awarded a national ASME award for excellence in music education. Ann unites her entire community of young people, both public and private school students, along with a broad base of supporters from all reaches of the Bellingen community.

www.asme.edu.au/ASME_Standards05.pdf

Under the following headings: Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice, Professional Values, Professional Relationhips

search.informit.com.au/browsePublication;isbn=0959630481;res=IELHSS

Available for purchase is this 1999 research paper by ASME.

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.

Register your school in Australia’s biggest music program

Our program song has been recorded and is now up on the website for your listening pleasure. There are already 500 schools registered to take part in this year’s program which will unite more than half a million students in the performance of ‘We’ve Got The Music’ on Thursday, 1^st September at 11.30am. Don’t forget participation in the program is FREE. The audio files, arrangements, lyric sheet and classroom activity kit: it’s all downloadable once you register your school.

So listen to the song, register now and get your school community on board!

Go to resource: ACSSO is the national peak body representing parents and school communities of 2 million public school students, Australia-wide. ACSSO distributes a regular music bulletin to its members, titled Ensemble. Read more…

(from Ensemble: 23 June 2011)

Power of song personified in new Australian documentary

The Hon Peter Garrett MP, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth, 5 May, 2011

The Minister for School Education, Peter Garrett, today launched the documentary film Seriously Singing – a Cinderella Story at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.

Seriously Singing documents the achievements of the choir of Lake Boga Primary School and its conductor, Jessie Carmichael (nee Arnold), in the Jubilee year of Federation, 1951.

Representing Victoria in the Commonwealth Jubilee School Choirs’ festival, Lake Boga Primary was crowned Victoria’s best small primary school choir, singing before Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies in the Royal Exhibition Buildings in Melbourne.

“The unique historical insights this documentary contains are an inspirational story for all Australian schools,” said Mr Garrett.

“It shows the powerful transformation that making music and singing can have on students’ lives.”

Read more:http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Garrett/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_110506_083844.aspx

http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/AER-58.pdf

A research project conducted  through ACER with input from John O’Toole, very much advocating the importance of The Arts in education (and part of the National Curriculum).

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/focus-on-national-tests-robs-children-of-true-learning-20110208-1alk7.html

Go to resource: The Australian Music Association is the peak body for music products in Australia. Read more…

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).

Moorambilla Voices and the Moorambilla Festival has won the inaugural NSW State award for excellence for an organisation at the 2011 APRA/AMCOS Australian Music Centre Art Music Awards at a Gala Event held in Sydney.

The event held at the Sydney Theatre, Walsh Bay on Tuesday May 3rd honoured winners across nine national categories and seven State awards, spanning performance, composition, outstanding contributions to Australian music by individuals and organisations, music education and regional music. Julian Morrow of ABC TV’s The Chaser hosted the Awards.

In New South Wales, the State Award honoured Excellence by an Organisation – “Over the past five years Moorambilla Voices and the associated festival event held in Coonamble, has given hundreds of children from regional and remote New South Wales the opportunity to take part in the festival and participate in music workshops in their local areas.”

This is truly an extraordinary achievement for such a small arts organization deeply committed to equity and musical excellence whilst serving the most remote communities in NSW.

For more information on the choirs of Moorambilla Voices and the Festival itself visit www.moorambilla.com

Go to resource: Beethoven or Brittany? The great divide in music education by Associate Professor Robert Walker, UNSW, is a discussion on the current music education crisis in Australian schools. Read more…

Music groups are looking for rehearsal space, in return for FREE tuition or concert tickets for your students!

If you have a new (BER) school hall at your Australian school, please fill in the following survey.

You will be helping local community music groups!

docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDk2SmNJMXVDUmpFNXlPUndfcjFnN3c6MQ

A interesting, if comical, pictorial explanation of how to get more money for secondary music AND engage more students.

http://teachingmusic.tumblr.com/post/7034375810/what-we-get-wrong-an-illustrated-guide-to-our-music

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 …

The Song Room research paper – March 2011

http://www.songroom.org.au/research/publications-and-reports

http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a0074209/education-secretary-pledges-825m-for-music-education

UK Education secretary pledges 82.5 million pounds for Music Education (Feb 2011)

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.

Sydney Morning Herald Article

http://news.smh.com.au/national/choral-singing-makes-you-happy-survey-20080710-3cyg.html

Choral singing makes you happy: survey

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

a must read

HERE is a link to an Open University course on using music to aid children in multiple ways.

Use the 3 main notes from the chorus of this year’s MUSIC: COUNT US IN program song “We’ve Got the Music” to create a 3-tone drum melody.

(1) Group your classroom drums or classroom percussion or junk percussion into three different groups (high, middle and low)

(2) Allocate the lowest drums to B-flat, the middle drums to C and the highest drums to E-flat.

(3) Re-create the chorus melody on 3 different drums: “Get on your feet, feel your heartbeat, we’ve got the music. We’re not too proud to sing it out loud, we’re not afraid to use it.”

Try the activity aurally, playing along with the MP3 found at www.musiccountusin.org.au

(4) Write the drum tune on the board using letters: L = low drums, M = medium drums, H = high drums

LM  LM  L MM M      M  M  LH  M

ML  M  M ML   LM   M            MMMM   LH    M

(5) If your school has signed up for “Music: Count Us In”, then you can access the free backing-track (‘For Teachers’ section) and play the drum melody along with the chorus.

This lesson was inspired by “Izo Beat” from Islington Public School

The “Creative Intersections” Summit of the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies will bring together government and cultural leaders from over 80 countries to explore how artists can give voice to diverse communities and concerns through collaborations with experts in health and wellbeing, the environment, education, business, new technologies, cultural identity and more. Taking place in Melbourne, Victoria and running from 3–6 October.

http://www.artsummit.org.

THIS IS SO COOL!!

An Orff-inspired plastic cup dance to go with “We’ve Got the Music” MCUI 2011. Thanks to Kristie Fudge (SA) for the free offering. The document also includes lesson plans for teaching the song.

click here for download link

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/about-us/news-at-det/news/tuning-into-a-new-world

Matraville Soldiers’ Settlement School has seen improvement in NAPLAN results, thanks to Music in school. Read the article (above).

