Planning your program

Creating a vision

Designing and sharing a vision for music at your school gives your teachers, students and parents a unified set of values, and goals that offer ways to participate and feel a sense of ownership.

Your school’s teaching and learning program must provide music learning opportunities for all students – this is the classroom music learning program – based on the Victorian Curriculum F–10. This is separate to any optional learning opportunities for specific instruments.

Any great vision statement for a music learning program will be as unique as the school, but will share some common elements:

• a strong statement about the importance of music for your school
• a practical structure that outlines how the music program works
• a description of ensembles, bands and performance opportunities
• opportunities for broader school community involvement (parents, businesses, community groups or clubs).

Here are two examples of a strong statement about the music learning program:

Our high school offers students an extensive music program with opportunities for composition, performance and exposure to the technology used in contemporary music making and recording. Our school is building a reputation for excellence in contemporary music practice.

Music is an integral part of life at our primary school. Every child has the opportunity to connect with music from their first year of school. Our F–6 Music learning program forms an essential part of the curriculum and is delivered by specialist music teachers as well as being supported in the students’ home classrooms through regular singing, music for maths and exploring topics through song.

 

The practical description of your structure, or how your music program works, needn’t be long or complex. A description of the music learning program might include:

• where the music learning program fits into the whole school plan
• how the classroom program delivers curriculum
• methodologies that are used (Kodály, Orff, Musical Futures, for example)
• what instrumental music learning opportunities are offered, and whether these are optional
• how classroom music learning programs and instrumental music learning connect
• opportunities for performance or to play with groups (ensembles, choirs, bands, school concerts, gigs)
• how to enrol, fee structures, how to acquire an instrument
• tips for how parents can support the program.

Singing and playing with others, and having presentation opportunities, including performances and sharing recorded work, not only make a music learning program come alive, but are fundamental requirements of the curriculum. Offering meaningful ways for students to enjoy music with others is essential for a music learning program to be embedded within the school community and to be supported outside school. Music is a purposeful activity as well as being pleasurable, and playing in bands and ensembles, singing in choirs, and recording and publishing music, gives students goals to work toward and valuable feedback to bolster their efforts.

When planning your program, consider how students might best enjoy playing – at a local festival, busking at a market, in a formal ensemble concert or playing live music for the school musical or play. The school band or drumming group might play at community events such as festivals, markets or local sports. The more connected your classroom music learning program is with instrumental music and other school activities, the more it is viewed as an integral part of school life.

Parental support can help take a music learning program from being good to being outstanding. Inviting parents to participate in meaningful ways in the music learning program and involving them in their children’s music learning opens up many benefits:

• Parents can be powerful supporters for the music learning program being prioritised in school planning.
• Parents encourage and support students to continue music learning at home.
• Parents support a program in practical ways – driving children to performances, buying tickets to concerts, raising money for instruments.

Let parents know how they can get involved through your school website or newsletter. Invite them to contribute to the development and resourcing of the program – for their kids and for the school.

Look at who your allies might be in supporting the creation or growth of a cohesive music program. Talk with those people about what kinds of experiences they see are possible – ask for ideas. Discuss how ambitious the project could be and what might be achievable and in what timeframe.

Or, just begin in your own classroom by singing with your students or listening to and responding to music. As Paul Kelly wrote in one of his most popular songs: ‘from little things, big things grow …’.

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