Las últimas sentencias del Tribunal Supremo

Table 17 outlines the codes and key analytical points emerging from the interviews regarding composers’ training and skill levels.

Table 17. Composers’ pedagogical and musicianship skill levels

4.1.1 Musical training

All of the sampled composers described having a high level of aural acuity from an early age, nurtured through music-loving parents, private music lessons, choir membership or playing in the local brass band, to name a few. They had all received traditional training in theory, form and style. Furthermore, they achieved high levels

4.1 Composers’ training and skill levels

Codes Analytical notes

4.1.1 Musical training

All of the interviewed composers had high levels of music concept knowledge and instrumental skills as a result of studies undertaken both privately and at university. They had extensive experience performing in bands and ensembles, and were proficient music readers.

4.1.2

Pedagogical skill levels

Four the composers had combined music and education degrees, and three had Masters of Education degrees. They are all classed as music specialists according to the Australian Institute of Teaching (AIT) criteria. Their high levels of Kodaly and Orff expertise were attained after graduation through self-initiated professional

development. 4.1.3

Compositional training and style

Their compositional skills were largely self-taught, and developed in response to perceived gaps in available resources for primary music education. Four of the composers were not practising teachers and were instead working as visiting artists in schools. These

composers did not attempt to appease the popular music demands of students.

77 of technical proficiency on at least one instrument, and generally high levels of musical aptitude, having studied music at university level.32 _{The interviewees had}

developed improvisational skills as members of rock bands, folk dance groups, and in one case, an early music ensemble. For two of the composers their training and personal preference had steered them into folk dance, while two others were skilled jazz/rock players. None were practicing classical recitalists.

4.1.2 Pedagogical skill levels

All of the composers interviewed within this project had undertaken teacher training within different degree structures. For instance, two composers completed a Bachelor of Music, and Diploma of Education, two studied a Bachelor of Music Education, and one undertook a Bachelor of Education. Three interviewees obtained Master of Education degrees. These courses were undertaken between the late 1970s and mid 1990s, and provided very limited training in Orff and Kodaly methods.

4.1.3 Compositional training and style

There was no explicit educational composition training in any of their university courses. All of the interviewees viewed their composing skills as primarily self- taught. Key musical identities in the Melbourne music education scene proved significant inspiration for two of the composers, while for others, an increasing exposure to the work of overseas presenters at National Orff conferences became influential to their practices. Two of the musicians interviewed ran early childhood music classes, giving them a greater understanding of the requirements of that age group. The songs written for these early childhood classes—and their enthusiastic reception by children and parents—established trends within their compositional output.

A level of unease with existing music education paradigms, repertoire and resources available upon graduation was commonly expressed. Following entry to the workforce, their compositional style was influenced by their respective teaching environments: classroom, preschool or as visiting artists. They started out arranging and adapting pieces for specific educational needs, progressively advancing over the last 15 to 25 years to composing and producing their own songs, albums and associated teaching resources. They felt confident their musical knowledge equipped

32

The university degrees of all of the interviewed composers required either audition for entry, or proof of advanced musical aptitude for entry into the music-major stream.

78 them to compose pieces in response to their respective teaching circumstances. “If I didn’t have a teenager at home, I wouldn’t have a clue what young people were listening to”, replied one composer. Most of these composers did not teach primary students daily, and they were therefore not exposed to the constant demands of students for more accessible music. They drop in and out of the schools, and do not have to deal with the issue of peer musical culture so directly. The one composer employed as a school music teacher said, “there is no point me using their [peer] music at school. My job is to broaden their horizons.” If they needed something more recent, this teacher-composer would use ABC Sing.

Another composer described the unsettling experience of occasionally having their school presentations met with students’ rolling eyes. They felt in those cases that the music teacher was not exposing the children to diverse musical repertoire. The composers with a group dance/movement focus related that children realised that the students’ peer music had no validity in this situation, as they were quickly swept up in the excitement of folk songs and dances. A few of the composers used modern beats and riffs extensively in their own music, as a means of hooking the children into the instrument playing or the associated movements.

The empirical data collected in this research suggests the musical training and expertise of these composers—all of whom undertook teacher training—is well in excess of students within the generalist Bachelor of Education degree (Chadwick, 2000; Heinrich, 2012; Petrova, 2005, 2012; Russell-Bowie, 1997). All of the interviewed composers reported feeling inadequately prepared by their University training, in the same manner related by the interviewed teachers. The surveyed composers had subsequently developed high levels of expertise in Orff and Kodaly processes through self-initiated professional development.

These findings concur with previous research probing the levels of pedagogical preparedness of teachers (Ballantyne, 2005; McKay-Brown, 1999; Newton, 2008). Each of the interviewed composers has a distinctive compositional style and performance preference such as a focus on marimbas, singing and movement, folk music, ballads or school musicals. These findings establish the credentials of the interviewed composers by demonstrating their significant levels of musical knowledge and instrumental expertise, as well as their comprehensive knowledge of music pedagogy practices and methodologies.

79

4.2 Musical attributes

Table 18 outlines the codes and key analytical points emerging from the interviews regarding the musical attributes of the composers’ works.

4.2.1 Styles and genres

One of the interviewees composed music for singers only, while another composed exclusively for classroom instruments. The other three composers wrote music for instrumentalists and singers. Each of the surveyed musicians has a main compositional style preference; these include jazz, rock, folk, ballads, and world music.

4.2.2 Sources and roles of text

In all cases, the songs lyrics were either written by the composers, or they were assembled from particular topics or issues based on students’ suggestions. Copyright restrictions and fees surrounding other authors’ poetry and verse were a deterrent to the selection of those texts for songs. In a number of cases, the linking of text to movement or actions, or for the purpose of instrumental performance memory cues, were of primary importance. Three of the interviewed musicians spoke of seeking verses with underlying messages of self-esteem/value. Conversely, others spoke of avoiding such topics, preferring humorous or silly songs. One respondent specialised in songs based on their students’ ideas and lyrics, which were subsequently assembled into school musicals. The inclusion of arrangements of popular songs was avoided as the fees to do so could easily eliminate the profits from sales.

Table 18. Textual and stylistic preferences of the interviewed composers

In most cases, the interviewed composers’ styles were derived from popular and folk music idioms, as opposed to classical music forms. Their compositions drew

4.2 Musical Attributes

Codes Analytical notes 4.2.1 Styles

and genres

Each of the interviewed composers had a preferred style; these included jazz, swing, rock, folk, ballads, and world music. 4.2.2

Sources and roles of text.

These composers used their own texts, as well as lyrics written by students. They avoided verses by living authors, due to copyright restrictions and fees. Words that linked music to actions were widely used, as were stories and humorous verse, and texts expressing social and personal issues relevant to primary age children.

80 on a wide range of musical variants within their respective genres, for example the jazz composer includes blues, scat, swing, bebop and ballads. They wrote their own lyrics in response to the specific requirements of the piece; these included songs about light-hearted or serious topics, or pieces designed to cue movement and activity. The interviewed composers performed their own music, and made their works known through appearances at music conferences and self-initiated teacher- training workshops. The interview responses describe how their compositions—and the lyrics thereof—reflected their personal musical, literary and pedagogical preferences and strengths. The findings from the interview analysis present arguments for greater representation of new compositions in styles not already well provided for by these composers, such as classical and contemporary styles.