Go to resource: Early Childhood Music Education (ECME) is under the International Society for Music Education (ISME) umbrella. Read more…

Go to resource: Education and the Arts Strategy was published by the Australia Council, following community consulation in 2004. Read more…

Go to resource: Ensemble is a music bulletin published by ACSSO (the parents and citizens organisations representative). Read more…

Go to resource: EQ Australia (Education Quarterly Australia) is a print/online magazine for teachers, published by the Curriculum Corporation. Read more…

A UK education program which trains primary school students to lead singing games in the playground – with cross-curricular results!

http://www.youthmusic.org.uk/case_studies/Ex_Cathedra_singing_playgrounds.html

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

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.

FLAME AWARDS: This year’s theme is: ‘creative and engaging ways of delivering music education’. Entries are open to Primary and Secondary schools across Australia in 2011.

Visit the Flame Awards website for entry information

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

Due 22nd August, 2011.

2011 Flame Awards have announced 23 finalist schools. This year’s finalists use technology and social networking to engage students, teach ukulele during class music lessons, promote song-writing to reinforce literacy, employ music therapists to work with special needs students, and timetable music lessons for every day of the school year.

More details of schools and attributes will soon be here.

Here are the 23 Finalists for 2011 Flame Awards – rewarding engaging and creative school music departments:

St Christopher’s Primary School NSW  - a primary school embracing technology in so many ways, from composition to creating their own video hits segments

Guardian Angels Primary School  QLD – recording studio used to compose music for weekly school news, parents co-learn at their child’s music lesson, 10 generalist staff involved in school instrumental ensembles

Henbury School NT –  amazing special needs and music therapy program which uses research to inform its practice

Harrison School ACT – research-based music program = Music for Happiness … happy students perform better in all areas, studying quality music to inspire high achievement, teachers teach other teachers to lead music groups, lunchtime music clubs, Glee Club

Ernabella Anangu School  NT – new indigenous school music program based on communication; features song-writing, music from many cultures, use of computers & student-initiated content; 100% involvement in choir with lots of time allocation as well

Girraween Primary School NT – early years music features innovative visual aids & games, across the Primary years music features in other subject areas, music hut for play-time, music games and technology used to teach notation and theory

Merri Creek Primary School VIC – composition from Year 1 with a biennial CD burned of student compositions, creativity and composition leads to performances of their own works & discussion of each other’s compositions

St Andrew’s Catholic College  QLD – webpage for music activities, emails to parents re. music news, connections with indigenous owners of the school land, parents fundraise to bring renowned guests/composers/performers to the school, lots of music IT – which is available to students at lunchtime, strong community connections

MLC Burwood NSW – all girls are involved in annual Opera House concerts, guest composers and performance workshops, outreach to other schools, use of technology to enhance learning

Killara Primary School VIC – jam sessions with parents, composition from Year 1, student-run music events at lunchtime, cross-arts activities, Ultranet for sharing musical opinions

Footscray City Primary School  VIC – Steiner / mainstream school with music as a fundamental element, massive variety of ensembles, innovation and engagement are core school-wide values

North Lake Senior Campus WA – 3 campuses use the internet to create a virtual music classroom, Moodle allows online tutorials at home and uploading videos of student performances, also collaborative online performances, video tutorials allow refugees and ESL to re-play lessons slowly as needed

Cowper Public School NSW – tiny school with amazing engagement, cows and chickens are an innovative feature of music performance and composition, ‘Opera with the Cows’ brings 1000 audience to the town and students sing with professional opera singers, award-winning choir

Boggabilla Central NSW – a low socio-economic school re-writing musical resources to bypass low literacy and confidence levels … inspiring achievements in 12 months, use 2-note power chords on guitar and compose music specifically to match student skills, wrote a new school song based on schools’ social values program

Boneo Primary School VIC – Glee Club, boomwhackers, djembes, ukuleles, instrumental lessons @$10, Music Matters PLN (Professional Learning Network) to unite isolated teachers, sharing music lessons online with other countries – the world is our classroom

The Patch Primary School VIC – music is integral to school & community, music features in many cross-arts activities, musical activity feeds off cultural community, Orff and Musical Futures methodologies, class sets of marimbe/ukulel/recorder/djembe, Music spreads to other KLA, creative music grant – composition results are shown on website, song-writing

Ferny Grove State High School  QLD – composition, community involvement, YouTube presence, 24 ensembles, aim to create a sense of belonging which promotes student creativity and experimentation

Croxton School  VIC – special needs school employs a music therapist, creativity within a structured environment, song-writing project, DRUMBEATS, emphasis on learning social skills & self-esteem through music, use visual cues and repetition to maintain student focus

Smith’s Hill High School NSW – boys only guitar + vocal group, offers single semester elective subjects which are cross age (year 8-10), 3 day music camp, overnight busking ensemble trip to Sydney, variety of large ensembles

St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School QLD – Year K, 1, 2, 3, 8 have 20 mins of music EVERY day (Kodaly-based), community choir, staff outreach to refugee school

Spring Gully Primary School VIC – assisted by 20 years of composer-in-residence – original song-writing is integral to learning and sharing at this school … ‘Big Book’ style songbooks are created, to share with other classes

Parkhurst State Primary QLD – technology used to engage middle years (digital composition & podcasts), integrates music with other subject areas, students create multimedia projects which are music-rich, invite other schools to use their facilities

Resurrection Primary School VIC – a Song Room school, great work by Song Room staff, including training up non-specalist staff; school radio station; plans to take on ukulele ensemble across school

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

If you are looking for free online resources to help teach the Music Count Us In song, just follow this link.

http://musiccountusin2011.wikispaces.com

Keep checking- more resources added regularly!

One Song. One Day. Your School, More Music.
Thursday September 1, 11.30 am

Have you registered you school for Music. Count Us In yet? Visit the websitewww.musiccountusin.org.au <http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/> to register and access recordings of the song as well as FREE choral, band and classroom arrangements!

FREE teacher workshops will run early next term to introduce teachers to the song and all of resources and support material available.

