MTASA Birthday Celebration and Government House Reception
PL Day Review: The Mystery of the Musical Mind
Concert Performance Day #2 Wrap-Up
Reflections on State Music Camp 2025
MTASA Professional Learning Day - Amanda Handel
MTASA Competitions Day 2025 – October 26
MTASA Patrons and Hosts — Mr Rod Bunten; Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia; Ms Rosanne Hammer, current MTASA President; and MTASA Patron Emeritus Professor David Lockett AM.
Photo credit: Jan McGinley
WELCOME FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Members and Friends,
Welcome to this special 95th Birthday issue of SA Music Teacher Magazine.
It has been an energising few months for the Association, with activities that continue to strengthen and grow our vibrant community — including highlights such as our Winter Professional Development Day in July, which featured the wonderful keynote presentations of Amanda Handel; our second Concert Performance Day for the year, produced with the support and collaboration of Immanuel College; and our truly memorable 95th anniversary celebration, including the presentation of two Honorary Life Memberships, graciously hosted on August 11 at Government House by our distinguished patrons, Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, and Mr Rod Bunten.
Now, as the final school term of the year approaches, we’re looking forward to the return of Competitions Day, taking place on October 26. This event offers a valuable opportunity to encourage students through performance practice, feedback, and recognition. This year, we’re pleased to introduce a new video submission option, designed to provide greater flexibility and accessibility for entrants. The long-standing and prestigious Reimann Robinson Scholarship and Norman Sellick Prize will be awarded in their relevant age categories, and are open to students of MTASA members across all instruments. Full details, including entry requirements, can be found on our website and via the Humanitix event link:
Stay tuned for information about other developments within the Association currently underway, including the proposed expansion of the MTASA website Members’ Portal — planned to offer notifications about employment opportunities, additional professional development options, resources from other music teachers’ associations and affiliates, as well as opportunities for concert promotion and classified advertisements. Our recent members’ survey is providing important insights into your needs and the priorities of our community and will help shape the planning of upcoming events in the year ahead, including the Summer Conference currently being planned for January 2026.
We hope you enjoy this edition of SA Music Teacher, in which you’ll find follow-ups from recent activities, special offers from the SAMii platform, and the first of two supplementary articles from Amanda Handel — along with a range of other news, reflections, and resources. A special welcome and thank you to our new magazine editor and Council member, Ada Wycinka, whose contributions will shape this and future issues. We sincerely thank the sponsors and supporters who have made our recent activities possible — including Credit Union SA, Australian Piano Warehouse, Immanuel College, and Educators SA.
Wishing you a happy and successful start to the final term of the year of teaching — thank you for being such an important part of our Association and for everything you do to build and strengthen music education in our community.
With warm regards,
Rosanne Hammer President, MTASA
SPRING 2025
PATRONS : Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, Mr Rod Bunten, and Emeritus Professor Dr David Lockett A.M.
PRESIDENT : Rosanne Hammer
VICE-PRESIDENT : Rodney Smith, Wendy Heiligenberg
SECRETARY : Lynne Franks
TREASURER : Samantha Penny
AUDITOR : Australian Independent Audit Services
CURRENT COUNCIL : Rosanne Hammer (President - New 2025), Wendy Heiligenberg (Vice President), Rodney Smith (Vice President), Lynne Franks (Secretary - New 2025), Samantha Penny (Treasurer), Pete Barter, Ada-Maria Wycinka (New 2025), Elaine Feng (New 2025), Selena Yang (New 2025), Yong Cheong Lye, Melody Men, Jessica Liu, Emmy Zhou, Lishan Xiao (New 2025)
EDITOR : Ada Maria Wycinka
LAYOUT: : SECTRIX (www.sectrix.com)
MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES to the Secretary – secretary@mtasa.com.au
PO Box 4, RUNDLE MALL, SA 5000 Mobile: 0402 575 219 • E-mail: info@mtasa.com.au
ADVERTISING – Please contact the Secretary Please see the MEMBER information page for the Advertising Price List.
