Primary school music

Primary teaching and music qualifications - a rare combination, not only in New Zealand today but in primary schools the world over for more than a decade. Helen Stowasser (1993) writes of 'insecure music teachers' and questions the adequacy of teacher education courses. The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum states: 'The arts develop the artistic and
aesthetic dimensions of human experience. They contribute to our intellectual ability and to our social, cultural and spiritual understandings. They are an essential element of daily living and of lifelong learning' [the italics are mine]. If our Ministry of Education truly believes this and wants
to ensure that the music discipline is adequately taught, then there are some issues to be addressed, such as recruitment of musically capable teachers; acceptable standards of professional expertise in music; content, length and timing of pre-service programmes; and making provision for teachers' ongoing development.

Why teach music in schools?

One of the most pressing problems for contemporary school education is an overcrowded curriculum. The so-called 'National Curriculum' developed as a result of the Australian Education Council's Hobart meeting in 1989 and the subsequent publication of a series of 'Statements' and 'Profiles' by the Curriculum Corporation in 1994 consolidated the school curriculum into eight Key Learning Areas (Curriculum Corporation 1994a, 1994b). Since that time most states have moved away from school-based curriculum development and have embraced the National Curriculum but with adaptations to suit their own needs. In the case of Victoria there have been two iterations of the National Curriculum in the form of Curriculum and Standards Frameworks. In the original version, Music was one of the five arts strands specified for years P to 6 and one of the six strands for years 7 to 12 (Board of Studies 1995). With the CSF2, Music is now one of three possible arts form included under Performing Arts which, with Visual Arts, form the two strands specified for years P to 4 (Board of Studies 2000). Music is then included in its own right as one of six Arts strands for years 5 to 12. However, effectively the CSF2 represents a significant loss of ground for Music at the lower and middle primary school levels in Victoria.

Music education research in Australia - 2006

This article summaries some research on music education in Australia. During 2006, the Bibliography of Australian Music Education Research (BAMER) database has undergone a major revision with the addition of several newly-located research studies and the updating of existing inaccurate or incomplete entries. The 27th World Conference of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) was held at the Kuala Lumpur Conference Centre in Malaysia from 16 to 21 July and was attended by several Australian delegates. Forthcoming conferences are listed.

School based partnerships : an Orff approach experiencing, exploring and engaging in music education

This article considers the role school-based partnerships can offer pre-service music education students. It is a reflection on what my students and I experienced, explored and engaged in music teaching and learning at a local primary school in Melbourne where the teacher is an Orff practitioner. As Wiggins says, 'Excellent teacher education programs provide students with experiences from which they can construct their own understandings of music, education, and music education' (Wiggins, 2007, p.36). Although both students and I kept reflective journals over our fiveweek visit during the first semester of 2008, this article selectively reports on some of my observation notes regarding music teaching and learning using the Orff approach. Such interaction paves the way for ongoing professional growth for all concerned (preservice students, music teacher and lecturer). It may be argued that school based partnerships offer students 'hands on' opportunities to 'develop an initial repertoire of teaching competencies, comprehend the various dimensions of music experience and understand student learning' (Campbell & Brummett, 2007. p.52). Although this article draws on the principal of linking theory to practice where the emphasis is on school and university partnerships (Henry, 2001) it makes pertinent links to the Orff approach to music teaching and learning.

What have we learnt? Pre-service music teaching and learning

Making pre-service teacher education relevant to teaching through onsite visits is not new to tertiary institutions in Australia. "The merits of field based teacher education are frequently cited, concluding increased relevance for students and greater accountability for colleges through participation of local schools" (Elmore, 1979, p. 378). This article reports on a Deakin University initiative with a local school in semester one 2008 with the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary and Secondary) music methodology students. The school chosen has a specialist music teacher. Conkling (2007) points out, "when the experienced music teacher presents a compelling vision of music teaching, pre-service teachers not only attend to this exemplar of teaching practice, but they also recognize the influences of teaching practices on younger students learning" (p. 45). This article explores the concept of school based partnerships and professional development as a way to enhance pre-service music methodology students understanding of teaching and learning. This article highlights some of our reflections during our five-week visit. We discuss the benefits of the experience from the point of view of a university student and a music education lecturer. Whilst such an experience had benefits for the school and the university, we also highlight some limitations that were encountered.