1
FROM THE PRESIDENT Following a changed Logo comes a new Magazine title - welcome to SA Music Teacher! I’m pleased to say MTASA’s two recent events reaching out to new members have both proved successful and you will be reading about our recent Dr Tim Jones Professional Development Day in the Madley Rehearsal Studio and the Megastar Muso Masterclass at the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel in this issue. We are hopeful that through these and further similar events in 2019 MTASA will begin to encompass a much broader cohort of music teachers than hitherto. I’m immensely proud of the great contribution all our Council continually make but must single out Robert Boundy and Pete Barter on this occasion for their unstinting efforts to make these new events work. We have also recorded a Webinar with Dr Tim Jones and shall be streaming that in the not too distant future. With so much that is new, it’s good to see established areas of MTASA flourishing. I mentioned in April the roaring success of our first Concert Performance Day and can now report our Competition Days were equally active. A planned single day became two due to sheer weight of competitor numbers, with our Miriam Hyde Awards on June 16 and the Norman Sellick Prize/Reimann Robinson Scholarship on June 23. See this issue for detailed reports, but I must take this opportunity to extend our thanks to Adjudicators Jeffrey Kong, Monika Laczofy and Lucinda Collins. The overall standard of playing was commendably high. We now look forward to our second Concert Performance Day on August 26 at Westminster School and our annual Music Educators’ Expo at Thebarton Community Centre on September 23. In another departure from the norm it’s likely the Concert Performance Day will include a range of ensemble groups alongside the more usual solo items. My very best wishes for your busy endeavours during the coming months towards the close of this year. MTASA seems to be equally engaged!
Rodney Smith, President
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS SA MUSIC TEACHER The Magazine of the Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia Incorporated Print Post Pub. No 100003224 VOLUME 26 NO 3 – Spring 2018 PATRONS:
Dr Doreen Bridges AM Emeritus Professor David Lockett AM
PRESIDENT:
Rodney Smith
VICE PRESIDENT:
Robert Brown OAM
SECRETARY:
Masako Kondo
TREASURER:
Samantha Penny
AUDITOR:
Australian Independent Audit Services
COUNCIL 2017/2018: Sofie Arhontoulis, Pete Barter, Robert
FROM THE PRESIDENT by Rodney Smith
3
COMING MTASA EVENTS
5
MEMBER INFORMATION
5
OTHER ORGANISATIONS’ EVENTS
7
ADELAIDE EISTEDDFOD PROGRAMME FOR 2018
8
PEDAGOGY MATTERS by Rodney Smith
10
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE: FREE INTRODUCTORY INDIVIDUAL HALF HOUR SESSION by Rosslyn McLeod
10
IN MEMORIAM: ROSEMARY STIMSON by Josie Hawkes OAM
11
IN MEMORIAM: BERENICE HARRISON OAM by Robert Brown OAM
13
FLUTE SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA - PLAYING. SHARING. INSPIRING. by Samantha Hennessy
14
Boundy, Robert Brown OAM, Naomi Hede, Masako Kondo, Monika Laczofy, Carly McDonald, David Metin, Samantha Penny, Rodney Smith, Hayley Wedding EDITOR: Layout:
Robert Brown OAM Masako Kondo
MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES to the Secretary – PO BOX 4, RUNDLE MALL, ADELAIDE SA 5000 Mobile: 0402 575 219 E-mail: info@mtasa.com.au ADVERTISING – Please contact the Secretary Please see MEMBER INFORMATION page for Advertising Price List. CONTRIBUTIONS and DEADLINES for 2019 Contributions to SA Music Teachers are most welcome. All items to be included must reach the Editor, Robert Brown OAM (robbrown@adam.com.au) no later than these deadlines: Thursday January 31, 2019, Tuesday April 30, Tuesday July 16, Thursday October 31. MTASA WEBSITE Please visit http://www.mtasa.com.au/ MTASA FACEBOOK Please visit the MTASA Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/The-Music-Teachers-Associationof-SA-Inc-883307955101655/.
ACCOMPANIST’S CORNER - MARK SANDON SHARES 15 HIS EXPERIENCE FIVE MINUTES WITH RENEE MCCARTHY! by Hayley Wedding
16
LIVING THE DREAM IN THE FLINDERS by Sasha Andersson
18
MOVING W. GOETZE by Jane Robinson
20
2018 MTASA COMPETITIONS by Rodney Smith
21
PERCUSSION WORKSHOP WITH Dr TIMOTHY JONES by Rob Boundy
22
MEGASTAR MUSO MASTERCLASS by Geoff Jenke, eventalaide.com
24
CONTACT DETAILS FOR OTHER ORGANISATIONS
26
3
kerinBAILEYmusic
Designed to be a pleasure to play!
Publisher of fine music for Study-Teaching-Leisure Jazzin’ Around for piano and strings Six Sketches and Triplet Falls for piano
Stylish recital pieces in contemporary styles All with CD demo/backing
Jazz Incorporated Series for winds and brass
Extensive listings in exam and school syllabi Easy to Upper Intermediate
Five Dances for Flute and Piano Jazz Inc Combo Series Bass Odyssey
Check the website for score/audio excerpts
Pretty Flower for voice
www.kerinbailey.com.au
Rhythm Unravelled
Sales available from the website - and good music retailers -
A Guide to Exploring Rhythm Invaluable resources for students/teachers
Drowsy Bees and Butterflies
! NEW
Approx gr.7-8 level Piano Solo - Latinesque and vaguely Impressionistic Includes analysis and performance notes “A charming work in his most persuasive manner…” Rodney Smith
THE ORCHESTRAL SPECIALISTS 74 Glen Osmond Rd, Parkside Phone. 08 8373 33704www.size.com.au
COMING MTASA EVENTS 2018 August 26
CONCERT PERFORMANCE DAY 2 Venue: Admission:
Westminster School Band Room, Alison Avenue, Marion gold coin
September 23
MUSIC EDUCATORS’ EXPO & AGM Venue:
Thebarton Community Centre, corner South Rd & Ashwin Parade, Torrensville All welcome!
RAFFLE TICKETS Through the People’s Choice Community Lottery MTASA is doing some fundraising (see the ad on the back page). Please help this cause by selling some raffle tickets. To obtain a book of raffle tickets please e-mail our Treasurer Samantha Penny at mtasatreasurer@gmail.com or phone our Secretary Masako Kondo at 0402 575 219.
MEMBER INFORMATION NEW TITLE FOR MTASA’S QUARTERLY MAGAZINE The Council has decided that as part of updating MTASA’s image, which so far includes the new website, FaceBook page, logo and appearance of the quarterly magazine, it is time for a new magazine title. SA Music Teacher has been selected to reflect that supporting music teachers and keeping them in touch with the latest teaching innovations and news is the overall objective of our Association. Some research indicates that the magazine was called SAMTA from 1970-1994. In her book 1930-1990, A History of the Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia Inc., Nina Murton records that ‘A suggestion for a newsletter was accepted with enthusiasm … the first issue edited by Mrs E. Fisher, was distributed to members in early 1970’. The title was changed to The Music Stand in the mid 1990s because SAMTA (‘South Australian Music Teachers’ Association’) was an incorrect acronym; the association is officially ‘The Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia’.
NEW MUSIC DIARY
PROPOSED CHANGE TO MTASA’S CONSTITUTION A Special General Meeting will be held on Sunday September 23 following the Music Educators’ Expo at Thebarton Community Centre, just before the Annual General Meeting, to propose a change to the MTASA’s Constitution. Currently clause 15, part b. reads: 15. MEETINGS FOR MEMBERS: b. An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year within three months of the end of The Associations’ financial year when The Council’s report of the progress of The Association shall be presented, the duly audited accounts shall be presented and the election of such Councillors and Officers as are appointed annually shall take place. It is proposed that ‘within three months’ be changed to ‘within five months’ to allow additional time for the Auditor to complete the job of auditing the books without having to rush; this can be a complex task.
5
Selling for $7 each, the proceeds support MTASA. The Music Diary features day-to-apage journaling, staves for each week, holiday challenges and games every ten pages, with space for personal notes, lists and goal setting. Visit https://mtasa.com.au/mtasa-music-diary/ for more information.
DIRECTORY OF TEACHERS OF MUSIC The 44th Edition of ‘The Directory of Teachers of Music’ was published by the Association in late 2017 and distributed to music stores throughout Adelaide; it is available to students/parents who are seeking a teacher. The 45th Edition will be issued towards the end of 2018. Production of ‘The Directory of Teachers of Music’ is made possible by the businesses and associations who have placed advertisements. Members are asked to check their entry in the ‘The Directory of Teachers of Music’ and to advise Masako Kondo (info@mtasa.com.au) of any updates or errors.