Contributions to SA Music Teacher are most welcome. All items to be included must reach the Editor (info@mtasa.com.au) no later than December 12th.
WELCOME FROM THE PRESIDENT Rosanne Hammer
COMING MTASA EVENTS
MTASA 95th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION By Rosanne Hammer
THE MYSTERY OF THE MUSICAL MIND: PRESENTED BY AMANDA HANDEL By Pat. H. Wilson
MTASA CONCERT PERFORMANCE DAY #2 By Wendy Heiligenberg
WIZARD TONE STUDIOS ON THE VOICES The Comps By Pat H. Wilson
BAGATELLE ARTICLE
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN STATE MUSIC CAMP 2025. By Wendy Heiligenberg ANATS NATIONAL CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION By
CORNER
ACCOMPANISTS GUILD
PROTECTING A GRAND PIANO By Rosslyn McLeod
GEOFFREY PARSONS AWARD By Frances Wood
PEDAGOGY MATTERS By Rodney Smith
MTASA Winter Professional Learning Day By Amanda Handel
SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION
PROFESSIONAL
COMING MTASA EVENTS
MEMBER INFORMATION
Sunday, 26 October 2025
MTASA Competitions Day
Reimann–Robinson Scholarship and Norman Sellick Prize : : :
Venue Time Ticket
Australian Piano Warehouse 87 Winston Ave, Daw Park SA 5041 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm Free audience entry
Sunday, 16 November 2025
MTASA 2025 Annual General Meeting
Venue Time
Minor Works Building Community Centre 22 Stamford Court, Adelaide SA 5000 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
The following teaching rates are recommended to members by the MTASA Council for 2025.
POST-NOMINALS
Full members of the Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia may use the letters MMTA (member of Music Teachers’ Association) as a post-nominal while they are financial members. Interstate Music Teachers Associations are also encouraging their members to use this or a similar post-nominal.
WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS
Anna Coppens (New 2025)
MTASA 95th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION:
Special Event: Monday, 11th August 2025 –
Government House, Adelaide, SA
Article written by Rosanne Hammer; Photography by Jan McGinley and Jessica Liu.
The Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia became an incorporated association in June of 1930 and since that time, has thrived as an organisation run by music teachers for music teachers, with the noble intention to support, represent, and celebrate the highly skilled, dedicated, and professional instrumental teachers in our South Australian community.
Over the decades, the Association’s legacy has been shaped by a veritable multitude of distinguished educators, respected members, and dedicated council representatives — whose collective vision, professionalism, and unwavering commitment have helped establish the MTASA as a highly regarded organisation within our South Australian community and among professional associations across the nation.
In its impressive 95th year, the MTASA remains in a unique position of relevance and responsibility to our community. Whether guiding members through shifting regulatory obligations — such as Working with Children Checks, Child Safe policies, or changing SACE expectations — or providing support in the administrative and organisational demands of running a music studio, the Association continues to be a steadfast resource. It also upholds its longstanding tradition as a trusted guide through the MTASA Directory, which for generations has served as a reliable reference for students, families, and the broader community. Each qualified educator listed is not only a leader in their field, but also a living link in South Australia’s proud and enduring musical tradition.
At the heart of the MTASA’s mission is a passionate commitment to inspiring musical excellence. The Association is dedicated to providing its members with access to the best quality music, the best
pedagogical practices, and the insights of the most respected minds in the field. By nurturing their own growth and passion, teachers inspire their students with newly sparked ideas — fresh and joyful — which in turn ignite the next generation with a love and fascination for music.
In celebration of the MTASA’s 95th anniversary, our members were graciously hosted for a reception at Government House by our esteemed patrons: Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, and Mr Rod Bunten on the evening of Monday 11th August, 2025. The memorable and joyous evening was attended by over 40 members and partners, including past presidents Dr Debra Andreacchio and Ms Sofie Arhontoulis, as well as our esteemed long-time patron Emeritus Professor David Lockett AM.
