ADDING VALUE THROUGH MUSIC

The Music. Play for Life. campaign supports music initiatives at all levels in the community and recognises those tireless individuals who make music happen and inspire others. Below are a few examples of how music participation can enrich individuals and strengthen communities.

Northern Territory Indigenous Music Project

The NT Music School under the guidance and development of Assistant Principal, Mr Graham Chadwick, has established a secondary based indigenous instrumental music delivery program for remote community schools.

The program is based on a specialist music teacher process, with each participating school receiving specialist music teaching on a rotational basis each 10-week term.

The need to establish or strengthen established music programs within remote community schools was highlighted by a survey produced by Mr Chadwick. The NT Music School then funded and trialed the first placement teacher program for six months at the Yirrkala and Maningrida CECs, pioneered by music teacher Mr Scott Trenwith.

A successful funding grant through the Indigenous Education Division has seen the expansion of the program to all community schools in Arnhem Land and Groote Eylandt and also to Ludmilla School, Katherine High, Beswick, Barunga, Numbulwar – Daly River, Tennant Creek High and several schools in Alice Springs with program extension to outer community schools in the Alice Springs region.

Indicators identified that successful remote community programs especially relating to music and sporting programs rely on ongoing delivery of the program. The NT Music School provides this ongoing support.

Community schools embraced the NT Music School’s indigenous schools music project because it capitalises on the students’ love of music and the continuous nature of a structured educational music program. 

This program specifically brings music education to students in remote indigenous communities to develop not only musical skills, but also life skills, IT competencies, (Music Software) and increased opportunities for literacy development through song writing and composition development, including the establishment of collaborative accreditation/assessment through the Vocational Education and Training certification process.

The music placement program has been highly effective in supporting the NT Government’s focus of literacy and numeracy in schools; song writing in English and traditional language is encouraged in the classroom with several schools developing journal writing, story boards and word puzzles based on music activities.

Many schools accessing the project have been able to demonstrate improved attendance figures and student retention, substantiated by the project’s base line data in the Indigenous Education Division’s annual report.

In 2002/3 there has been an increased enrolment of both girls and boys in Certificate 1 music courses and, for the first time, 42 students are enrolled in stage 1 music courses enhancing their opportunity to complete the NTCE.

In the program’s second year we have already had the pleasure of the ‘Yirrkala Big Band’ performing at the ‘Beat’ (NT Dept of Education Combined Schools annual musical) including performances by eight secondary school bands at the recent GARMA Festival – Yolngu Matha  for ‘Strong Culture’  (Indigenous Festival in Arnhem Land) in August 2003.

The program has gained national recognition for its outstanding educational significance for indigenous students, resulting in the adoption of this model by the Western Australian Department of Culture and the Arts, for the Kimberley school region, facilitated by the NT Music School in term 4, 2003.

The success of the program was recognised by the National Arts Council and selected as one of five arts programs to undergo research evaluation by ACER.

Another testament to the success of this program is Mr Chadwick’s invitations to present papers at numerous conferences throughout Australia.

The expansion of brass instruments within this program has proven most successful with five Arnhem Land community schools now involved in school based brass tuition.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
  Hunter Valley Signing Choir: a schools choir for the deaf and hearing impaired

The Hunter Signing Choir is celebrating its tenth year promoting deafness awareness and deaf pride by continuing to enthral audiences at major regional events including Star Struck 2003 Goes To The Movies. The choir is made up of Year 3-12 students with hearing impairment ranging from moderate loss to profound deafness.

The choir's director and founder, Donna Griffith, says its growth from eight members in its first year at Star Struck '94 to two dozen now is very pleasing but only an indication of the group's success. "The deaf and hearing impaired students in the choir clearly benefit in many ways," says Donna. Self esteem and confidence, performance and integration opportunities and better sign language skills are just a few."

"But the group's effect in the community has been profound since 1994. Getting out and about and working with mainstream students means there are constant reverse integration opportunities for hearing children and their parents."

Hunter Valley Signing Choir: a schools choir for the deaf and hearing impaired

The Hunter Signing Choir is celebrating its tenth year promoting deafness awareness and deaf pride by continuing to enthral audiences at major regional events including Star Struck 2003 Goes To The Movies.

The choir's director and founder, Donna Griffith, says its growth from eight members in its first year at Star Struck '94 to two dozen now is very pleasing but only an indication of the group

"The deaf and hearing impaired students in the choir clearly benefit in many ways," says Donna. Self esteem and confidence, performance and integration opportunities and better sign language skills are just a few.

"But the group's effect in the community has been profound since 1994. Getting out and about and working with mainstream students means there are constant reverse integration opportunities for hearing children and their parents.

"It takes very little time for the children to understand each other and get on with the business of singing, signing and learning together - the question of hearing or non-hearing soon takes a back seat.

"Perceived barriers such as issues with communication and difference fall very rapidly. Involved parents catch on quickly, so everyone learns and benefits," says Donna.

"This all happens in the ordinary process of running a choir - getting the signers together, choosing items to perform, rehearsing, scheduling and performing."

The choir is made up of Year 3-12 students with hearing impairment ranging from moderate loss to profound deafness. A number come from the hearing support units at Kotara South Public School, the choir's base, and Kotara High School. The remainder come from as far afield as Muswellbrook and Raymond Terrace.

Donna and two teachers of deaf and hearing impaired students, Leanne Lynch and Dianne Browne, take choir members to events as diverse as the opening ceremony of the Paralympics and the Sydney Schools Spectacular to Carols By Candlelight and school activities.

"There is a magic to our big performances," says Donna. "In the evening performances for Star Struck when the stage is dark and we come on all in black except for our white gloves which the audience can see, a hush falls and everyone knows they are in for something different.

"The music plays, signing starts and the audience is fixed by the beautiful fluidity and expression of the white hands moving in concert.

"It is moving, deeply satisfying and gives a wonderfully sharp focus to what we have achieved in our first 10 years and what we will continue to achieve."