◆NEW MEMBERS◆
MTASA MEMBERSHIP FEE INCREASES MTASA membership fees have been increased. This allows the Association to continue providing a sustainable service for its members.
The Music Teachers’ Association extends a warm welcome to the following music teachers who have joined the association. We are looking forward to meeting them at our events.
Karen Manskey
Full Member
F, Ob, Picc, Recorder, HIS, M, SACE, T
Chris Yeend
Full Member
PERC
Caelum Chester
Student Member
Thomas Hart
Full Member
Ian Vayne Amanda Grigg Ruiqi Liu
Full Member Full Member Student Member
Drums, PERC, HARM, Jazz Imp, M, SACE, T P, Drums, PERC, COMP, SACE, T Acc, OE, P, V, S PERC
The new membership fees are: Full member $120 Associate member $110 Student member $60 Friends and Institutional $30 membership
MTASA MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION RENEWALS 2018/2019 Most subscription renewal notices were sent recently via e-mail to remind members to log in and renew their membership for the new financial year. The increased membership fees were applied in this billing cycle. If you didn’t receive an e-mail please check your spam folder. You can log in at any time to renew your membership. If it seems that you didn’t receive an e-mail, have forgotten your username or are having problems logging in please contact Masako Kondo (info@mtasa.com.au). Paper invoices were sent to members who preferred to receive them. For help with financial matters, e-mail mtasatreasurer@gmail.com
V, VA
RECOMMENDED TEACHING FEES AON’S MUSIC TEACHER INSURANCE
The following teaching rates are recommended to members by the MTASA Council for 2018/2019. Full Member Associate Member Student Member
$73 per hour $62 per hour $46.50 per hour
POST-NOMINALS Aon, our recommended insurance provider, has over 50 years experience and a dedicated Entertainment team who understand your needs. As we move into the second half of the year, why not organise your insurance and peace of mind, for another year. Aon’s Music Teacher Insurance Policy is affordable, easily purchasable online and comprehensive, covering you for Public and Product liability (including wrongful allegation), Professional liability and Personal accident. For more information and to buy online visit aon.com.au/musicteachers.
Full members of the Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia may use the letters MMTA (member of Music Teachers’ Association) as a post-nominal while they are financial members. Interstate Music Teachers Associations are also encouraging their members to use this or a similar post-nominal.
6
OTHER ORGANISATIONS’ EVENTS METROPOLITAN MALE CHOIR ANNUAL MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP FOR 2018 The Metropolitan Male Choir of SA Inc. invites applications for the Annual Music Scholarship. Valued at $2,000, the scholarship is open to young musicians with proven musical ability and a strong desire to continue their musical development. A second prize of $1,000 may be awarded on the recommendation of the adjudicating panel. The award is designed to recognise the ability of outstanding young musicians, to encourage them to pursue their studies and to provide opportunities for the winners to perform publicly as associate artists with the choir. Applicants must be aged between 12 and 16 years as at January 1, 2017. Enquiries: Bill Scott, Ph. 8227-0472, e-mail bandliscott@gmail.com, or Geoff Sieben, Ph. 8242-7333, e-mail geoff@sieben.com.au, or visit the website at www.mmcsa.org. Entries close on Saturday, September 1, and the auditions will be held on Saturday, September 22.
ASME YOUNG COMPOSERS AWARD 2018 The categories are Traditional, Electronic, Pop/Rock, Primary, Secondary and Under 25. Free entry. Entries close on Friday September 28. Details and entry forms from http://www.asme.edu.au/sa/young-composers-award/ or contact Ben Fuller, mobile 0450-099-326 or e-mail ASME.sa.yca@gmail.com. Awards Concert, Monday November 26.
OTHER ORGANISATIONS’ CONCERTS RECITALS AUSTRALIA WEDNESDAY LUNCH HOUR CONCERTS 2018 Where: Pilgrim Church, 12 Flinders Street, Adelaide What time: at 12-10 pm and 1-10 pm Admission: Adults: $5 Tickets at the door Enquiries: Ph. 8266-4936 Visit http://www.recitalsaustralia.org.au/ for more information
ELDER HALL CONCERTS 2018 Lunch Hour Concert Series When: General admission:
Fridays, 1-10 pm $12. Gold Pass Subscriptions available
Evenings at Elder Hall Ticket Prices: $30 Adult; $24 Concession; $19.50 Student Visit www.elderhall.adelaide.edu.au for more information
MITCHAM ORCHESTRA When: Sunday October 28 Where: Cumberland Park Community Centre, 390 Goodwood Road, Cumberland Park What time: 2-00 pm. Conductor: Tully Brookes. Includes music by Mozart and Johann Strauss. Admission: $12, Children 12 years and under, free, at the door. 7
TEACHERS OF THEORY/MUSICIANSHIP To be listed in the ‘The Directory of Teachers of Music’ as a teacher of theory/musicianship applicants for Full or Student membership must supply evidence of having completed studies in this field to at least AMEB 5th Grade theory/musicianship standard or equivalent.
E-MAIL ADDRESSES, QUALIFICATIONS AND CERTIFICATES MTASA would like to update all members’ email addresses, latest qualifications and certificates. Please e-mail the Secretary at info@mtasa.com.au.
MTASA MEMBERSHIP NOTES Visit http://mtasa.com.au/index.php/members/bec ome-a-member/ to join MTASA. Current Full, Student or Associate Members are not required to submit any supporting documentation to continue their MTASA membership. Anyone applying for Full Membership (either Tertiary Level Qualification and Study or Recognition of Prior Learning and Experience) or Student Membership for the first time must fulfil all of the requirements listed and submit the appropriate supporting documentation. Associate Membership is no longer being offered but those who were Associate Members on September 24, 2017 can continue their membership provided they remain as financial members. Full Membership (Recognition of Prior Learning and Experience) has replaced General Membership. MTASA Members are always encouraged to write to the Secretary about any concerns that they may have. The MTASA Council will consider your request.
NOTICE TO STUDENT MEMBERS
ADELAIDE EISTEDDFOD PROGRAMME FOR 2018 The venue for most events is Salvation Army Citadel, 55 George Street, Norwood.
Have you fulfilled the requirements for Full Membership? Student members are reminded that Student membership is restricted to four years after which time it is expected that they would be eligible for another membership category. Student members who are ready to upgrade their membership are invited to submit an application form to the Secretary together with the required supporting documents. Criteria can be downloaded from the MTASA website (www.mtasa.com.au) or obtained from the Secretary.
ADVERTISING PRICE LIST FOR THE MUSIC STAND, 2018/2019 A4 size page (210 mm X 297 mm)
Full Page 1/2 Page 1/3 Page 1/4 Page
1/6 Page
Per issue
For 4 issues
Colour
B/W
Colour
B/W
$263 $132 $88 $67 $45
$210 $105 $71 $53 $35
$840 $420 $281 $210 $140
$672 $336 $224 $168 $113
INSERTION FEE FOR POSTERS AND FLYERS One issue $100. Four issues $360. Advertisers have two choices: 1. To provide the inserts, 2. To provide the artwork, MTASA will arrange the printing and invoice for this. Members placing an ad are entitled to a 15% discount.
General admission for sessions: $8, Adelaide Eisteddfod Members and Children 12 years and under free. The programme for each Division can be downloaded from the Adelaide Eisteddfod website at http://sacomment.com/aes/eisteddfod. The PIANO DIVISION was held from Thursday July 26 to Sunday August 5 with Adjudicators Jeffrey Kong and Debra Andreacchio.
ADELAIDE EISTEDDFOD CONCERTO Adjudicators: Heat: Final: Venue: Admission:
Ian Russell and Gwyn Roberts Thursday August 9, 7.30 pm Thursday August 16, 7.30 pm Winston Music, 87 Winston Avenue, Daw Park $10, Adelaide Eisteddfod Members and Children 12 years and under free
FLUTE DIVISION Adjudicators: Tim Nott, Lisa Gill, Sabine Daniels Friday August 10, 6.30 pm Venue: Unley Uniting Church, 187 Unley Road, Unley Saturday August 11, 9.00 am Venue: Salvation Army Citadel, Norwood
BRASS DIVISION Adjudicator: When:
Kevin Joughin Saturday August 11, 5.15 pm
WOODWIND DIVISION Adjudicator: Mitchell Berick Sunday August 12, 2.00 pm Venue: Unley Uniting Church, 187 Unley Road, Unley
STRING DIVISION Adjudicator:
Gwyn Roberts
Tuesday August 14 Wednesday August 15
CLASSIFIED AD MTA Members, free. Non-members, $15.