Geelong, Mt Waverley, Bendigo, Swan Hill, South Gippsland,
Mornington Peninsula, Mitcham, Mildura, Cheltenham,
South Melbourne, Lilydale, Caulfield, Carlton,
Ivanhoe and Wangaratta

For details visit the aMuse website: http://www.amuse.vic.edu.au <http://www.amuse.vic.edu.au/>

Or

Order FREE teaching kits for your school
by emailing Sue Arney MCUI@amuse.vic.edu.au <mailto:MCUI@amuse.vic.edu.au>

To download ‘We’ve Got The Music’, and to register your school, go to www.musiccountusin.org.au<http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/> or check out the wiki http://musiccountusin2011.wikispaces.com<http://musiccountusin2011.wikispaces.com/>

www.jozzbeat.com/MCUI2011/home

This is a fun way to learn / teach the Music: Count Us In song for 2011 (We’ve Got the Music). In fact, the song will teach itself, all ready for the massed-music-making MCUI event on 1st September, 2011.

If you don’t yet have a free login, and have registered for Music: Count Us In, please send an email to mcui.admin@mca.org.au requesting a Jozzbeat login.

ENJOY!!!

BAM Radio Network offers free podcasts on Music education.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/music4education-podcast/id447641351#

One Song. One Day. Your School, More Music.
Music. Count Us In, 2011
Thursday September 1, 11.30 am

‘Music. Count Us In’, run by ‘Music Play for Life’, is on again encouraging teachers and students to sing! Each year the project sees more than 250,000 students, teachers and parents throughout Australia come together to sing and play the same song. It is Australia’s biggest ever simultaneous school music event, and we want to make this year’s event even bigger.

We have a fabulous new song for this year. The title is: ‘We’ve got the Music’. It emerged from a songwriting workshop day involving secondary students which was mentored by some of Australia’s best songwriters: Clare Bowditch, Rai Thistlethwayte (Thirsty Merc), Kav Temperley (Eskimo Joe) and Holly Throsby.

Music. Count Us In is encouraging all teachers to participate by offering FREE professional development online and/or face-to-face teacher workshops to primary schools throughout Victoria. We want to encourage all generalist primary school teachers to participate in this event by giving some simple music teaching ideas to assist in teaching the song.

We invite you and your staff to attend free workshops that will run in the following areas across Victoria:

Geelong, Mt Waverley, Bendigo, Swan Hill, South Gippsland,
Mornington Peninsula, Mitcham, Mildura, Cheltenham,
South Melbourne, Lilydale, Caulfield, Carlton,
Ivanhoe and Wangaratta

For details visit the aMuse website: http://www.amuse.vic.edu.au
Or
Order FREE teaching kits for your school
by emailing Sue Arney MCUI@amuse.vic.edu.au

To download ‘We’ve Got The Music’, and to register your school, go to www.musiccountusin.org.au or check out the wiki http://musiccountusin2011.wikispaces.com

FREE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AVAILABLE IN ALL STATES OF AUSTRALIA – open to Generalist and Specialist teachers. Contact schools.mpfl@mca.org.au

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

10 great TED videos (free) re. music education

www.mca.org.au/advocacy/2011-papers/16785-the-new-narrative-for-classical-music

A research and advocacy article about the future of Classical music.

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

READ ARTICLE HERE

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

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

‘Hearts in Harmony’ – a ‘fun’tastic community music day for all ages at ACU in Fitzroy, presented by the School of Education, Australian Catholic University (ACU).

This day is open to all ages, backgrounds and abilities – no musical experience is required. Join Jon Madin, Geelong’s local teacher/composer/instrument inventor and play some of his wonderful and wacky instruments such as marimbas, echo cellos, shaker rings and musical bikes.

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.

Go to resource: Horizons is an arts advocacy program run by Youth Arts Queensland. Read more…

17 November 2011, Law School, University of Melbourne

The humanities disciplines are foundational to the new Australian Curriculum. This Symposium will explore the future of humanities education in Australia, and the challenges and opportunities presented by the new curriculum for humanities research and teaching at all levels.
Questions to be explored include:

• What experience of the humanities is envisaged for our future citizens?
• What interest in the humanities will be stimulated among Australia’s young people? What skills will they bring to university, further training or the workforce from the disciplines, and the discipline, of the humanities?
• Who are Australia’s future scholars, researchers and teachers in all the disciplines of the humanities, and what encouragement is being offered to them to pursue a widely based and rich encounter with human knowledge?
• How has the Australian nation been formed through schooling and how does this compare internationally?

humanities.org.au/Events/AnnualSymposium.aspx

The IMC Musical Rights Awards are programmes or projects that support in an exemplary way one or more of the five musical rights enunciated by the International Music Council. The overall 2011 winner of the IMC Musical Award, chosen from a  number of highly praised projects, was MCA’s Music. Play for Life. READ MORE HERE

MCA’s Music: Play for Life program was the outright winner of the International Music Council’s Musical Rights Awards for the biennium 2010-11. The IMC’s platform is based on five musical rights which in turn are based upon UN covenants such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and various subsequent offshoots. They include the right to a music education, to participation in one’s own culture, to freedom of expression through music.

Music: Play for Life supports most of those rights through its programs to build opportunities for music education and musical opportunities in communities.

Music: Play for Life Manager Tina Broad travelled to Estonia to receive the award. She gave a vivid presentation of the program. It succeeded against competition from a number of other wonderful programs, including the ‘Polifonia’ Network of the European Association of Conservatoires, the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq, Hearts in Harmony project in Barcelona, Espace Akto in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Hong Kong Institute of Education’s program, Teaching Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong Schools.

Music: Play for Life includes programs such as Music: Count Us In, the Flame Awards, the musiceducation.edu.au website, the More Music Toolkit website, the Music in Communities Network, and Awards, the Making Music Being Well national event, and more. A pretty formidable line-up.

Go to resource: The International Music Council, founded by UNESCO in 1949, advocates for musical diversity and cultural rights worldwide. Read more…

an MCA publication -

Journal of Music Research Online www.jmro.org.au: this refereed journal includes music education research

Community Music SA has invited MiCN to host a meeting in McLaren Vale. Along with Pat Rix (founder and artistic director of Tutti Ensemble and winner of 2008 MiCN Awards) MiCN mentors will present on a range of music leadership topics including music and wellbeing.

