How Are Instrumental Music Services Delivered?

The Role of the School of Instrumental Music

The School of Instrumental Music provides the following services to schools, school clusters and districts:

• Consultancy (in planning and developing school music programs)
• Instrumental staffing allocation and management (including performance management and professional development for instrumental music teachers)
• Instrumental instruction and ensemble direction
• An instrumental loan, maintenance and repair service
• Access to an Instrumental Music Resource Centre
• Enrichment activities for students

Instrumental Music in the District and School Cluster

The School of Instrumental Music (SIM) offers its services to districts, schools and school clusters.

As a central service provider, the School of Instrumental Music can deliver instrumental music services efficiently and effectively.

The School of Instrumental Music contributes to the delivery of the total music curriculum by working collaboratively with:

• Districts, through a coordinated district-wide plan
• School clusters offering a classroom-based music program and willing to participate in the instrumental music scheme
• Individual schools

Personnel at the School of Instrumental Music

At the beginning of each year, a notice will be sent to participating schools advising the names and portfolios of the personnel at the School of Instrumental Music. See Who's Who at SIM. Current positions are:

Principal

The Principal is responsible for the management of the School of Instrumental Music and liaison with districts and schools.

Deputy Principal

Responsible for Secondary Classroom and Instrumental Music staffing.

Registrar

Deals with enquiries regarding instruments, the instrument charge, loan procedures or accounts.

Library Technician, Instrumental Music Resource Centre

Deals with enquiries regarding the borrowing of music scores and teacher support material.

Teaching Staff

Instrumental music teachers are employees of the Office of Government Schools, part of the Department of Education in Western Australia. They are appointed to the School of Instrumental Music through its own staffing establishment. The School of Instrumental Music manages day-to-day business and also works in conjunction with the Principal of each school in which they teach for aspects of their activities in that school.

The School of Instrumental Music also has a number of program coordinators and teachers with special responsibilities.

Continuity of Musical Education

Districts and School Clusters

The introduction of an instrumental music program (or of a new instrument into an existing plan) is considered in the light of a general development plan for music in the district and in a particular school cluster (traditionally a secondary school and its contributory primary schools).

Instrumental music services are planned in such a way that they generally guarantee continuity for students that have commenced learning an instrument. Instrumental music lessons, generally started in the primary years, continue for students enrolled in music as a course in secondary school, extending to senior school for students enrolled in accredited Curriculum Council courses. The development of the instrumental music program in a cluster is based on decisions made by the members of the cluster and the availability of resources for delivery by SIM staff. If a student learning an instrument through the SIM program moves to a different cluster, there is no longer a guarantee that the instrument will be available for the student in the cluster they have moved to.

The trend towards increasing collaboration between schools may affect the way instrumental music services are going to be delivered in the future.

Transition from Primary to Secondary School

The delivery of instrumental music in the primary school is structured in such a way that students are able to continue their studies into the secondary school, if they choose to continue their studies in music. Its provision has always been closely linked to the secondary school music program on offer in the cluster secondary school.

Normally, primary students will proceed to the instrumental music program in their area high school, often with the same instrumental music teacher. Most have the opportunity to choose to continue music until the end of their schooling. Some students may be given the opportunity to commence instrumental music at the high school they attend.

Where the area high school does not have a music program and students wish to continue their involvement in a program, they must apply to the local District Education Office for permission to cross boundaries in order to attend a secondary school that does offer music.

Students who accept offers for special programs in a high school other than their area high school need to know that ongoing lessons on their instrument may not be available at some high schools or that existing instrumental music classes may already be full.

Gifted & Talented Program

The Office of Government Schools has programs to encourage especially able students, including the musically talented. These programs are offered through the Music Gifted & Talented programs at John Curtin College of the Arts and Churchlands SHS. Information about the full range of Gifted and Talented programs is circulated to schools in Term 2 each year for notification of Year 6 students. Enquiries about the music programs should be directed to the Gifted and Talented branch of the Department of Education (http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/gifttal/) or you can contact Churchlands SHS and John Curtin College of the Arts.