Thursday August 16 Friday August 17
Please contact the Secretary about advertising. Mobile: 0402 575 219 E-mail: info@matsa.com.au
8
3.00 pm Junior String Concerto 2.00 pm Eisteddfod Ensemble Event 9.00 am 9.00 am String and Wind Recitals
6.00 pm 5.30 pm
6.00 pm
EVENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
VOCAL DIVISION Adjudicator: Guila Tiver Tuesday September 4 10.00 am Wednesday September 5 12.30 pm Thursday September 6 12.30 pm 1.00 pm Saturday September 8 2.00 pm
Australian Song Arnold Matters Vocal Scholarship Heat Arnold Matters Vocal Scholarship Sunday September 9 7.30 pm Final Flinders Street Baptist Church, 65 Flinders Street, Adelaide
Admission for Final: Adult $10; Senior/Fulltime student $8; Member $5 (2 tickets per member), Children under 12 free.
ADELAIDE EISTEDDFOD SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS CONCERT When: Admission:
Monday, September 24, 7.30 pm. Adult, $10; Seniors/Students, $8; Children under 16 free
Enthusiastic volunteers are needed to help with various jobs at MTASA events. Tasks include setting up chairs, tables and piano, helping with registration at the check in table, ushering, assisting performers, helping with morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, and packing up afterwards. It is a great way to network and a volunteering certificate will be provided, which will enhance your CV! For more information please e-mail the Secretary, Masako Kondo, at info@mtasa.com.au.
YOUNG VIRTUOSO SA FINAL 2018 Adjudicators: When: Where: Admission:
Rodney Smith and Josie Hawkes OAM Sunday, October 14, 2-30 pm St John’s Anglican Church, 379 Halifax Street, Adelaide Adult $15, 5MBS Member $10, Student $5 Available from TryBooking from September 1.
TEACHING IN THE COUNTRY In recent years each issue of The Music Stand has included an article about music teaching in a country region of South Australia. No article was received this time and there are some regions that haven’t been visited yet. If you haven’t done so please write something – it doesn’t need to be very long – and also include a photo. If you have written something before you are welcome to send an update. E-mail to Robert Brown OAM at robbrown@adam.com.au.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO
SA MUSIC TEACHER
9
The Editor is always looking for things to include in SA Music Teacher. Articles can be about any music related topic. If you would like to write an article this is your invitation! A helpful hint, a comment, a joke, a poem, a cartoon, etc. … please e-mail them to Robert Brown OAM at robbrown@adam.com.au.
PEDAGOGY MATTERS by Rodney Smith Attendance at the recent annual meeting of MTA Presidents in Sydney has reminded me that pedagogy - ‘the theory and practice of teaching’ - is what binds members of MTAs together. To be sure, teaching bassoon has many detailed differences from teaching, say, percussion. But then again, teaching young children has many detailed differences from teaching, say, adults. Sometimes instrumental and vocal teachers can fall into the trap of overstating these differences, to the extent of asserting a particular pedagogy all their own. However, when teaching is considered more broadly there are probably more overarching principles and approaches in common across the spectrum of individual instrumental and vocal areas than there are instrument specific principles and approaches. Indeed, that was the way Presidents were thinking when discussing the provision of Professional Development for MTA members. For some time now, MTASA has been endeavouring to provide Professional Development that applies across the instrumental specialties in most cases. There have been specific instances where a particular instrumental family is emphasized, of course, and Dr Tim Jones’ Professional Development Day was one such. Nevertheless I was struck that as much as 50-60% of what he had to say and demonstrate would have been of great interest to many instrumental teachers beyond percussion and drums. Good teaching is good teaching and I often suggest to piano pedagogy students at the Conservatorium, for example, that they observe lessons given by other instrumentalists, and even non-musical lessons. Returning to their old school and observing their most admired teacher working with, say mathematics students, can be a real eye-opener for them. So, don’t be surprised to see MTASA Professional Development Days dealing with general teaching principles a good deal of the time. We won’t forget the need for specialist sessions too from time to time, but it’s often the teaching itself that occupies our thoughts and ideas. ♫♫♫
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE: FREE INDIVIDUAL HALF HOUR SESSION
INTRODUCTORY
by Rosslyn McLeod Many people have heard the label Alexander Technique but what does it mean? It is not about posture or ‘relaxation’ or doing specific exercises to ‘keep fit’ - people are often so busy anyway that to take on another exercise regime would just cause more stress. So how can the Alexander Technique help ‘fitness’? Think of the activities we have to do each day - sit/stand, changing position from full height to sitting or bending, walking: these basic actions are with us all the time. Can we improve how we do our basic actions and then along the way improve actions for a particular skill such as piano or other instrument playing? Activity means using various groups of muscles. Muscles work by contraction - at the same time the antagonistic muscles need to be able to lengthen. After activity muscles need to come back to a resting state, just as a car is put in neutral gear when the engine is not running. Too often we explore how to get fitter by using our muscles more, why not explore how to bring muscles back to a more refined neutral after activity? Try a free half hour Alexander session - available to any MTASA member - exploring a new experience can lead to different understandings about activity, movement and how to get the best out of music practice time. To book the free half hour session, phone 8338 2262: the session is in the suburb of Glenside.
10
IN MEMORIAM: ROSEMARY STIMSON
ADRS Conference Dinner, 2013 Rosemary Stimson with Alan Greenlees (ADRS Treasurer) (Courtesy of Josie Hawkes OAM) Well-known Adelaide oboist and oboe teacher Rosemary Stimson died on May 19, aged 74. She was born in 1944 at Heswall, in Cheshire, England. She taught the oboe for the Education Department’s Music Branch for many years and wrote Teaching the Oboe in 1982. Rosemary was a performer on both modern and period instruments. She was a valued member of the South Australian Music Camp Association community from 1975, serving as a tutor, committee member and Association President and was a much respected Life Member. The Australasian Double Reed Society presented a tribute to Rosemary Stimson at their annual ‘Glorious Music To Reed By!’ concert at St John’s Church, Halifax Street, Adelaide on Sunday July 1. Here is a tribute to Rosemary Stimson by Josie Hawkes OAM. Welcome to this very special and poignant concert that we offer as a tribute to our friend Rosemary Stimson. This is a celebration of music in all its varied glorious iterations and each work on the program reflects an element of Rosemary’s musical journey through life. I started my musical life as a rather average viola player and as such I sat in the orchestra at the rear of the section,
usually right next to either the cor Anglais player or the second bassoonist. This was where my fascination for double reed instruments began and where I first met Rosemary, in ‘Con Orchestra’ as it was known. At that time I was still at high school and within a few short years, while still studying at Adelaide University, I was sought out to join the Music Branch as a bassoon teacher, having swapped from viola to bassoon as my major instrument. The position was only for a day and a half each week - half a day of teaching and a whole day of playing in a woodwind quartet at three different primary schools every week. While the personnel of the quartet underwent some changes in the ensuing years, the one constant was Rosemary and I. For sixteen years we shared every detail of each other’s lives in the confines of a metal box on wheels - first love, marriage, divorce, leaving home, jokes, cooking, gardening, house renovation, education, teaching instruments, psychology, politics, health, music history, gossip, professional playing engagements, concerts, conductors, children (hers not mine!), reed problems and the general state of the nation. We laughed, yelled and cried through everything that life threw at us. We often coincidentally turned up to work wearing the same style and colour of 11
clothes and would automatically shout ‘snap’ to each other. Rosemary lived a full and wonderful life through the good and the bad times and this program of music is representative of some of her musical passions. Rosemary adored large-scale chamber works for winds such as the Strauss Serenades, Mozart Sinfonia Concertante, Mozart Gran Partita, Gounod Petite Symphonie and the Dvořák Serenade for Wind, Cello and Bass, Opus 44. For me the Dvořák brings back very happy memories of a public performance given by Music Branch teachers in 1980 something with David Bishop playing the cello part. Rosemary supplied the sheet music, testimony to her love for this work. We often said we should drag the music out of the cupboard and play it again but never quite got around to it. Today we will get around to it but for her, and not with her. This ensemble is made up in the main of Rosemary’s ‘mates’ musicians who performed with her in a multitude of different ensembles in diverse geographical locations over many years. Charles Klein will take his mentor’s place in the first oboe chair. We are indeed fortunate that Nicholas Braithwaite offered to conduct this piece - he generously volunteered, having had some contact with Rosemary through
the SA Richard Wagner Society in more recent times, but more about that later. Rosemary was a champion of the cor Anglais and would always rise to the bait of ‘it’s not English and it’s NOT a horn’ if you unwittingly referred to it as such. She was especially proud of her beautiful instrument and would always talk of the significant and not-often performed orchestral solo for the instrument by Sibelius, The Swan of Tuonela. When I finally heard this orchestral work at a concert in Adelaide I too fell in love with the haunting and evocative work and it has most oft been heard in Adelaide performed by Peter Duggan, Principal Cor Anglais of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. It is only fitting that Peter is the soloist today as Rosemary had great admiration for his exquisite tone, musicality and interpretation of this haunting solo. Rosemary’s contribution to the world of oboe playing through her output as a teacher was one of her greatest achievements and she was thrilled to have taught and nurtured students who went on to forge musical careers. Ben Opie, a former student from Brighton High School, was very dear to her and he has chosen to perform Pan and Niobe from Britten’s Six Metamorphoses after Ovid for Solo Oboe. This work was one of the three first ‘serious’ pieces of music that Rosemary introduced and taught Ben while he was still studying at high school. As soon as retirement was reached Rosemary embarked with great enthusiasm upon her retirement project - learning the horn (of the French variety). Her quest was to find out why it was so difficult - she was never one to take the path of least resistance where instruments were concerned - and she wanted to analyse its vagaries in great depth. The project was in full swing; she was up to an-hour-and-a-half of daily practice and lamenting the difficulty in consistently nailing that twelfth harmonic. Her newfound instrument combined with her passion (dare I say obsession?!) with Wagner is represented by the members of Horn Jam in the Lohengrin-Fantasie. This would have been her idea of paradise.