Email: tony.micn@mca.org.au

June 25th, 2011 from 10.30am

McLaren Vale, South Australia

http://musicincommunities.org.au/register/coming-events/mclaren-vale

How does one find authentic creativity? In his last talk before passing away, Malcolm McLaren tells remarkable stories from his own life, from failing school to managing the Sex Pistols. He argues that we’re living in a karaoke culture, with false promises of instant success, and that messiness and failure are the key to true learning.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Have you signed up yet to be part of Making Music Being Well?

This national initiative, which takes place from 16 – 22 May, is a collaboration between
Music: Play for Life and the Australian Music Therapy Association and it’s all about a grassroots celebration of the links between music making and wellbeing.

When you register to participate – it’s FREE – we’ll send you event posters, stickers and brochures and you’ll get access to lots of downloadable resources including event planning and promotional tips.

How you participate is up to you.  The best way to be involved is to take something you may already have planned for that week and hitch it to the national wagon of Making Music Being Well 2011. You don’t have to do something on every day during the week – one event is enough. Your event will be outlined on the MMBW website and you and your group members or students will be helping to shine the national spotlight on an important fact: music is good for you!

Here are a few ideas based on previous years:

• Open the doors to the community for your rehearsal that falls within the MMBW week and turn it into a free performance.
• Take your choir or group to a nursing home, hospital or school.
• Organise a big sing at your workplace.
• Turn a school assembly into a musical celebration and tell students and parents about the value and benefits of making music.
• Convene a drum circle in your school playground.
• Run an open mic session at your local pub or club.
• Organise a gathering of community music leaders and organisers in your area and discuss how you could pool resources and share skills.

Register to be part of it at www.makingmusicbeingwell.org.au

Don’t forget – registration for our biggest school music initiative, Music: Count Us In, opens soon too!

Have you signed up yet to be part of Making Music Being Well?

This national initiative, which takes place from 16 – 22 May, is a collaboration between Music: Play for Life and the Australian Music Therapy Association and it’s all about a grassroots celebration of the links between music making and wellbeing.

When you register to participate – it’s FREE – we’ll send you event posters, stickers and brochures and you’ll get access to lots of downloadable resources including event planning and promotional tips. How you participate is up to you.

The best way to be involved is to take something you may already have planned for that week and hitch it to the national wagon of Making Music Being Well 2011. You don’t have to do something on every day during the week – one event is enough. Your event will be outlined on the MMBW website and you and your group members or students will be helping to shine the national spotlight on an important fact: music is good for you!

Here are a few ideas based on previous years: Open the doors to the community for your rehearsal that falls within the MMBW week and turn it into a free performance. Take your choir or group to a nursing home, hospital or school. Organise a big sing at your workplace. Turn a school assembly into a musical celebration and tell students and parents about the value and benefits of making music. Convene a drum circle in your school playground. Run an open mic session at your local pub or club. Organise a gathering of community music leaders and organisers in your area and discuss how you could pool resources and share skills.

Register to be part of it at www.makingmusicbeingwell.org.au

AND … don’t forget – registration for our biggest school music initiative, Music: Count Us In, opens soon too!

This national initiative, which takes place from 16 – 22 May, is a collaboration between
Music: Play for Life and the Australian Music Therapy Association and it’s all about a grassroots celebration of the links between music making and wellbeing.

When you register to participate – it’s FREE – we’ll send you event posters, stickers and brochures and you’ll get access to lots of downloadable resources including event planning and promotional tips.

How you participate is up to you.  The best way to be involved is to take something you may already have planned for that week and hitch it to the national wagon of Making Music Being Well 2011. You don’t have to do something on every day during the week – one event is enough. Your event will be outlined on the MMBW website and you and your group members or students will be helping to shine the national spotlight on an important fact: music is good for you!

Here are a few ideas based on previous years:

• Open the doors to the community for your rehearsal that falls within the MMBW week and turn it into a free performance.
• Take your choir or group to a nursing home, hospital or school.
• Organise a big sing at your workplace.
• Turn a school assembly into a musical celebration and tell students and parents about the value and benefits of making music.
• Convene a drum circle in your school playground.
• Run an open mic session at your local pub or club.
• Organise a gathering of community music leaders and organisers in your area and discuss how you could pool resources and share skills.

Register to be part of it at www.makingmusicbeingwell.org.au

Go to resource: Making the Progression: Report of the National Music Workshop, published 2007, follows on from the National Review of School Music Education. Read more…

March 2011 Newsletter from Music. Play for Life:

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=c1f6cd5eedcfc179f2fbf0c0a&id=48151e0899&e=5c175b5519

Resound, Count Yourself In (Sept 1st, 2011), Community Music Leaders Awards, Music Network for community musicians, Music and health, Musicians with disability, Stickers & posters

conference details

9 – 13 July, 2011

Maryborough, Qld

Knowledge Base – a searchable treasure chest of articles and information on all topics to do with the Music Sector in Australia. Use the search bottom in the far left column to search (ie. type ‘education’ in the search box).

Music-related topics include education & training, copyright, funding, venues, research and information services.

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

free viewing of video clips for Music: Count Us In 2011

http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/media/media-2011

Includes a segment from Saturday Disney, extracts from the song-writing workshop, and more …

http://ministers.deewr.gov.au/garrett/remarks-opening-national-visual-education-conference

24 Jan 2012, Minister Garrett opened the National Visual Education Conference. Read his speech at the above link.

Monbulk Primary School in Victoria unveiled its new BER-funded Arts Centre last Thursday, 10th November. The super-creative building façade represents a pianola roll for Advance Australia Fair! Arts Minister, Simon Crean, opened the new building with lots of inspiring words about the fundamental role of the arts and music to Australia’s social and economic development and said he’s working hard to get more federal support for The Arts. Monbulk’s new building also houses the Dandenong Ranges Music Council. Congrats to its founder, Bev McAlister, after whom the building’s new music centre has been named.

See photo here

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

A FREE online tool to help teachers/parents get MORE music in Australian schools.

http://moremusictoolkit.org.au/

Just launched – check it out!

Includes case studies from award-winning Australian schools, as well as practical advice on overcoming potential hurdles.

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

There are now 50 schools written up on the More Music Toolkit. Browse away! Be inspired!!

