There was substantial discussion about challenges faced within school music communities. Elle was scathing of the ‘music program’ at her High School junior campus. She remembered no actual structured classes and a lot of ‘mucking about’. She felt she had learned very little during the junior years. Elle was then incensed when she was refused entry into VCE music because she had not advanced enough. Alana and Hung had wanted to complete VCE music but her school decided not to offer it. Isabelle lamented that her school offered music:
‘...only in Year 8 and the classrooms were really basic, and after that, nothing, no music at all!’
Others commented on how poor their school music programs were, resulting in learning less than they thought they should have. Belinda was forthright in observing that the music program at her College was:
‘A disaster - poorly organised, no motivation, they offered no music that people were interested in, and it was a real drag. There were some very troubled students and overall I think I learned very little.’
Belinda took singing lessons at school but was critical of the fact that she had to do so during other class time and consequently missed out on material from other important subjects. This caused her so much stress that she felt she had to discontinue music. Effie was learning violin privately, steadily progressing through AMEB levels and looking forward to being challenged and learning more at High School, but reflected angrily that:
‘The music program was really crap. It didn’t cater for those with experience. I was reluctantly involved in the school orchestra where everyone was a beginner. It sounded crap and was not enjoyable.’
78
Some students completed VCE music at High School but felt they did not reach the level they should have. Caitlin completed VCE music in Year 12 but felt that the whole program had been poorly run. Her school had not offered Year 11 music so she struggled with theory especially because she had not had the time to consolidate the fundamental aspects. Andrew described music classes that were poorly taught and only randomly scheduled.
Some participants complained that the school did not make music a priority. Alana believed there should have been more music happening at school but it observed that the music program was ‘pushed to the side’ compared to other areas like sport. Delaney was passionate about music and believed she had a natural ability but felt let down by the music program at school:
‘There was not much of a music program. What they were teaching in Year 12 music was what others were learning in Year 7 at better schools. In year 12 there were only twelve students doing VET music and there was no VCE music offered, otherwise I would have done it. Most of the staff at the school didn’t really care much about music.’
Learning was believed to have been adversely affected by a lack of funding for music and inadequate music facilities. Finn thought that the whole music program at his school had been a:
‘...a mess that really didn’t work. I was interested in music technology but all they had was a ‘Pentium 3’ with a ‘Motorola’ sound card and out-dated ‘Cuebase’. I owned better equipment that at school!’
Alana appeared somewhat resigned in observing:
‘The music department always got funds cut – and still is (getting cut). That seems to be the story of most schools. My school only offered music until Year 8 and even then there was no theory. They did not offer VCE music, only VET music technology. We got the basics and that’s it…’
Belinda recalled that the music department at her High School was very small with only the most basic facilities consisting of one music room, one piano and no other instruments. She had gone back to her own school recently and found that the program had been further diminished and no longer even offered a
79
piano teacher. Belinda was now training to be a school music teacher and observed that:
‘All the arts got cut, that’s just the way it is. I’ve seen this in schools I’m doing rounds in. They keep the trades because we are in the west where they think people just do trades and don’t go to university – and this is just stereotyping the west.’
Some blamed poor teaching for a lack of learning at High School. Gordon complained that some teachers were very ‘laid back’ in their approach and did not push those, including Gordon, who probably needed some coaxing. Delaney was critical of her music teacher in Year 11 who was not even able to provide a written syllabus for the class. Effie was frustrated by a lack of guidelines and criteria in the music units she undertook. Harry thought that the whole music program at his High School seemed unstructured. He blamed poor organisation on the teachers ‘slack’ attitudes in allowing students to muck about in class and play computer games. He felt students who were interested in learning were marginalised. Alana complained that her Year 11 music teacher would put effort into those who were advanced in music but not others.
Others remarked that some music teachers did not seem to ‘know their stuff’ and that teachers lacked appropriate qualifications. Ben thought the music teachers at his school did not really play music at all. Delaney thought her music teachers in Year 7 and 8 were very limited in their knowledge of music. She recalled that a music teacher arrived in Year 9 who was very competent. Delaney appreciated the teacher enormously but the teacher left in Year 10and the school did not replace the position. Djava felt she got very little from the school’s guitar teacher, because he spent the entire lesson ‘showing off’ his skills and very little time actually instructing her how to play. Isabelle summed up participant dissatisfaction with music teaching by angrily remarking:
‘At High School I didn’t really learn much – it was really a case of how NOT to do music education’.
80