Josh Oates was once heard to say that he must have been ‘the only oboe student in Adelaide that had never learnt from Rosemary’ but she was still an influential part of the double reed world he inhabited. Josh asked to perform today. He has benefited from Rosemary’s involvement in the SA double reed community and values the many opportunities that have been afforded him because of the dynamism and vibrancy of local teachers and players. Rosemary was always a fan of luscious French repertoire for the oboe and today Josh will perform the second movement of the Sonata Opus 166 by Saint-Saëns. And so to Wagner. Rosemary lived and breathed the music of Wagner. She adored the subject matter, the texture, the orchestration, the harmonic complexities, the scale and sheer magnitude of the music. Rosemary kept on finding joy and intellectual stimulation in every corner of the music and enjoyed the challenge of preparing a lecture or a pre-concert talk on any given topic relating to Wagner. One of the high points in her life was playing in the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra on oboe for The Ring Cycle in the Festival Theatre in 1998 with the late Sir Jeffrey Tate conducting. In some of her more flippant and funloving moments she even spent hours reducing bits of the operas for bizarre and small-scale ensembles to perform at the annual Richard Wagner Society Christmas Party - the Pilgrim’s Chorus for recorders, the Demolition of the Rainbow Bridge for woodwind quartet and piece of sheet metal with hammer, to name a couple. I was coerced on several occasions to be co-conspirator, sometimes playing difficult reductions in outlandish costumes, dressing up in more outlandish costumes and even washing copious mountains of dishes for the cause. Today, because of the generous spirit of players from the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Nicholas Braithwaite, you will hear the delicate symphonic poem the Siegfried Idyll, one piece of Wagner that is on a scale that can be managed in a chamber concert. 12
The Double Reed Choir has become a big part of double reed events here in Adelaide and a wonderful opportunity for students to meet other players of these unusual instruments. Rosemary encouraged her students to participate and over the years played either oboe or cor anglais as the mood took her. Pomp and Circumstance is a comment on her English heritage and love of musical pageantry. Her precision of language and mannerisms often resulted (many years ago) in primary school students coming up at the end of a concert and asking if she was the lady on the TV with the posh accent? They were talking about Penelope Keith! Only the other day a colleague remarked that Rosemary always reminded her of the English actress, ‘you know the one’, that had been on the TV. Rosemary and I would engage in long and enthusiastic discussions about the imagery in Harry Potter and she was triumphant that she had actually tasted butter beer on a trip to ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ in Orlando, Florida. The Potter Waltz comes from the fourth movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and is a vehicle for the oboe to twirl its way around the dance floor. Albert W. Ketelby has long been a subject of conversation as a leading light in a musical genre of mood-setting pieces for silent film which spilled over into concert pieces with titles such as In a Monastery Garden, Bells Across the Meadows, Ballet Egyptien and By the Blue Hawaiian Waters, to name a few. In a Persian Market was always characterised in our minds by the catchphrase ‘the camels are approaching’ and always brought much mirth at the glorious musical clichés. The Music for The Royal Fireworks was an enduring favourite of Rosemary’s one of the few legitimate works for massed oboes and bassoons. Horn Jam will add the horn parts to this fitting and grand finale for the concert today with the last piece being La Rejouissance rejoice for a wonderful life.
♫♫♫
IN MEMORIAM: BERENICE HARRISON OAM by Robert Brown OAM Berenice Harrison, a former MTASA member, died on Friday June 8, aged 75 years. She gained a Bachelor of Music from the University of Melbourne, specializing in piano performance, and also studied the bassoon. Berenice was a soloist in concertos and also made solo broadcasts for the ABC. She was a Music Teacher for the Department of Education and Training Victoria from 1971-1990, and was Instrumental Teaching Coordinator, South East Metro Region, from 1982-1990. Berenice’s first love was chamber music and she performed with the Canterbury Chamber Players. In 1994 Berenice toured for the Victorian Arts Council, presenting classical music
for student audiences in the production ‘Music in the Palaces’. In 1995 Move released the CD Canterbury Belles, which Berenice recorded with Diana Reardon, flute and Jennifer Rowlands, cello. Soon after this Berenice decided to leave Victoria and crossed the border to live in Adelaide. She became a Council member for Recitals Australia in 1997, and was Secretary from 1998-2009, becoming Manager in 2010. Berenice co-ordinated the weekly Lunch Hour Recital Series held in Pilgrim Church. In 1998 Berenice became a Committee member of the Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia and hosted the annual
Fund Raising Dinner from 2002. She was elected Vice-President in 2003 and made a Life Member in 2006. Berenice Frances Harrison was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division ‘For service to music’ in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2017. Berenice was the mother of Katrina and Ewen, mother-in-law of Craig and grandmother of Kathryn. She will be missed by her family, friends, students and the music community.
♫♫♫
Photos from the Flute Society of SA Inc. (page 14)
Young flautists with Peter Bartels, Young flautists display coloured socks at a Flute Fun Day
Need an accompanist for your students? Consult the Guild's Register of Accompanists. The Register lists accompanists alphabetically & by area. It includes qualifications and work preferences. The latest Register is available in hard copy for $10. Better still, consult the Guild's website for current listings and news about Guild activities. Your students deserve the best support available. www.accompanist.org.au mlaczofy1@bigpond.com 0411 271 215
13
FLUTE SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA - PLAYING. SHARING. INSPIRING. by Samantha Hennessy, President,
Flute Society of South Australia Inc.
learning experience, prior to their exams. Our popular Carolyn White Memorial Scholarship is held annually and offers another invaluable performance experience for developing players aged 15 years and under.
Flute Trio at a Tutti Flutti Afternoon
The Flute Society was founded in 1972 by Professor David Cubbin as a vessel to galvanise a wide cross-section of the Flute community: teachers, students, amateur and professional Flautists. Today we continue to provide events to engage the diversity of our members and at 100 strong, we are flourishing. Our Committee boasts some of the most prominent Flute teachers and Flute professionals in Adelaide and through our Patron Alison Rosser and Vice-Patrons Elizabeth Koch AM and Robert Brown OAM, we are able to maintain strong and important links with the University of Adelaide and Adelaide Eisteddfod. Currently we hold two Tutti Flutti performance days each year. Linda Pirie, our Director, facilitates these performance days and kindly sponsors the service of an Associate Artist, provided free of charge to the participants. These afternoons provide an opportunity for Flute players of all ages to perform and have featured very young students performing for the first time (and sometimes delightfully accompanied by their parents on other instruments such as guitar, Double Bass and Flute duos). Students preparing for AMEB exams and University students also use these sessions as a valuable
In honour of our founder, bi-annually we also hold the David Cubbin Memorial Competitions, open to non-professional flautists aged 18 to 30 years. Traditionally, this has given the hottest University players a chance to flex their muscles and showcase their talents. In order to span the gap between both our flagship events, this year we created a Senior School Solo Performance competition section as a pre-cursor to the David Cubbin Memorial Competition. Designed to give senior secondary students the opportunity to trial SACE Solo performance repertoire or create their own programme, the event is an important one in delivering performance pathways for serious students. Always popular are our Adult Amateur’s Flute Afternoon and Flute Teacher’s Evenings and at the other end of the spectrum, our Flute Fun Day provides Primary School aged children a chance to come along and experience ensemble playing in a fun and relaxed setting. Every other year, we engage the services of an interstate Flute specialist who undoubtedly brings their own flavour to the afternoon. In years past, students have worn coloured scarves, socks, hats and used various props in games-based themes relating to Flute technique. Neil Fisenden and Peter Bartels have been recent hosts and this year, Sabine Daniels, Solo Piccoloist of the Gothenburg Opera and Ballet orchestra, will be directing the event. Sabine will be Guest Principal Piccolo of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra from August this year, following an exchange with the ASO’s current Principal Piccolo, Julia Grenfell. This afternoon always proves to be a valuable and joyful learning experience for all of us and we are excited 14
to have Sabine share fresh information from the other side of the globe. Aside from all these events, we produce South Australian Flute News for members four times each year, carefully overseen by Robert Brown, our Editor since 1979. Members also enjoy reduced or free admission to our events, discounts at local music shops and access to our resource library of music, recordings and books. Masterclasses and workshops, convened by Elizabeth Koch AM and featuring overseas Flute professionals and pedagogues, provide members with the most current access to worldclass experiences. This year Elizabeth and the University of Adelaide hosted the Michael Cox Symposium, giving all of us the chance to immerse ourselves in Michael’s sublime mastery, cognition and intriguing teachings of our beloved instrument. We’re always looking at ways to incorporate and represent the diversity of our members and our vibrant committee work hard to bring relevance to our events. We’re in pretty good shape and look forward to you joining us! Visit the Flute Society’s website at https://www.flutesocietyofsa.org/ for more information.