The reception began with a warm personal welcome to each guest by Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC and Mr Rod Bunten, setting a gracious and celebratory tone for the evening. Throughout the event, young violinist Anson Tang, a student of MTASA Vice-President Wendy Heiligenberg, accompanied by Dr Simón Pazos Quintana, provided a delightful musical presence that elevated the atmosphere and enriched the event.
The evening was made all the more special by a formal presentation of two honorary life memberships to our current Vice-President (and past-president) Mr Rodney Smith OAM and to Ms Monika Laczofy OAM, following a gracious speech by Her Excellency and our President’s address.
Those who were present would surely agree that the evening was a wonderful celebration of the Association’s unique ability to foster collegiality and connection among its members and the wider community — strengthening bonds and reaffirming our dedication to the role, integrity, and legacy of the organisation. We offer our sincere thanks once again to our gracious hosts for their generous hospitality and support, which made this special occasion possible.
With great anticipation, we look forward to reaching our centenary milestone and celebrating many more years of music together.
Below is the full text of the President’s speech delivered at the 95th Birthday Celebration of the Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia.
It is an enormous privilege to represent the Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia as its current President - particularly on this momentous occasion, the celebration of our 95th birthday
Tonight, we gather not only to mark the passage of time, but to honour the enduring values and deep purpose that have guided this Association for nearly a century. MTASA is a community of dedicated professionals, committed to the highest ideals of music education. We stand in a long line of teachers who have passed on the rich tradition of music - not simply as a skill, but as something sacred and transformative to us as individuals and to the society around us.
In our schools and studios, in that quiet and powerful one-to-one setting, we do far more than teach music. We help shape the emotional, mental, and spiritual development of our students. We help them grow not just as musicians, but as people - which is of course simultaneously a profound responsibility and also perhaps one of the greatest privileges of our profession.
As we celebrate 95 years, may this milestone remind us of the legacy we carry - and renew our sense of purpose as we look to the future of music education in South Australia, elevating our Association to lead with vision and relevance for each of its members and for the wider music community.
Thank you all once again for your dedication to our Association, and for your greatly appreciated presence in celebrating this evening.
Below is the full text of the citations presented to the Honorary Life Membership recipients at the 95th Birthday Celebration of the Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia.
Citation: Ms Monika Laczofy OAM
We are pleased to present Honorary Life Membership to Ms Monika Laczofy OAM, in recognition of her longstanding service to the Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia.
Monika has contributed to the MTASA Council over several decades, across various terms, offering her expertise, dedication, and deep knowledge of the profession. She continues to support the activities of the Association with consistency and professionalism, always upholding and modelling the highest standards in her work.
We thank her for her sustained involvement and valued commitment to the goals of the MTASA.
Citation: Mr Rodney Smith OAM
We are proud to present Honorary Life Membership to Mr Rodney Smith OAM, in recognition of his outstanding and sustained service to the Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia.
Rodney is a former President and the current Vice President of the MTASA. Over the course of several decades, he has been a consistent, dedicated, and respected presence within the Association, contributing his leadership, experience, and deep commitment to its aims.
His influence has shaped the direction of the MTASA and strengthened its role within the broader music education community. We thank him sincerely for his service and honour the legacy of his contribution.
The Mystery of the Musical Mind: presented by Amanda Handel
MTASA Winter Professional Learning Day 20th July, 2025
By Pat H. Wilson
On a bright blue-skied Sunday afternoon, which is what passes for winter-time in Adelaide, enough enthusiastic music teachers arrived at The Piano Warehouse in Daw Park to cram their very pleasant performance room. We came to catch up on the wide variety of professional information the afternoon’s programme promised, with the major focus being on pianist, composer, singer and pedagogue Amanda Handel from Sydney’s Blue Mountains. This smiling woman with a gently hypnotic voice gave a masterful keynote presentation (The Mystery of the Musical Mind) and a masterclass. She also had a 40-minute slot later in the day’s proceedings when she discussed questions of composition and piano pedagogy.