Let us know if you like what you see … schools.mpfl@mca.org.au

We’ve added more Australian school Case Studies to the More Music Toolkit. Come and take a look — be inspired! We want to see more & meaningful music in Aussie schools … http://www.moremusictoolkit.org.au

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-5HUEa5Zz0

Mrs Carey’s Concert – a film by Bob Connolly & Sophie Raymond. A story about music making and coming of age, about talent and courage, compliance and rebellion. About those prepared to open their minds and hearts to what the world has to offer … and those yet to discover the potential within.

Read about MSO’s Education Week 2011

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/hitting-the-right-note-20110614-1g1qj.html#ixzz1Q5×4PvYR

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

“The first organized activity that I saw in New York, on the very evening of September 11th, was singing. People sang. People sang around fire houses, people sang “We Shall Overcome”. Lots of people sang America the Beautiful. The first organized public event that I remember was the Brahms Requiem, later that week, at Lincoln Center, with the New York Philharmonic. The first organized public expression of grief, our first communal response to that historic event, was a concert. That was the beginning of a sense that life might go on. The US Military secured the airspace, but recovery was led by the arts, and by music in particular, that very night.”

READ ARTICLE HERE

HERE is some free advice on being a musician in 2012 – from the Music Career wiki.

Go to resource: The Music Council of Australia (MCA) is a 50-member Australian music peak body. Its purpose is to bring together all members of the music community to provide a diverse and active musical life in Australia (including music education). Read more…

http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/remository?func=select&id=45

The 2011 (free) Teaching Kit for “We’ve Got the Music” just went online. It features free lesson ideas and teaching resources for Primary and Middle School classes, as well as brilliant ideas for inclusion and special needs. It is designed for generalist classroom teachers and music teachers alike.

All feedback welcome. Bring on 1st September 2011!!

If you haven’t signed up, please do, then you’ll be able to view the Teaching Kit.

Watch this space – the teaching kit for Music Count Us In 2011 is coming soon. It’s full of free ideas to enhance music education delivery in your school, including cross-curricular lesson ideas. Many free ensemble charts are already on the website www.musiccountusin.org.au . Don’t be scared of signing up – it’s really easy!

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.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art46397.asp

an article illustrating the great work done by music therapists with school-age students

Go to resource:  The Music Education Advocacy Kit has been published by the Music Council of Australia and Music. Play for Life. Read more…

Go to resource: The Music Education Advocacy Resources kit, as published by the Music Council of Australia and Music. Play for Life, gives further links to research into the importance of music in a child’s education. Read more…

Go to resource: The Childrens Music Workshop provides instrumental education programs to schools in the Los Angeles area using CMW curricula.

Read more…

Entries for the 2011 Music in Communities Awards Now Open!

Theme: Local Links – Community Music Connects the Dots

$10,000 prize pool

The Awards salute, celebrate and reward Australia’s most effective and well-connected community music organisations.

Entries are now being accepted for the 2011 Music in Communities Awards. We’ve set this year’s theme in recognition that the best community music making does not happen in isolation. It depends on effective networking, collaboration and cooperation.

This year we are celebrating and rewarding creative and inspiring connections, partnerships and relationships that music groups have nurtured in and beyond their local community.

The Awards are open to all forms of music groups including choirs, bands, orchestras, ukulele groups and drum circles; as well as community and volunteer organisations delivering and supporting music programs in communities; local Councils; schools and individuals.

• Does your music group collaborate with a local organisation to do things you couldn’t have done on your own?
• Have you formed a partnership with your local council?
• Have you negotiated funding or support through a non-arts related government agency to develop projects with social outcomes?
• Has your group shown some ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking when seeking to form partnerships and build relationships?
• Does your group have a mutually beneficial relationship with a local school?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to any one of those questions we’d love to hear about it! You’ll be in with a chance to take your share of $10,000 for your group.

Entries are accepted online at www.musicincommunities.org.au Go here to read more about the awards, read case studies of previous award winners and view the terms and conditions and the entry instructions.

Entries close on Monday 24th October 2011 so hurry and enter now!

Music in Communities Awards: entries close on Monday!

Want to win $10,000 for your community music group or project?

Tell us about the ways in which partnerships and collaborations have made a difference to what you do, by entering the 2011 Music in Communities Awards.

The online entry process closes Monday 24th October at midnight, so be quick.

MiCN (Music in Communities Network) is coming to Wollongong for a jam packed day of networking, professional development and music making! Tour the newly referbished Town Hall and discuss performance opportunities with venue management, join in a marketing workshop, learn how to get your group onto the front page, hear from inspirational community music leaders and learn the strategies and methods behind their success.

Email: tony.micn@mca.org.au

When: May 14th, 2011 9:30 am to 4:30 pm

http://musicincommunities.org.au/register/coming-events/wollongong

read article here

Venezuelan prisons have half of their inmates playing in orchestra or singing in choir. Read more …

Go to resource: ‘Music Makes the Difference’ is an advocacy kit for parents who are considering music lessons for their children. Read more…

Go to resource: The Music Outback Foundation provides music education experiences to remote Indigenous schools.

Read more…

Music therapy

Go behind the scenes with seven Australian music therapists and see how they draw on the many benefits of music in their work with clients in a variety of settings. The case studies look at the role of music therapy in special education, aged care, palliative care, community services and others. As well as the downloadable versions, the case studies have been produced as a booklet which is being mailed to all federal and State/Territory MPs from Music: Play for Life and the Australian Music Therapy Association. The case studies were developed to coincide with the annual celebration of music and wellbeing, Making Music Being Well.

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.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/print/46048

Music Training Helps Learning & Memory

An article by William R Klemm from Psychology Today

Go to resource: Music. Count Us In is a music advocacy event that draws attention to the value of music education in schools. Read more…

On April 12th 2011, a dozen talented teenage singer-songwriters were mentored by John Foreman, Claire Bowditch, Holly Throsby,  Rai Thistlethwayte (Thirsty Merc) and Kavyen Temperley (Eskimo Joe).

The result was the 2011 song for Music. Count Us In (1st September 2011).