♫♫♫
Adult Amateur’s Flute Afternoon
ACCOMPANIST’S CORNER I was lucky enough to be learning piano from Noreen Stokes, who was trying to teach me Mozart’s 21st Piano Concerto at the time. I vividly remember the difference it made when she agreed, at one lesson, to play the orchestral reduction with me. The second movement particularly felt like it took on a life of its own and it was viscerally thrilling. In hindsight I think that moment played a large part in my eventual decision to pursue accompanying. Mark Sandon Adelaide’s busiest accompanist, pianist Mark Sandon, shares his experience! I first began playing piano when I was 4 years old. A very good family friend had given me a toy piano as a gift. I still remember the joy of playing it, although to anyone else’s ears it must have been quite a cacophony! Ultimately these musical meanderings led to piano lessons and 30 years of twists and turns later, here I am. Looking at my life as an accompanist and sort of ‘practical pianist of all work’ to grossly misquote Gilbert and Sullivan, I feel extraordinarily lucky to have been given the opportunity to make music my career, and to have found within music a niche that still gives me as much delight as that toy piano gave my 4-year-old self. Unfortunately, despite my own joy in it, there seems to me to be a disinclination among many young pianists to try accompanying. I have occasionally felt it to be perceived as a sort of embarrassing frumpy cousin to solo piano. I would argue that although both are disciplines of the piano and therefore invite comparison, they are quite distinct and require quite different skill sets and approaches. Moreover, I think none would contest that musical collaborations can be wonderful fun and accompanying should always be a musical collaboration. My first experience of real musical collaboration came when I was 15 or 16.
Another big part of that decision was facilitated by the staff at the Elder Conservatorium. At university studying classical piano performance in my first year, I had approached Keith Hempton, then Head of Vocal Studies, with a question. I asked him how an accompanist could get experience. It seemed to me a catch 22; only someone who already had experience could get more experience as an accompanist! After asking whether I wanted to be paid, which I didn’t at the time, he promptly invited me to work with one or two of his vocal students. I attended vocal lessons almost weekly, accompanying them and gaining experience and knowledge. After many of the lessons Keith would take the time to explain what he thought I was doing well and what needed work. He also introduced me to some wonderful repertoire and let me borrow scores that had been marked and annotated by Geoffrey Parsons. Guila Tiver, Keith Crellin OAM, Janis Laurs and Elizabeth Koch AM; all these people offered me the benefit of their accumulated experience and knowledge. The point of all this is to underline how many opportunities for learning there are around us and how much musical training came to me, personally, from people who weren’t my piano teacher. In many ways I learned as much musically from accompanying other instruments as I did from piano lessons. This idea of musical inter-relatedness is something I believe strongly. In the last twelve years I have been an accompanist 15
for singers, string players, woodwind players, brass players and percussionists, of all ages and standards. I have worked with piano trios, piano quartets and piano quintets. I have been privileged to be given the opportunity to repetiteur productions for the State Opera of South Australia, the Elder Conservatorium, the Gilbert and Sullivan Society and played operas on stage in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. I have been involved in plays, competitions and cabaret, and worked as Musical Director and conductor on occasion too. This isn’t intended to be egotistical but rather to point out that I have diversified quite strongly. My focus has always been on piano and sound, but working diversely has encouraged me to think in different ways, which has provided unexpected benefits. Playing orchestral reductions, for example, has made me think orchestrally. This can also be useful in solo piano. Doing a bit of conducting helped strengthen my sense of rhythm and subdivision of beats. Cabaret reminded me that it’s good to relax and not take everything too seriously. Each discipline has its own focus but it can also feed into others. Diversity as a pianist doesn’t have to mean being a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’. I’m still making mistakes and learning, but I’ve spent the last few months working on an opera with wonderful music, with a creative team who make you glad to get out of bed in the morning. I’ve given a couple of recitals in the last few weeks: one of largely new music composed by an Adelaide composer and one of Schumann and Mozart Violin Sonatas. I’m also in the process of rehearsing a play written around the Schumann Dichterliebe and a cabaret show with riotously funny songs by Tom Lehrer. I’ve found a life that’s so fulfilling: I hope I can encourage others to do the same. ♫♫♫
FIVE MINUTES WITH RENEE MCCARTHY! Hayley Wedding meets the Aria Winning Teacher of 2017.
Hayley Wedding
Renee McCarthy
2017 was a huge year for the ARIA Awards and an even bigger year for the recognition of Music Teachers! In support of their hard work, dedication and passion toward both Music and their students; the ARIA Awards introduced the inaugural ARIA Music Teacher of the Year Award. Music Teachers from across Australia were nominated for the award, but it was our South Australian ‘Ms MAC’ who took First place! Renee McCarthy, Music Director and Teacher at Woodcroft College, was humble and passionate when she accepted her ARIA Award. I was extremely fortunate to meet Renee, where she opened up on her experience with the ARIA nominee process and illustrated her unconditional love for her Music students. How did you get nominated? I have six wonderful Music Captains (Year 12 music students) at Woodcroft College who saw the launch of the inaugural ARIA Music Teacher of the Year Award in June last year on a television show called ‘The Project’. Unbelievably they kept my nomination a secret and even had meetings with the Head of the College, Mark Porter, to complete their submission. I received an e-mail in July to say that I had been nominated and it was a beautiful moment to know that my students thought I was worthy of such an award. How did you feel when you were shortlisted? The real surprise came when ARIA Award Winner Australian Singer/Songwriter Josh Pyke came to Woodcroft College to announce my nomination. It’s not every day that a camera crew visit you at school and I was very nervous. Josh was waiting outside the band room, my 92 piece Concert Band started playing and as I was conducting I suddenly realised that my amazing students were playing their hearts out for ‘me’. It wasn’t a concert, there wasn’t an audience … and 10 bars into our first song I cried. It is a moment that I won’t forget and I felt very special, very proud to be their teacher and to share that occasion with them. I feel incredibly honoured to be announced as a finalist for this award. What was it like to be surrounded by Australian music royalty? The whole event was so exciting. I walked the red carpet and felt so special to be there with amazing artists whose music I have loved for years along with so many celebrities. It was hard not to be star struck. Behind the scenes there was a slight break in the program and I had a number of artists come up to congratulate me, saying that they felt this new category ‘Music Teacher of the Year’ was really special. They remembered their music teachers and felt that they gained confidence and had their first taste of performing at high school. I delivered my speech, wondering if it would mean anything to anyone, as it was really meant for my students and the Woodcroft College Community. After all, I was 16
just a music teacher … at the ARIAS! So many people came up to me to say how moving my speech was and I couldn’t believe the response. I felt so lucky and privileged to be there. What does this award personally mean to you? I still walk past my ARIA every day and can’t believe that I have one. I’m still in shock, I think. I feel incredibly honoured to have such special students who felt that I was worthy of this award. That alone is a win in itself. The ARIA Award means that I am making a difference to the lives of others and that alone is an honour. I think I have the best job in the world and it’s amazing that teachers are recognised in this way. What is your most important piece of advice for upcoming and current music teachers in both classrooms and private tuition fields? My advice is really quite simple. Get to know your students and develop positive relationships with them. Show passion for your subject and value their effort and contribution, rather than focusing on results. I wear my heart on my sleeve and my passion for Music is evident in every lesson … even theory! My students know that I believe in them and that I want the best for them. It was such a privilege to chat with Renee. As music educators we all share such an amazing passion for the growth, development and success of our students. There is nothing more important to a student then a teacher who coaches self belief alongside their specialty. Renee, you represented South Australian Music Teachers perfectly and did us proud! Go Team Mac! ♫♫♫
17
LIVING THE DREAM IN THE FLINDERS by Sasha Andersson, BMus. Ed., Dip. Lang., MTASA, KMEIASA school, through Year 12 Solo Performance exams, Grade 7 Piano, Grade 5 Music Theory, and my audition into the Elder Conservatorium of Music. There I continued my study under the tutelage of Monika Laczofy, and even though I had some false starts, gained my Bachelor Degree in 2012.
