There are many young people playing brass band instruments in Australia, yet there is generally an expectation in secondary education, and almost always in higher education, that students will play orchestral brass instruments. This article explores how schools and tertiary music educations in Australia are equipping students to be 21st century…

This paper presents the results of an analysis of the 2021 piano and voice syllabuses of four Australian music examination boards investigating the percentage of included repertoire by Australian and female composers. The study aimed to address a gap in the research into examination boards within the Australian music education landscape,…

The inclusion of jazz ensembles within extra-curricular instrumental music programs in secondary schools in Australia has grown exponentially in the past two decades. Despite this growth, there is a deficiency of specialist teacher training in jazz education and pedagogy in Australian tertiary institution instrumental music courses. This lack of…

This article explores teachers' experiences of establishing and maintaining Indonesian gamelan music programs in Australian schools focusing on their views of the strengths and challenges of those programs. By analysing these experiences, I argue that we can discover important indicators of the factors which affect the long-term vitality and…

This paper discusses the results of an anonymous survey completed by 239 Australian piano teachers in relation to the teaching materials and practices used by teachers with piano students aged 12-17, older beginners. The survey, which is part of a broader study investigating constructivism in music education, explores teacher choices and opinions…

Background: University woodwind students commonly experience playing-related injuries, however little is known about musicians' beliefs and attitudes regarding playing-related injuries. Objective: To investigate the beliefs and attitudes of university woodwind students regarding playing-related injuries, and the prevention strategies they use.…

This paper outlines the socio-educational contexts within which NSW regional conservatoriums operate, thereby demonstrating the breadth of their operations, as well as their existing relationships with, and activity in, rural, regional and remote (RRR) schools. The paper elucidates the socio-educational disadvantage of the schools within which…

Technological advances in digital video and videoconference technology around the early 2000s led a number of researchers to investigate the practicalities of using videoconferencing technology for instrumental music teaching in online and blended learning contexts. Technical and instructional strategies were developed and recommendations made…

As a primary school student in the 1960s I learnt the recorder. This paper explores how the recorder became a staple of Australian primary school music programs. At that time recorders were comparatively recently revived Renaissance musical instruments that were adopted by music educators as a way for children and their teachers to engage in…

The Victorian Institute of Teaching (the Institute) was established 1 January 2003, following the consultation and planning work of the Ministerial Advisory Council for the Victorian Institute of Teaching (MACVIT) in 2001-2002. Across Australia, each State and Territory established similar semi-government authorities invested with teacher…

The metronome is a frequently used time-keeping tool in music instrument practice. However, if its speed is set beyond a comfortable level for the performer, their eye movement (EM) patterns can betray pressure that might have been placed on the visual processing system. The patterns of the eyes moving forward or back, (saccades); when the eye…

Research suggests graduates from music courses in Australian tertiary institutions typically undertake portfolio careers that include a combination of performing and teaching. Both of these activities could have ongoing artistic ripple effects on the musical communities the graduates inhabit. This paper reports on a qualitative post-graduate…

This study investigates the compositional and contextual thinking of composer, Stuart Greenbaum, and the preparatory thinking, and teaching experience of pianist, Yvonne Lau, in the preparation of the solo piano work, "First Light". Adopting a practice-informed interview approach with questions drawn from the researcher's own preparation…

Jazz big band is a common extra-curricular musical activity in Western Australian secondary schools. Jazz big band offers important fundamentals that can help expand a student's musical understanding. However, the teaching of conventions associated with big band jazz has often been haphazard and can be daunting and frightening, especially for…

This paper overviews the decline and revival of music education in New South Wales schools from 1920 to 1956. Commencing with a focus on vocal music during the period up to 1932, a time of decline in music teaching, the paper examines initiatives introduced in 1933 to address shortcomings in music education, and the subsequent changes in…