Watch this space for free lesson plans, free MP3 material, free Professional Development (for teachers) and free instrumental arrangements. Let’s get more music in more Australian schools!! www.musiccountusin.org.au

Go to resource: Music. Play for Life is a program established by the Music Council of Australia, in partnership with the Australian Music Association and the Australian Society for Music Education. Read more…

http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/

This year’s program song is about to hit the air-waves. Registration is being accepted by schools for the 2011 massed singing event on September 1st, 2011 @ 11.30am (AEST).

Associated free lesson plans, teaching kits, free MP3, sheet music, and instrumental arrangements will soon be available via the website.

Signing up via the website is free and easy!! http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/

This year’s wiki site for ‘Music Count Us In’ is up and running. So far there are lyrics, scores, mp3’s, a sing-along movie and  a karaoke movie. Keep looking because more resources will be added over the next weeks. Just follow this free link:

http://musiccountusin2011.wikispaces.com

Hope you enjoy it, Sally

It’s official – Music: Play for Life is a world-beater! The campaign has been named OVERALL WINNER of the IMC Musical Rights Awards 2011, presented in Estonia.

Read all about it HERE.

free podcasts – Musica Viva held a discussion forum in February 2011 on the topic of Arts Education in Australia. They recorded the sessions and have made them available online as a 4-part podcast. Click on the arrow on the far right of each clip to download it (for later listening) OR listen online to each podcast.

http://www.musicalfutures.org.uk/resource/27646

Half of the students who took part in  Musical Futures agreed that they felt better about school as a result. Read more on the above link.

Lesson Idea: In the spirit of “Musical Futures”, give your students access to the MP3 of “We’ve Got the Music” … divide them into groups of 4-6 with drums / guitars / keyboards / ukuleles / percussion, etc  … ask them to come up with their OWN version of “We’ve Got the Music” (about 30 mins) simply by using their ears, playing along with the MP3, experimenting and supporting each other … share their performance attempt with the class.

The key factor is that the student performance SHOULD sound different from the original MP3, reflecting the group’s creative interpretation.

“We’ve Got the Music” is the 2011 program song for MUSIC: COUNT US IN

www.musiccountusin.org.au

http://fyiliving.com/research/musicians-brains-stay-sharp-as-they-age/

Research involving 70 senior citizens shows that the serious pursuit of instrumental music during younger years will benefit mental agility as the years advance.

Full article: Neuropsychology, Vol 25(3), May 2011, 378-386.

MusicNSW announcement: one final round of Quick Response Grants is still open for applications

The Quick Response Grants were created to support artists and managers in developing their export and international support opportunities, and has been significant in assisting many artists in achieving their touring and showcasing goals.

This program focuses on attendance at Australian conferences and trade fairs as a means to developing relationships in international markets prior to travelling overseas, and to assist in the development of business skills and a national audience. It is also available to support career-defining opportunities that would otherwise be cost prohibitive to artists, which may consist of major support opportunities or other key showcase events.

Submissions can only be made by artists (and/ or their managers) based in NSW. All applicants must be Australian citizens or have permanent residence status in Australia.

Applications are open now, and are due on October 30, 2011.

Go to resource: MusTech (USA) is a music education website that specifically focuses on music technology. It was established in 2006 by Professor Joseph Pisano.

Read more…

www.forourfuture.org.au

Tuesday November 15, 2011 = National Day of Action for Public Schools in Australia.

More info here

Go to resource: The National Review of School Music Education, published 2005, is a 279-page report on the issues facing music education in Australian schools. Read more…

http://acmf.com.au/our-initiatives/national-songwriting-competition/

Applications (primary and secondary) accepted until September 2011 for the national song-writing competition run by the Australian Children’s Music Foundation.

The new and fresh 2011 Lobby Kit has just been uploaded to the More Music Toolkit (free). Feedback always welcome.

www.moremusictoolkit.org.au/images/stories/documents/mpfl-lobby-kit-2011.pdf

www.moremusictoolkit.org.au/advocacy-tools

New PowerPoint just uploaded – please check out the latest music advocacy tool – helping to get more music into more Australian schools.

If you test run it on School Executives and/or Parent & Teacher Committees, please let us know how you go! schools.mpfl@mca.org.au

Visual arts are often left behind, to the detriment of education, says Ainslie MacGibbon.

Australia seems to be ignoring a global move towards understanding the significance of art in education, the president of Art Education Australia, Marian Strong, says.

read more …

http://australianmusiceducators.ning.com/ is an Australian discussion forum for music educators.  It was set up with the intent of discussing ideas on classroom band programs, but it really is a forum for discussion on any aspect of Australian music teaching from P-12.  At present there is a small group of members, but I am hoping to build it up and draw on a wide range of professional knowledge and experience.

This group is completely FREE (in a monetary sense, not a moral or metaphysical sense).

Please come along and check it out.  The page is run as a ning, which is basically a social network with a particular focus.  It is great for online discussion, linking of video and photo and has facility for you to blog.  All you need to do is create an account.

Dick Letts (MCA) has just published an open letter to the Australian community – calling for more Music education and more teacher training (in music) for Australian schools and teachers. Read it here (top link). Distribute it to newspapers, P&C committees, school executives, blogs …

Go to resource: Pop focus in music education panned, written by Justine Ferrari and published in The Australian April 13 2009, the article outlines criticism of the inclusion of pop music in school music education programs.

Read more…

WA: 30 November to 3 December 2011

http://www.music.uwa.edu.au/research/power-of-music/icme

http://crescendo.com.au/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=91&Itemid=32

The first powerpoint has some examples of early childhood / lower primary songs and teaching ideas. It starts with a cute tree which illustrates how music fits into the various components of a child.

The second powerpoint on this site is an advocacy presentation for music education in schools.