Margaret Carpenter played the piano for my wedding in Hawker in 2012
Having spent nearly my entire childhood living in Hawker, in the northern Flinders Ranges, my goal was always to get back home. It wasn’t always easy, but just six short years after finishing my Bachelor Degree in Music Education, I finally feel like I’ve just about got the dream job. My music education began at age 6, when Margaret Carpenter, of Wilmington, was travelling to Hawker on a Friday to give piano lessons. Margaret was to become not only my teacher, but my mentor, colleague and dear friend. It started when I ran home to my mother and demanded piano lessons. We had just got our first computer then (about 1997) and I vividly remember my first couple of years of practise at home being done on the computer keyboard, which when you flipped it, became a mini piano keyboard, and doing my practise through the computer speakers. These years were enough to convince my mother that a real piano was required and we got our small Yamaha upright in about 1999. In 2004 I began boarding at Caritas College in Port Augusta, which was timed perfectly, as Margaret ceased her lessons in Hawker that year, but was also teaching at Port Augusta, which enabled me to continue under her tuition all the way up to the end of
The Hawker School Choir, 2018
While only gaining my teaching qualifications in 2012, my career as a music teacher actually started in 2007. As part of the then Stage 1 SACE subject, Individual Study, I began tutoring piano, to two younger students at the school, modelling my pedagogy, organisation and flair on my experiences with Margaret (which in all honesty, continues to be my main studio teaching style). I kept those students, even when the subject ended, and they performed at Margaret’s annual piano concert for all her students. That was an exciting milestone for me, having just turned 17.
Students playing music games in my classroom; this one focuses on beat
My teaching career began in Leigh Creek, at the Area School there, after a successful teaching practicum to finish my Degree. I knew that just having the 18
Mus.Ed. Degree wasn’t going to be enough to work full time in the country. So, during my years studying music, I also completed a Diploma of Languages. When I moved up north I was not only the school’s first Music teacher in many years, but also took over the Indonesian program. The years there were up and down for me personally, gaining my permanency in the Department in 2015, but being diagnosed with a mental health condition in the same year. I knew that I needed to get home, to Hawker, where my husband, Alex, and I married in 2012, just before I moved 150 kilometres north for work. I achieved this the following year, working two days at Leigh Creek Area School and two days at Hawker Area School each week, again taking charge of the music and language programs (which I don’t recall Hawker ever having; definitely not during my time in the Primary School). A reduction in time at Leigh Creek Area School allowed me to do all the same classes I had before, but the school had shrunk significantly with the closure of the mine. At the end of Term 1 I knew this wasn’t a real option for me, and so ended my time at Leigh Creek Area School. My music role at both schools has always encompassed more than just the music curriculum. Since 2014 I’ve been involved in the Primary Schools Music Festival, teaching a choir, and taking students on a camp to Adelaide each September to sing on the Festival Centre stage. This is a highly rewarding program, not just for the students, but also for me. I’ve developed a lot as a choral director, even if my choir currently only has five students, from Years 4 to 7 (Hawker Area School has forty-six enrolments currently, F-12), and we are about to extend ourselves again, with the introduction of a piano accompanist, from the start of Term 3. I’ve also been involved with the Department’s Instrumental Music Program since 2013, with four instrumentalists at Leigh Creek Area
School that year (flute, clarinet and saxophone). Utilising the support of Kerryn Schofield, both logistically, and giving me a model for teaching such a broad range of instruments, Leigh Creek Area School had a band of approximately twenty students in 2015, spanning flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar and percussion. I continued this same Program when I started at Hawker Area School, but left it two years ago in favour of teaching all the instrumental lessons myself. Hawker Area School has been fantastic at allowing me to realise my vision of music education and I currently have two band lessons a week (beginner-ish and slightly more advanced), with eleven students in their first, second and third years of study, across five instruments (flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet and percussion). These classes are mixed instrumental, and I teach using a combination of the Essential Elements series and Kodàly methodologies, and a focus on peer teaching - my more advanced clarinet student tutors the beginner, as with flute, and a guest Year 12 percussionist assists when it comes to performance time to give a fuller sound to our small group. Both my current choir and band have a busy performance schedule, performing at every end of term assembly, the final Presentation Night at the end of the year (both individual and group performances, plus leading the whole school in choral musicals), and other important occasions, such as opening the town War Memorial for the Governor of South Australia; performing the National Anthem at the most recent state conference of the Isolated Children and Parents Association; singing for residents at the hospital, and a whole host of other opportunities that we, as a choir, have realised we need to start writing down! I have had a few private piano students over the years, including a Year 12 student doing his own Individual Study, and in the same year, a young girl in Hawker who breezed through the same exam with an A; a teacher at the Hawker School, who wanted to revive her old piano skills and was looking towards graded exams herself, while also teaching her young children from scratch;
a few primary-aged children from the Leigh Creek School; plus one or two others. I can’t recall now how I managed them, over the years, living between Adelaide, Hawker and Leigh Creek during that seven year period, but it ended in 2016 when I moved full time to Hawker. I always keep an ear out for any children interested in learning piano (or any other instrument, privately), but with my role in the school being so comprehensive, there is less need for it. I will admit that I miss it, and I’d like my piano to do more than be a storage area, but perhaps that’s more a message for me to get back to my own studies, than it is for me to teach others on it.
Receiving my Level 2 Primary Australian Kodàly Certificate in 2017 from Janelle Fletcher (President, KMEIASA, and Head Lecturer) and Marg Lange OAM (Treasurer, KMEIASA)
Which brings me to what I see as probably my most important role as a music educator: classroom music. This is probably also the hardest, taking me around four years to start feeling like I was actually doing it ‘right’, let alone ‘well’. I’ve tried many different approaches to classroom music, teaching students from as young as 3, up to 16 year olds, is a challenge, but it’s now, six years later, that I feel I’m on the right track! At the moment I have three classes of Music: Foundation to Year 2, Years 3 to 6, and Years 7 to 10, and I teach them all using a purely Kodàly methodology. In short, this method believes in the sound to symbol approach to music literacy, enabling students to aurally discover a concept though folk songs, games and rhyme and 19
equipping them with the skills to sing in tune, improvise simple rhythms and melodies, and to write down what they hear, or what they want to play. I was introduced to this methodology in 2012 as a student helper at the biannual National Kodàly Conference in Adelaide, and have attended every Conference since, and will be presenting a workshop on teaching in multi-level classes at the upcoming Conference in Perth in the October holidays. I’m also in the process of completing my Australian Kodàly Certificate levels, which are an intensive two week course, aimed at developing pedagogy, sequence and personal musicianship skills. So far I have completed the Primary course at level 1 and 2, and the Secondary course at level 1. These courses have developed my skills as a musician far beyond what I could have imagined, and continue to do so, but more importantly, have developed my classroom instruction to the point where I feel fully in control of my students’ learning, outcomes and achievement. I have seen the development of their abilities increase in leaps and bounds. In just two and a half years my primary class has gone from no musical instruction at all to being able to write six bar rhythmic and melodic dictations with ease. I also volunteer my time at the local kindy thirty minutes each week to give those children access to music, and the joy it can bring, as well as logistically, raising their musical readiness so that when they enter the Foundation - Year 2 class, the other children aren’t pulled too far back. It’s a full career and yet I am only teaching two days a week, with one of those days being exclusively language based (teaching both Indonesian and Adnamatna languages and cultures, with a variety of program extensions included), but I wouldn’t trade it. All these moving parts work together to create a life I never saw myself ending up in, but you could never pay me enough to go and do something else. It really is living the dream. ♫♫♫
MOVING W. GOETZE by Jane Robinson Christine Charlton’s article, ‘Life and Music Teaching in the Tumby Bay District’, (The Music Stand, Winter 2018) mentioned the Certificate of Instrumental Teaching pilot scheme. While my confidence and capacity as a music teacher stemmed from that same scheme, the lead up to its achievement was unforeseen and life-changing. As a city girl, shifting to a farm in the south east of SA with a husband and two small children, I had few friends and money was scarce. My farm manager husband whined relentlessly about my jobless state, but my only work experience was in ‘death-through-boredom’ office jobs. My future lacked promise. Then I had a phone call from my stepmother in Adelaide. ‘Dear, I’m going to pay to move your piano down to you. No-one plays it anymore. It just takes up space in our lounge.’ When I was ten years old, music lessons had entailed practising at our neighbour’s place until my generous aunt bought me a piano. The day it arrived I waited hours at the front gate until a large truck pulled up and two men led the piano like a tall, angular rosewood horse, exhaling nervous sound ‘breaths’, as it lurched unwillingly down the ramp to our driveway. Once it was settled on the polished floorboards of our lounge, one of the men fished a tiny key from his trousers. I watched as he tilted the piano’s lid exposing a row of gleaming ‘teeth’, as though the piano was about to gargle. The lid leaned back on the rosewood case, revealing the manufacturer’s name in large gold letters, like on a gravestone: W. Goetze. The removalist handed me the key: I had been formally introduced to my piano.
