Instrumental and programme-based education for schools
Scott Sanders
Master of Music (Composition) University of Melbourne
Grad. Dip. Ed. University of Melbourne
BA (Music) La Trobe University
Playing and studying music has been a big part of my life and I’m excited to be sharing my experience with our next generations of musicians. Since 2020, I’ve been developing instrumental and programme-based education for students aged 7 to 15. This is largely through instrumental music teaching in primary schools and my studio, and also working with the Song Room to deliver music programmes in schools. My three main education streams are:
- Instrumental teaching
- Electronic music programmes
- Musical Theatre programmes
My instrumental teaching programme is centred around a performance-based syllabus, where students are grouped into mixed-instrument classes and focus on teamwork, listening and performance skills as they progress through their chosen instrument. This approach:
- motivates students as part of a band or performance group
- develops listening and inter-personal engagement from the beginning of tuition
- is flexible in that students can try out different instruments within the same group context
My electronic music programme is a five or ten week course for students of all abilities, using the Soundation online digital audio workspace to learn all aspects of electronic music creation and production. This highly successful programme engages students who would otherwise consider themselves non-musical, while also catering for students looking to create more detailed original composition. The course covers:
- Audio collage
- Sampling
- MIDI tools
- Synthesis basics
- Mixing and exporting / rendering projects
My musical theatre programme is a ten to twenty week course that works with students to collaboratively create a new work for performance that involves music, drama and dance. Stuctured workshops in the first few weeks of the course generate and develop the students’ own ideas to create the final performance. Students find where their skills can be applied in the process of creation, under my guidance (my introduction to the performing arts was through volunteering in my local musical theatre company, learning all aspects of stage production, on and off stage). Some key projects so far are:
- What’s on Gluetube? A school concert with songs and sketches based on what are your kids really watching on the internet?
- Resources for classes to practice
- The Gluetube page the audience could browse
- A page where students could generate new Gluetube video ideas
- Mrs Claus goes on holiday A school Christmas play where Mrs Claus goes on a beach holiday for the Tooth Fairy’s 1000th birthday – and can Santa manage on his own?
- The Golden Kangaroo A school Christmas play based on a mix up of the game Bobs and Statues, and the songs Dance Monkey and Baby Shark