Handel’s keynote address, peppered with references and supported by PowerPoints with better-than-usual relevance, contrasted the conscious versus the unconscious mind of both the learner and the teacher. The relevance of her discussion to all aspects of music pedagogy was evident throughout. It was an intellectual and inspirational feast for any music teacher.
In a clear and readily audible voice, Handel began by telling us that she started teaching music when she was in Year 12 of secondary school. She cited the works of
Béla Bartók as the compositions which inspired her to follow music as her professional pathway once she left secondary school. As well as training as a musician, she has also gained a Diploma in Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and is a certified BodyMindedTM (Alexander Technique) practitioner. Armed with this breadth of skills and understanding, Handel took us on a
tour of the mind that hears, understands, plays and teaches music.
In the 1970’s, the founders of Neuro-Linguistic Programming investigated the five human senses and the ways in which we humans process information that flows towards us. The NLP investigators established that humans form internal representations of everything they encounter, after which they associate emotional responses and then words to explain it all. This research forms the foundation on which much of Handel’s approach to pedagogy is based.
The great dichotomy, to which she returned repeatedly, is the contrast between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind. She advised that it’s useful for music teachers to understand the roles and functions of both of these areas. To illustrate the two areas, she asked us to consider the unconscious mind as a horse, and the conscious mind as its rider. Although the horse has infinitely more power and speed than its rider could ever access, it’s vital for the rider to direct their horse consistently and clearly. Without mixing metaphors, she observed that the mind is much like an iceberg… 95% of our mind is unconscious, submerged and functioning intuitively, while the conscious mind, of which we are ordinarily aware, is a mere 5%.
Horse = Primitive limbic system – works with imagination & functions intuitively – 95%
Rider = highly evolved neocortex – works with intention & functions cognitively – 5%
Amanda Handel with Masterclass Participants: Andrew Miao, Rong Li and Julie Guo.
Speaking about the battle between intention and imagination, Handel observed that the unconscious mind’s trance state lacks intention. Performance demands conscious awareness and intentions in place. Both sides – the conscious intellectual and the unconscious intuitive – need to be present in order to perform. Trance can never override a person’s will or choice.
Qualities of the unconscious mind
• Stores memories
• Organises memories
• The domain of the emotions
• All learning is unconscious
• The unconscious mind cannot process negative words. (Example – the instruction, “Don’t think about a blue tree”, results in us immediately thinking of a tree that is blue, so we can then try not to think about it.)
• Until age 7-8 years, most children operate from the unconscious mind.
• Can learn and integrate concepts at lighting speed
She contrasted the two mind states:
The Conscious Mind Sets goals Uses initiative Makes decisions Rational Cognitive
The Unconscious Mind Gets goals Uses imagination Waits for decisions Spontaneous Intuitive
No matter how solidly teachers attempt to pack facts into their student’s minds, it’s useful to remind ourselves that it’s often only a consciousmind transaction and can be readily derailed by that submerged 95% unconscious mind, with its unpredictable vesuvial emotional responses such as anxiety and self-doubt.
Another practical consideration for teachers is the need to keep instructions and information positive. The unconscious mind cannot process negative words. (Remember that blue tree you weren’t supposed to think about?) If we ensure that all talk is positive and directed towards desired goals, the learning process will be facilitated. Handel warned teachers to choose their words wisely. Even the use of the word “try” (as in “why don’t you try to play that more smoothly?”) can imply the likely expectation of failure in the result. She invoked the
great Jedi Grand Master Yoda of Star Wars fame –“Do… or do not. There is no try.”
Remembering that until they are around 8 years old, children work almost exclusively in the imaginative, intuitive unconscious mind, it’s useful for teachers to be aware that children’s imaginations can very readily overtake the real world. The unconscious mind delights in rhythm, rhyme, repetition, ritual and reward. How does this nugget of information help the music teacher? When we know that music practice requires conscious intention harnessed to unconscious repetition, this helps the teacher to construct creative and pedagogically effective rehearsal techniques, using both “dissociated state rehearsal” (the voyeur’s perspective - pretending you’re an audience member listening to your performance) and “associated state rehearsal” (imagining being right there in the performance experience with your instrument/voice – in your own body).