By comparison, in 1977 the imminent arrival of W. Goetze couldn’t have been more different. My immediate reaction to my stepmother’s phone call was, Great! I’ll sell it and get some money. That’ll make my husband happy. But when W. Goetze arrived, it rested in the cold solitude of our large bedroom for about six months until a new bedroom suite prompted us to move it on. ‘I thought you were going to sell it,’ my husband said irritably as we pushed and pulled the unwanted weighty instrument into the warmth of our lounge room. Was it warmth that invited me back to the keyboard, or loneliness that enticed me to try and remember pieces I’d learnt as a teenager - one who rarely practised. Eventually, frustrated at how much I’d forgotten, or perhaps never knew, I rang the Naracoorte TAFE. They’d had a cancellation. They could fit me in straight away for a term of lessons with the music lecturer, Kerin Bailey. I went to the first lesson, played a Handel Allegro I’d been trying to learn, cocked up the timing completely and felt highly embarrassed. Kerin started me on the first of the Bach Two-Part Inventions: I’d never heard of them. A month later he said, ‘TAFE are changing their regulations. Next year I’m not going to be allowed to teach school kids. Would you be interested in taking on a few young students? I nearly fell off the piano stool in shock. It was less than eighteen months later that the Certificate in Instrumental Teaching was offered as a pilot scheme in two SA country regions: the west coast
20
and the south east. By then I was already teaching a dozen or so beginners. It was a time of juggling lives - the needs of my two young children; AMEB exams - from Fifth Grade to A.Mus., as well as theory exams; the interminable practice - especially when I decided to skip Sixth Grade; the assignments sweated over at 4 am; the performance anxiety; the trips to Adelaide for intensive end-of-term workshops. And in between it all, coping with my own students; with a difficult relationship; and with the deaths of my aunt and stepmother, whose respective actions had led me to this career path. Reflecting back, I realise how extraordinarily fortunate I was: from a place of little skill, ambition, or intent I landed up in a job that I loved and felt connected to. I’m aware, too, of the beneficial melding of circumstances: living near a country town with a highly qualified music teacher like Kerin Bailey; given the opportunity firstly to teach; and then to study through that pilot scheme with Rodney Smith as facilitator and main lecturer. And in addition, linking up with like-minded teachers over the three years. I moved away from the area shortly after finishing the course, losing the companionship and support of that group of teachers. W. Goetze also departed long ago, but what remains all these years later, is a love of teaching piano, enjoying my students and striving to help them achieve good outcomes, along with the absolute joy of having a daughter who’s also a music teacher. It constitutes a life of happiness built on a series of fortunate coincidences. ♫♫♫
2018 MTASA COMPETITIONS by Rodney Smith Held: Saturday June 16 and Saturday June 23, Salvation Army Citadel, 55 George Street, Norwood MTASA and competitors were very fortunate to benefit from the loan of a 7' 6" Kawai grand piano from Pianomax Australia for both days. They are appreciative of Pianomax Australia’s generous gesture. Salvation Army Citadel, Norwood
The large number of competitors this year required an extra day, Saturday June 16, to be added to the scheduled Saturday June 23. Both events were held for the first time at the Salvation Army Citadel, Norwood. While not maybe the most elegant venue, it represents the best balance of location, parking, appropriately sized auditorium with stage and good sight lines, plus extra facilities that allow a green room, waiting areas and so forth. Given the large numbers and in order to prevent competitors having to wait around too long for their turn to play, approximate times for each performance were printed beforehand.
Both Miriam Hyde Awards were held on Saturday June 16, with Jeffrey Kong as the Adjudicator. The Miriam Hyde Junior Award attracted five competitors, with 1st Prize of $200 going to pianist Kristopher Man, 2nd Prize of $100 to pianist Casey Sullivan and an Honourable Mention to violinist Ryan Wong. The Miriam Hyde Open Award attracted nine competitors, with 1st Prize of $500 going to violinist Sujie Kim, 2nd Prize of $200 to pianist Haowei Yang, and Honourable Mentions to pianists Kristopher Man and Chloe Wong. Adjudicator Jeffrey Kong expressed admiration for the high standard of competitors in both divisions. The Norman Sellick Memorial Prize was held on Saturday July 23 with Adjudicator Monika Laczofy. Eleven competitors participated and the prize
21
of $500 was awarded to pianist Teresa Kennedy with Honourable Mentions going to flautist Elaine Chen and pianists Jasmin Baker and Olivia Wai Yan Lau. Later in the day the Reimann-Robinson Scholarship took place with Lucinda Collins as Adjudicator. Fourteen competitors took part, with the $500 Scholarship being awarded to pianist Eugene Wei (Teacher: Gil Sullivan). The Honourable Mention went to pianist Canyu Jia (Teacher: Fan Xing). Again, the standard of performance was very high and both Adjudicators mentioned difficulty in deciding which competitor should prevail. The grand total of twenty-five competitors for just two competitive events on the one day must be something of a record for MTASA in recent times and we are immensely grateful to all who participated. MTASA is delighted with this outcome and hopes for a continuation of interest in these important competitions next year. ♫♫♫
PERCUSSION WORKSHOP WITH Dr TIMOTHY JONES by Robert Boundy MMTA, MTASA Council Member Held: Saturday July 7, Madley Rehearsal Studio, University of Adelaide helped to dismantle of some my older concepts which I took as a positive step forward through learning some of the ideas presented during the masterclass. These resources are: Daniel Coyle: The Talent Code Greatness isn’t born, it’s grown, here’s how. Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman: Nuture Shock, New thinking about children and Top Dog, The Science of Winning and Learning. Jon Gorrie: Performing in the Zone Unleash your performance potential. Please feel free to explore these resources. Everyone who attended
On Saturday June 7 in The Madley Performance Space at The University of Adelaide, we were fortunate to have Dr Timothy Jones, visiting lecturer from The University of Las Vegas, Nevada, Percussion Department, share some of his vast experience as an educator with us. This was part of a new objective for 2018 by the MTASA to attract a broader teaching base from the field of drum set and percussion teachers. Whilst attendance was small but enthusiastic, the quality of learning and personal development was first class. Tim’s concepts were presented in a friendly and organized manner, and detailing the importance of student focused learning, he demonstrated teaching techniques and concepts using an interactive approach with the participants. We began with a basic technique demonstration using a rudimental approach disguised within a pleasant conversation. It was fascinating to see the results transform the ‘student’ in minutes rather than weeks and quite impressive to learn within the first session. The focus was on reading the
student’s response to the questions through visual acuity. The lesson followed the path best suited to the learner’s responses; this was explained thoroughly throughout the masterclass. The second session was a demonstration of performance philosophies and techniques using abstract visual representations to perform a percussion piece. To say we were out of our comfort zone would be an understatement. Within this session we explored several new ideas on the approaches to performing music by using visual creativity to interpret shapes as forms of music and rhythm. It was quite brilliant to see how each performer’s ideas unfolded and how different they were from each other. In the third and final session of the day Tim discussed some ideas from great teaching resources, to further follow up his concepts from the previous sessions. I have listed the books here so you can look them up; the insight within presents a future of better quality understanding in your approach to teaching. I found these concepts really helpful, and they 22
The final performance was a Trio of masterclass participants performing a couple of pieces transcribed from popular songs by Tim’s Undergraduate Students from UNLV, they featured Coldplay’s If I could rule the world and Katy Perry’s Firework. As a sight reading exercise it was incredible to see the difference each time they played a ‘slightly’ familiar song, and using Tim’s coaching they performed better each time they played it. This is the goal of every performer - to play a little better every time, and notice your improvement as you learn, i.e. effective teaching demonstration. On behalf of the MTASA I must thank Amanda Grigg, Head of Percussion Studies, from the University of Adelaide for her contribution and support for this event. The positive impact this makes on the Adelaide Drumming community helps us improve and move forward on many levels. I must also mention Jim Bailey, who has educated so many of us, and always turns up at these events sharing insights and wisdom of the highest level.