The following ideas come from musicroomburns.net

Advocating in these following small ways will get you noticed by the parents and the community:

• Posting students’ works on websites
• Sending students’ musical creations home to parents via CDs
• Inviting parents into the music classroom to participate with their children
• Having your ensembles perform in the community
• Attending community events so parents see the music teacher participating in the community
• When your music students participate in community events or some sort of competitions, write a press release to the local newspaper
• Ask the Board if the students can perform at the beginning of the meeting
• And there are so many more ideas that would be more specific to your situation

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

Go to resource: Professional Development for Teachers, run by WEYA in Western Victoria, consists of workshops on arts education and advocacy. Read more…

http://pom.sagepub.com/

A free online publication – Psychology of Music

An American Music Education advocacy video clip on YouTube.

advocacy video

Please remind your Year 9-12 students (Australia) that ReCount entries are due this week!! (August 1st, 2011)

http://www.musiccountusin.org.au/recount-2011

Re-mix, extend or re-record the song “We’ve Got the Music” during class-time for a fun lesson

Congratulations to the 2 winners of 2011 ReCount competition:

Bill Okwalo – Heathdale Christian College

Jack James Cockerall – Castlemaine Secondary College

Bill’s remix of “We’ve Got the Music” was in the style of space techno with plenty of SFX. The remix was faster, used fragments of the original horn & vocal parts, and added lots of new content.

Jack’s remix featured a new electric guitar opening and a whole new accompaniment, while maintaining the style of an anthem. The original vocal stem files were used but had been carefully cut & re-arranged to create a brand new melody.

The following 4 students were runners up:

Alyx Livingston, Bianca Redfern, Jordan Pezzimenti, Ryan Winslade

These students were rated ‘highly commended‘ by our judges:

Angus Gill, Jedd McCallum, Acacia Coates, Sarah Butler

The judges were impressed by the variety and creativity of remixes – from country to rap, from punk to orchestral fusion. All ten finalists receive Zoom digital recording equipment. Well done!!

Go to resource: Regional Arts Australia represents artists in regional, rural, and remote Australia. Read more…

e-bulletin link here

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

http://tedxsydney.com/site/item.cfm?item=17373783BE511B3C5870DE26F37EE989

Free online video – a must watch!

‘Saxophony’ – NSW, Australia – Saturday 11 June, 2011

This year the Darling Harbour Jazz Festival is attempting to break the world record for the largest saxophone ensemble ever with 900+ saxophones! They will be playing an arrangement of ‘Waltzing Matilda – Happy Birthday’ (as it’s the Festival’s 21st Birthday). Additionally JozzBeat has built interactive teaching tools for all of the performers so that they can learn their parts and play from memory on the day. It is being delivered online!

There is more info at www.darlingharbour.com/saxophony

free online magazine for School Band and Orchestra teachers – an American publication – free online

Includes advocacy material, interviews with successful teachers, product reviews (and lots of advertising)

The intention of the kit is to provide arguments and methods for school parents and school music teachers to establish music programs in schools where there are none, and gain greater support for music programs in schools where they already exist.

CLICK HERE http://www.musicplayforlife.org/index.php/resources/lobby

Here is a list of scholarships available to Australian students (many are music-related).

description of TV show here

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

http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/happiness/singing-happy.htm#mkcpgn=tw1

This article confirms what many of us know – that singing (especially in groups) makes you happy.

smag-schoolmusicactiongroup.blogspot.com

SMAG is a Victorian-based advocacy group, pushing for more music in Australian schools. This website contains blogs about their latest activities, and links to policy documents.

SCHOOL FOR SONGS

One song to be written, one day to do it – and about 500,000 people to sing it and judge how it sounds. That was the equation faced by a dozen schoolchildren who were coached by leading lights of Australian music yesterday in writing this year’s ditty for the annual Music: Count Us In project. The teenagers were given guidelines for the composition, but Eskimo Joe’s Kav Temperley said: ”I told them to forget about that completely.” The result with his pupils was lyrics about ”pocketful of poo, something about spew”, he said proudly. But it rhymed. ”That’s what we’re saying: it’s gotta be good.” Regurgitative references aside, the Diary’s anthem correspondent, Adam Fulton, reports that the students were beyond chuffed to come from around Australia to get the guidance of Temperley, Clare Bowditch, Holly Throsby and Rai Thistlethwayte for the project, which is designed to raise awareness of the value of music education in schools. By day’s end the song chosen by the project’s ”ambassador”, John Foreman, to be sung by students from about 1600 Australian schools at the same time on September 1 was by Thistlethwayte’s bunch and carries the working titleWe’ve Got the Music. Its chorus: ”Get on your feet / Feel the heartbeat / We’ve got the music / We’re not too proud to say it out loud / We’re not afraid to use it.”

from Sydney Morning Herald 14.4.2011 Matt Buchanan and Rachel Olding

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/spreading-the-sound-of-music-with-a-10m-violin-20110525-1f34z.html#ixzz1NnD1Fx4F

Richard Tognetti and members of the ACO played for students at Matraville Soldiers Settlement Public School (thanks to the support of the Australian Children’s Music Foundation). The article’s content includes advocacy for music education in schools.

Go to resource: The Society for Music Teacher Education (USA) is part of the National Association for Music Education (MENC), and is particularly aimed at music teachers. Read more…

www.griffith.edu.au/music/queensland-conservatorium-research-centre/resources/sound-links-final-report

This new publication outlines healthy and diverse community-music-making in Australia.

http://www.strikeachordforchildren.org/

“Strike a Chord” aims to provide music / instruments to disadvantaged / disabled Australian students. Why? Because music is SO beneficial!

acmf.com.au/results/

The above website links to the 2011 prize-winners of the Australian Children’s Music Foundation song-writing competition. Categories catered for students aged 5 through to 18. LESSON IDEA: Listen to the winning songs (from the website) for each class’s age-category and discuss the strengths and musical elements of each winning song.

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!

Benjamin Zander has two infectious passions: classical music, and helping us all realize our untapped love for it — and by extension, our untapped love for all new possibilities, new experiences, new connections.

Watch the video here

If you are an Australian school / campus wanting to get more music into your school / program, please surf around the following website and email me with feedback (as to how useful the site was or was not!) www.moremusictoolkit.org.au

Emails to schools.mpfl@mca.org.au

THANKS!

http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/music-failings-spark-chorus-of-complaint-20110506-1ebuf.html#ixzz1Q4uPqzw8

The Age: May 9, 2011 “Music failings spark chorus of complaint”

The Hon Simon Crean MP, Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government and Minister for the Arts, will officially open the 3^rd annual international arts and health conference ‘The Art of Good Health and Wellbeing’ on Monday 14 November 2011 at 6.30pm.