Beginning or reviewing a program

Instrumental music teaching is a finite resource. While every effort is made to accommodate schools, resources can not always be provided as requested. The introduction of new programs or classes needs to be planned carefully.

Term 3 is an important time for considering the needs of the next school year. It is during this term that the bulk of the ongoing review process is scheduled. The review process consists of district planning, school cluster meetings and consultation with individual schools. Its aim is to determine requirements of the schools and to negotiate the services to be delivered to each school. The range of services is then confirmed through individual service agreements.

Beginner classes for which there are not enough suitable or interested students can be cancelled early in the year and the teaching time reallocated, however careful and realistic planning should keep such reorganisation to a minimum. Responsibility for the overall management of this resource rests with the School of Instrumental Music, working with districts, schools and school clusters.

Communication between Instrumental Music Teachers and schools

Good communication between instrumental music teachers and their schools is vitally important. Use of communication logs and pigeonholes in the staff room are useful strategies, and the appointment of a school-based music contact person is particularly important. This person must be nominated in the service agreement. Face-to-face contact early in the year is imperative. (See also Teaching Strategies and Integration, later in this booklet.) All instrumental teachers are registered on the DET webmail system.

Teaching Space

Schools need to plan for the provision of a satisfactory and pleasant teaching space for instrumental music. Instrumental music students and teachers need a space big enough to fit all the students plus their equipment (especially for ensemble work). Good ventilation and light, a working music stand for each student and straight-backed chairs are also recommended. A small teacher's desk or suitable working space is important. If the teaching space is also used for other purposes during the week, school staff are asked to minimise disruptions during instrumental lessons.

Class Organisation

Students are taught in small groups, generally on the same instrument. They join a mixed instrumental group such as a concert band when they are considered ready by their instrumental music teacher. Students are expected to participate in the school ensemble as required.

Until Year 10, the main emphasis is on cooperative learning and group performance. In senior school, students are expected to develop solo performance in addition to ensemble playing.

Students who achieve satisfactory progress during any year may continue in the next year, provided it is possible to form a viable class. The retention of students is therefore important.

The reasons for student withdrawal from the program should be recorded as they provide significant data when considering the health and development of the instrumental music program during review and planning sessions.

Classes are generally scheduled in school time, although in secondary schools students in senior school are often taught before school or during lunchtime. Lower school students come out of other classes on a rotating timetable, to minimise the impact on other subjects. They rarely miss an entire class in any subject. This arrangement requires the understanding and cooperation of other teachers. In practice, most students have no difficulty in catching up with work missed and the system has worked well in schools across the state for many years.

Disruptions to the Teaching Program

The provision of a weekly instrumental lesson is the teacher's major priority. As there is only one lesson per week, missing a lesson will have a major impact on student progress. Schools are asked to bear this in mind when scheduling events. Given sufficient notification, generally class times can be altered so that lessons can still be delivered to all students.

It would be helpful if instrumental teachers are informed well in advance of matters such as:

• School development days
• When students are unavoidably going to be absent during the lesson time, due to sports events, camps, etc.
• Deadlines for submission of reports - to be given well in advance, as requirements differ from school to school
• Information regarding students with particular health or family problems

Instrumental teachers provide each school with a copy of their lesson timetable for the semester and any other relevant information. Any changes in timetable due to teacher involvement in student performances, rehearsals, school tours, camps, etc. at a particular school, need to be approved by the Principals of all other schools affected and by the Principal, School of Instrumental Music.

In the event that circumstances prevent an instrumental music teacher from attending school (e.g. illness) the teacher is required to:

• Notify the first school for the day as soon as practicable in the circumstances
• Contact the School of Instrumental Music, which will advise other schools affected, record the absence and issue the relevant leave form

Schools are asked to notify all students affected by the teacher's absence.