Thank you also to our President Rodney Smith for the encouragement and drive to get this event on the agenda for the MTASA, to Samantha Penny and Sofie Arhontoulis for representing and registering our new members, and supporting our current members who attended this new event.
It was a resounding success and will be followed up by a Webinar recorded on Monday June 9 at Adelaide University (thank you to Pete Barter), revisiting some of the topics we covered during the masterclass. This will be featured on MTASA’s website at a later date, stay tuned!
23
Thank you to Tim Jones for sharing your precious time while you were here in Adelaide, it was an enjoyable experience and very much appreciated. And to all who attended, thank you for your support, hope to see you again soon at further events presented by the MTASA! ♫♫♫
MEGASTAR MUSO MASTERCLASS Review by Geoff Jenke, eventalaide.com Held: Thursday July 12, Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, Hindmarsh
Featuring Justin Derrico, guitar; Mark Schulman, drums; Eva Gardner, bass; Jason Chapman, keyboards; Adriana Balic, vocalist For four nights, Pink is the centre of attention in Adelaide, but for one night at The Gov it’s the players behind her that get all the accolades. Most of these members of Pink’s band have played with her since 2003, but individually they have also played with the likes of Billy Idol, Stevie Nicks, Simple Minds, Cher, Velvet Revolver and have also been in The Voice (USA) backing band. When the world’s most iconic artists tour the globe, they choose the best musicians to back them. Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody blared out of the speakers and one by one the band members came out and joined in playing to the song. As they started playing the backing track to the instrument they were playing disappeared until it was just the band playing. A wonderful and innovative opening number. There was some technical issue with the keyboards but Jason Chapman got around it by switching to another keyboard.
An original instrumental came next in Easy Days and it was obvious the players were not just ‘going through the paces’. Drummer Mark Schulman had played for many years with Billy Idol and he gave us a few Billy Idol stories as well as a short powerful drum solo to a Billy Idol backing track. He then gave us an insight to his career and playing. Mark demonstrated playing the drums with and without passion. He told all the budding drummers in the audience to not ‘just play’ but to ‘make every single note count’. Eva Gardner doesn’t just play bass; she is also a good songwriter. Love Coma, written by Eva, was full on and powerful. It was then her turn to tell her story, how she auditioned for The Voice (USA) band but was rejected only to get a call two years later from Pink management asking her to audition. She got that one. Her advice was to always make every gig, every audition, count: you never know what will happen in the future.
24
The guitar instrumental Boldly Going Know Where followed with Justin Derrico showing why he got the gig as Pink’s guitarist. The man is good. He told us behind the scene stories of working with The Voice (USA) and how they have to learn up to 200 songs in two weeks. He jokingly said touring with Pink is like a holiday compared to The Voice. Then we learn he still practices for hours a day, even though he knows the songs, striving for perfection. The band kicked into what was meant to be a lullaby for children, a song called Zade’s Playground, but turned into a lullaby on acid. It was certainly no sweet lullaby with heavy rock and jazz influences. Keyboardist and Pink’s Musical Director Jason Chapman told us his story of growing up in a house where no music was allowed. One day an old battered piano appeared in their basement and he taught himself to play. He has never had any musical training. Amazing what dedication can do. He also advised ‘be prepared’ for any event that could go wrong, like tonight when
basically became a jam, giving each member a chance to strut their stuff. A Q&A followed with questions from the audience directed at each member. We found out what it was like playing in front of 10,000 people, and then turning up at a pub gig like this and playing to 150. According to Justin, it can be scary as it is intimate and everyone knows if you make a mistake. They can be hidden in a full arena. (I am sure he never makes mistakes!!)
Clammering for drum sticks
his keyboard wasn’t working on the opening number. He could have just given up but being the professional he is, he moved to the other keyboard and improvised even though it wasn’t the right one. Another Eva Gardner original, Dirty Bird, was played. It was edgy and punchy and it rocked. Backing singer for Pink, Adriana Balic, wasn’t on the original bill for this night but she told us when she found out about it, she decided it sounded like fun and ‘crashed the party’. Adriana is a qualified music teacher and a great singer. She decided when she was younger that music was going to be her life. She chased the dream until it became reality. She then gave everyone
a lesson on singing in different keys, using Sia’s Chandelier as the example. She played three different versions (just a verse and chorus) with just keyboard, each in a different key, changing the sound of the song. Then the full band did a full version of the song to show how it can rock. South Australian singer songwriter, Tony Ward, got the chance to air his new single She Knows Me with the band backing him. That must have been the biggest moment in his musical life. I am not sure how much practice went into the song by the band but it sounded great.
Following the Q&A the band made themselves available for autographs, selfies and just to talk to. At times it was hard to believe that these guys are the ones I will be seeing on stage with Pink when I go see her. I have a feeling I may now be watching them more than Pink. They were so friendly and humble when we thanked them personally for doing this event. Adelaide is the only place this is happening in Australia so congratulations to Pete Barter and SAMII for organising this event. The juggernaut playing across the road at the Entertainment Centre maybe all about Pink, but tonight we got to see the ‘engine room’ behind her, which without them, the Pink show would not be the same. A night of inspiring stories and great music. This event scored a 10/10. ♫♫♫
The first part of the evening closed with Stevie Wonder’s Superstition, which
Eva Gardner, Mark Schulman, Jason Chapman, Pete Barter, Justin Derrico, Adriana Balic, Michelle Holland
25
CONTACT DETAILS FOR OTHER ORGANISATIONS 5MBS Visit: www.5mbs.com ABODA https://www.abodasa.com.au/ ABRSM International Representative – South Australia – Anastasia Chan E-mail: abrsmsa@hotmail.com Tel: 08-8234 5952/ 0423 282 589 http://au.abrsm.org/en/home ACCOMPANISTS’ GUILD of SA INC. Contacts: The President, Monika Laczofy, mlaczofy1@bigpond.com, mobile 0411 271 215 or the website www.accompanist.org.au
AMEB https://ameb.adelaide.edu.au/ E-mail: ameb@adelaide.edu.au
ELDER HALL www.elderhall.adelaide.edu.au or Contact: Elder Hall Concert Manager 8313 5925
ANATS SA & NT CHAPTER E-mail: anats.sa.nt@gmail.com Website: www.anats.org.au
FLUTE SOCIETY of SA INC. https://www.flutesocietyofsa.org/
ANZCA MUSIC EXAMINATIONS http://www.anzca.edu.au/ ASME http://www.asme.edu.au/ AUSTA, Australian Strings Association https://www.austa.asn.au/chapters/sa/
ADELAIDE BAROQUE www.adelaidebaroque.com.au
AUSTRALASIAN DOUBLE REED SOCIETY https://www.adrs.org.au/
ADELAIDE CHAMBER SINGERS www.adelaidechambersingers.com
AUSTRALIAN STRING QUARTET www.asq.com.au
ADELAIDE PHILHARMONIA CHORUS For enquiries please contact the Secretary at, secretary@philharmonia.net
BALAKLAVA EISTEDDFOD www.balaklavaeisteddfod.org.au or write to PO Box 253, Balaklava, SA 5461 or Ph/fax (08) 8863 1242.
ADELAIDE EISTEDDFOD SOCIETY INC. http://www.sacomment.com/aes/eisteddfod/ ADELAIDE YOUTH ORCHESTRA www.adyo.com.au
ELDER CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC www.music.adelaide.edu.au
MUSICA VIVA http://www.musicaviva.com.au/ for concert details. Mt GAMBIER EISTEDDFOD Enquiries, Secretary, PO Box 1711, Mt Gambier, SA 5290, telephone (08) 8725 5905, E-mail backstageinc@internode.on.net, website http://www.backstageinc.org.au/ PRIMARY SCHOOLS MUSIC FESTIVAL https://www.decd.sa.gov.au/teaching/projects -and-programs/music/school-musicprograms/primary-schools-music-festival THE SOCIETY OF RECORDER PLAYERS SA INC. Society mobile number 0410 109 135, E-mail npope@bigpond.net.au SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BAND ASSOCIATION http://www.sabandassociation.org/ SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MUSIC CAMP ASSOCIATION INC., www.samusiccamp.net.au
26
EVENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Are you a member of MTASA who would like to contribute to our fabulous events but doesn't have time to commit to being on the Council? We are introducing a new way to be involved for our members, the MTASA Event Volunteers group! Simply let us know if you would like to assist at any of our events and we will contact you closer to the time to confirm the details. Event Volunteers will be an essential part of the fabric of our Association. Volunteers can help support the events, network and get a volunteer hours certificate for your CV!
Register at https://mtasa.com.au/register-for-eventvolunteers/ 27
Proudly Supporting
Tic On kets ly $2
https://www.peopleschoicecu.com.au/the-music-teachers-association-of-south-australia-inc 28