The conference is being held at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, in association with the National Portrait Gallery, from Monday 14 November to Thursday 17 November 2011.

For details about keynote speakers and presenters and to register for the conference, please log on to www.artsandhealth.org

Please note the early bird registration deadline is 7 October 2011 and numbers are strictly restricted so book now to ensure a place.

An exciting and stimulating conference – with speakers from across Australia and internationally from the UK, USA, Canada, Ireland, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Go to resource: The National Association for Music Education (MENC) is a US organisation dedicated to supporting music education in schools. Read more…

Go to resource: The Song Room offers music programs to school students, particularly those who have no access to music teachers, and disadvantaged students. Their aim is to create self-sustaining music programs in schools. Read more…

SMH article by Richard Gill here from 2009

It is a national disgrace that music education is not a central part of every child’s schooling, writes Richard Gill.

National Library of Australia has a new online catalog called TROVE – research for books, journal, video, audio, websites, pictures and more. You can even click through the website to purchase many of the items, if you wish.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/31/music.education.cake.difiore/

read article here

How to enliven and save high school music

“Instead of trying to defend traditional band, choir and orchestra classes, music educators would do well to embrace the craft as a way to teach creativity, problem-solving and cultural harmony — truly 21st century skills, for artists and engineers alike. If we do so, the demand for music will return stronger than ever.”

www.musiceducationonline.org/

Includes a PowerPoint presentation about the benefits of music education.

article in themusic.com.au

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

School Specialisation Grants

Round One applications open: Tuesday 13 September 2011

Round One applications close: Monday 24 October 2011

Grant recipients announced: December 2012

Introduction

The Victorian Government is providing $2.5 million over two years for 25 one-off grants to government schools to specialise in a field of their choice; such as languages, maths, science, robotics, multimedia, fashion, design or horticulture.

The Grants will be provided in two rounds. In Round One, twelve grants of $100,000 each will be made to government schools which are ready to commence a specialised initiative in the 2012 school year.  Round Two grants will be made available next year.

The Grants will enable the recipient schools to commence a specialisation or to expand an existing specialisation, for example, through investment in training and skilling of staff or minor capital investments for equipment.  These are one-off grants and therefore not for recurrent expenditure, such as employment of staff.  The Grants may be used in conjunction with co-contributions from other sources and one Grant may be used by more than one school.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is seeking applications from Victorian government schools for Round One Grants, with applications opening on Tuesday 13 September 2011 and closing on Monday 24 October 2011.

These guidelines will assist schools in completing applications.

Purpose of the School Specialisation Grants

The School Specialisation Grants are part of the Government’s commitment to greater diversity and choice in Victoria’s education system, and to allowing schools the freedom to create unique and rewarding school experiences to bring out the creativity, talents and potential of young Victorians.

The Grants will build on the ability of Victoria’s government schools to cater for the diversity of student needs and interests and to realise some of the many benefits of school specialisation, including:

• increasing student engagement by providing relevant and fulfilling educational experiences in an educational environment tailored to specific abilities or needs;
• providing students with more opportunities for learning in greater depth and breadth in a specific area;
• providing students with more intensive learning experiences that require specialist equipment or scarce expertise;
• introducing innovative teaching and learning into schools and the Victorian education system.

The School Specialisation Grants will also inform future investment in specialised education provision in Victoria.

Eligibility

Round One of the School Specialisation Grants is open to all primary and secondary government schools. Schools may apply individually or in collaboration with another or a group of schools.

All applications must be endorsed by the School Council/s.

Selection Criteria

Selection criteria are outlined in the attached application form. Each application must address all criteria, within the recommended word limit.

Applications will be assessed on the basis of responses to the selection criteria, as per the process set out below in ‘Application Process’.

DEECD may contact schools to obtain further information in relation to applications, if required.

Application Process

Schools maybe begin submitting Round One applications from Tuesday 13 September 2011, with applications closing on Monday 24 October 2011.

All applications must be made on the Application Form template (attached here) (using Microsoft Word), and adhere to the word limit for each criterion.

Applications must be submitted to specialisation.grants@edumail.vic.gov.au.  Regional Directors will consider applications from their Region and will each select and forward no more than five applications to DEECD Central Office.  A recommendation to the Minister about the awarding of the Grants will be made by a selection panel to be established specifically to assess the applications. The Minister will then make a final decision on which schools will be awarded the Grants.

Applications received after close of business Monday 24 October 2011 will not be considered.

All queries relating to this process should be directed to specialisation.grants@edumail.vic.gov.au or (03) 9947 1819.

Conditions

Funding received by grant recipients will be subject to the following conditions:

• The Grants will be paid to school/s as a grant. Where a grant is awarded to a group of schools, the lead school will receive the funds.
• The recipient/s of each Grant must participate in any evaluation of the initiative as requested by the Department.
• Recipient schools must incorporate initiatives in their Annual Implementation Plan and School Strategic Plan.
• The grant money must be expended within two (2) years of receipt unless otherwise agreed with the Department. Any unused monies must be returned to the Department.
• The Department reserves the right to use all or part of any material, including submissions and photographs, for any publicity campaign related to education in Victoria. Copyright of any materials produced during, or as a result of the Grant is co-owned by the Department.
• The Department reserves the right not to make a Grant.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/9776295/more-kids-tune-into-music/

Statistics show that 20% of WA students learn a musical instrument outside of school time.

“North Fremantle community arts development co-ordinator and music teacher Claire Coleman said the rise reflected the growing understanding of the artistic and educational benefits of learning to play an instrument.”

We’ve got the Music & Music: Count Us In online resources are up and going, Jozzbeat-style. They are accessed via this page:

www.jozzbeat.com/MCUI2011/home

Jozzbeat will give each school a free log-in (after the school has registered for Music: Count Us In at www.musiccountusin.org.au)

OR

Existing customers of Jozzbeat that come through as MCUI registrees can just use their existing JozzBeat website password/username to access the resources.

Grab a group of kids, log on, learn the song, add some percussion, and have a fun lesson

ARTICLE LINK HERE

http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/050102ARTSED.pdf

a summary of workforce skills which are taught through Music and Arts education in schools

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.

Go to resource: Youth Arts Queensland is an organisation that supports young and emerging artists in Queensland. Read more…