26 LIMELIGHT MAY 2017 http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au
onestate.Themusicinbothschoolsisofan
incredibly high standard. Many of the brightest
andbestinbothschoolsaremusicstudents.
Theschoolsarenotobsessedwithliteracy
andnumeracyandtheteachersare,without
exception, all hugely responsible individuals.
Canwefixthislamentablecircumstance
and stop treating our children as if they are
all inherently stupid? Yes, we can. We need
a universal recognition that music education
should be a mandatory aspect of a child’s
earlyeducationandthatthiseducation
shouldbedeliveredbyaqualifiedandtrained
specialistmusicteacherorsomeonewho
hashadatleast240hoursoftraininginan
undergraduate or post-graduate programme.We need to acknowledge that musical
literacyisafundamentalrightofevery
child, and that improvising and composing
are also fundamental components of a
musically balanced education and at the
forefront of the reasons for doing music.R
ecently, an ex-student of mine
telephonedmetosaythathewasat
his wits’ end. As a secondary music
teacher, he is doing great things in his high
school – breadth and depth of repertoire,
singing-based programmes and strong
instrumental work. However, his children
attending the local State primary school, are
experiencing something quite different.
Thechildren,agedfiveto12,aregivena
teacher,who,despitehavingskillsinonly
one discipline, must teach the same group
of children music, dance, drama and visual
arts.Often,thisteacheristheclassroom
teacher who could, quite credibly, have
noskillsinanyoftheartsdisciplines.
Howisthispossibleinaso-called
educated country such as Australia?
Hadtheseteachersbeengivenfouryears
of arts education preparation at university,
with regularly scheduled classes amounting
toatleast20hoursineachdiscipline,then
the requirement to teach these subjects
mightbeconsideredreasonable.
My ex-student’s concerns are further
exacerbated when his children come
homeandtellhimthat“musichas
rhythmandbeat”andthatthetwoare
“exactlythesamething”orthat“minor
keys tend to be soft and major keys tend
to be loud”. This rubbishy, half-baked,
ignorant, dangerous mumbo-jumbo is
notdissimilartotheclaptrapspouted
by certain politicians when they are
questioned on medical issues! How have
wearrivedatthisstateofaffairs?
Wehavearrivedatthisstateofaffairs
because there is a national obsession with
raising standards in literacy and numeracy
tothepointwhereweareactually
goingbackwardsbyexcludingfromthe
curriculum the very lifeblood of literacy
andnumeracy–namely,thearts.
Teachers are being asked to become
more accountable and less responsible.
Thetimetheyspendonaccountingfor
theiractions,thetestingandassessing,
reduces the responsibilities they have to
the minds, hearts, spirits and imaginations
of the children; things which can’t be
ticked off and easily assessed.
Is there hope? Yes, there is. Recently I was
in Perth visiting two schools: one private,OKEYNOTES
ALARM BELLS SHOULD BE RINGING!
Anationalobsessionwithraisingstandardsinliteracyandnumeracyandalackof
access to qualified, specialist music teachers is putting our children’s potential at riskRICHARD GILL
We need to be wary of those who would
suggest that music is just for fun and should
be about mucking around with instruments.
Is medicine for fun and just about mucking
around with surgical instruments?
We also need to know that all music has
some value, even the worst kind of music.
Irrespectiveoftheorigins,genresortypes
ofbadmusic,wecanlearnfromthem
because the good examples shine out like
beacons and grow ever brighter.
We also need to stop pitting method
againstmethodandstarttalkingabout
musicteaching:I’maKodályteacher,I’m
an Orff teacher; style against style; I’m a
jazz teacher, I’m a contemporary teacher,
I’maclassicalteacher...Inaschool,we
shouldteachasmuchofallmusicaswe
can. If we do it properly, students can
makeuptheirownmindsastowheretheir
loyalties and preferences will lie.
Be assured, however, that the alarm
bellsareringingloudlyandclearly.You
can play a part by advocating for change.
Send an email now to a politician letting
herorhimknowthatbecauseofthe
currentstateofeducation,herorhis
constituentsareinrealandpresentdanger
ofneverrealisingtheirfullpotentials.
What do they suggest as a remedy?Teachers are being
asked to become
more accountable
and less responsible