Join Kodály Vic for a day of presenters and professional learning focused on contemporary secondary music education. There will be workshops on approaching VCE, building an engaging Year 7/8 program with a Kodály focus, developing creativity using composition and technology, and how to develop the skill and concept sequence in the secondary classroom. There will also be presentations on how Kodály methodology can be used in instrumental and choral ensembles and Andrew Pennay (Brisbane Girls Grammar) will also host a panel discussion on secondary teaching.

Venue: Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School. 17 Leslie Rd. Essendon Please enter via Leslie Rd Gate B and follow signs to the Joan M Garde Cultural Centre. Continue past the bronze sculpture/statue and the early years playground and proceed left along the veranda of the Cultural Centre until you reach glass doors on the left leading down a large staircase to the lower level of Blinkbonnie House. The workshop will be taking place in the Echidna Room, the Platypus Room and the Mary Thurman Recital Space. Download a school map here. Please note: Lowther Hall will also be a voting booth on the day of this workshop
Presenters: Andrew Pennay (Qld), Sue Lyons, Mark O’Leary OAM, Anna van Veldhuisen, Amy Wert Download a flyer HERE Morning tea is provided.
Lunch: Please BYO, alternatively there are several excellent cafes in Rose St which is a 5-minute walk from the school. There will also be a sausage sizzle on the day at the polling station.  

Program:

SHAKE IT OFF: Cultural forces at play in the secondary music classroom Presented by Andrew Pennay It’s time to shake off some misconceptions about our secondary school Kodaly-based music programs. In this session, we will explore some useful tools that can be used to step back and evaluate the forces at play in the music classroom, ranging from the environment we are in, to the specific language we employ with our students and the way we use time in class.

Planning for an engaging and successful VCE sequence Presented by Anna van Veldhuisen In this hands-on session, Anna will focus on embedding sequential, Kodály-inspired aural pedagogy within the VCE framework. In particular, how can we best prepare students for the end of year written exam and SACs in a musically authentic manner that isn’t simply ‘teaching to the test’? This session will focus on engaging activities and repertoire that can be used to link the listening analysis, technical, performance, and aural/theoretical components of the VCE curriculum, with consideration of differentiation for diverse abilities. The new 2023 VCE study design will be discussed, with time for conversation and brainstorming as a group on how we might approach this new challenge.

The Year 8 Blues Presented by Sue LyonsAn interactive presentation and discussion on practical and engaging ideas to teach your Year 8 students a unit on the Blues, that will step you through a series of sequenced Kodály-based lessons. Come prepared to participate in some hands-on activities that you can take away and use with Year 7s, 8’s or 9’s. We’ll also cover practical ideas for engaging reluctant learners and catering for different skill and music literacy levels.

LOOPED AND LAYERED: Technology-rich projects in a secondary aural-vocal context Presented by Andrew PennayLet\’s explore a range of tasks and classroom routines that encourage our students to think deeply in sound. From class-devised music theatre works to pop album production and post-minimalist film scores, Kodaly’s enduring philosophy can serve to underpin a contemporary aural-vocal-technological program.

Band/Ensemble rehearsal and repertoire planning with a Kodály-inspired lens Presented by Amy WertA range of approaches to band/string and ensemble rehearsals, planning tools and rehearsal techniques that support a Kodály-inspired sequence of learning. Warm-ups and ways of developing resources emerging from repertoire will be explored, that can be adapted from beginner to more advanced ensembles.

Building choirs in secondary schools Presented by Mark O’Leary OAMChoral singing has always been an important part of music education, and for many secondary students choirs have been a unique place to express themselves musically and find a place to belong. The pandemic has massively disrupted choral programs all around the world, and there is much to be done to rebuild our choirs. This session will explore ways to rebuild our choirs with good teaching, appropriate repertoire and a heightened awareness of the musical, emotional and social needs of our secondary singers.