She closed her wide-ranging address by advocating a powerful multi-pronged attack for teaching all students, enlisting the students’ abilities outside music to help them build facility and ease within music making. Use of positive language employing metaphors and images helps to build a stronger allround understanding within each student. “Music is like magic” Handel said. “Tell your students to imagine that they are a magician and the piece of music is a spell which you can use to enchant your hearers.” Not a bad piece of advice for any musician.
I, for one, appreciated her generosity in giving both time and detailed attention to a fascinating combination of issues, all of which are vital to teachers of music.
Pat H. Wilson
Amanda Handel
MTASA CONCERT PERFORMANCE DAY #2.
By Wendy Heiligenberg
The second MTASA Performance Day of 2025 took place on the 30th of August at the beautiful chapel in Immanuel College. Our sincere thanks go to Mr Paul Kolomitsev, Head of Music, and the leadership team at Immanuel College. Their strong support and sponsorship contributed to the success and smooth running of the event. The venue (The Chapel), its acoustics and the new grand piano were greatly admired by all the visitors and performers. We were very happy to welcome Immanuel College students to the event.
We had the great pleasure of hearing more than 50 performers of all ages, levels, and instruments included piano, violin, cello, bassoon and guzheng (Chinese plucked zither). Accompanists are often difficult to organize, but our Council came to the rescue. Thank you so much to Lynne Gong and Elaine Feng, who accompanied with great sensitivity, supporting the young students that they had only just met on the day. A final bassoon duo at the end provided a fitting and fun finale to a lovely day.
Review writers from our Council included our President, Rosanne Hammer, our Vice Presidents, Rodney Smith OAM and me, Emmy Zhou and Lishan Xiao. In the afternoon, we were delighted to have invited Reviewer, Jane Burgess join the Reviewing Team for the final session. In this session, Year 12 students were invited to perform longer works from more advanced and challenging repertoire, giving them a wonderful opportunity to perform in front of an audience in preparation for their upcoming final exams. Their performances were very moving and full of passion.
Our thanks also go to our MTASA Team on site-our Secretary, Lynne Franks, Jessica Liu, Samantha Penny and Melody Men, and all Council members mentioned above. A great deal of organisation, thought, and many hours of voluntary work are necessary to make such an event a success. Our young performers all seemed to appreciate this opportunity to perform for their parents, teachers and friends.
WIZARD TONE STUDIOS
Over the last decade Wizard Tone Studios have built a vibrant space where creativity, collaboration, and education intertwine. Our studio is more than a place to record music—it’s a dynamic hub where ideas come to life, artists grow, and students gain hands-on experience in music-making. Originally a purpose-built cinema designed to provide an idealized acoustic for mixing film soundtracks, the studio is now one of the largest recording spaces in South Australia. Founded with a shared passion for artistry and community, we’ve earned a reputation for high-quality recording, state-of-the-art equipment, and a welcoming, artist-first atmosphere that feels both professional and approachable.
Championing Adelaide’s Creative Scene
Deeply rooted in Adelaide’s creative ecosystem, we collaborate across genres and disciplines, from jazz ensembles to contemporary bands, podcasts to film soundtracks. Whether we’re recording a school ensemble, helping young bands lay down their first tracks, or hosting workshops on record
production, we strive to make the recording process accessible and inspiring. For educators, we’re a trusted partner, complementing classroom learning by providing a space where theory meets practice, and students see the tangible results of their efforts.
Connecting and Inspiring Our Community
We see Wizard Tone as a bridge between classroom learning and real-world music-making, offering a unique environment for schools, ensembles, and teachers. This July, we had the privilege of speaking at the MTASA’s Winter Professional Learning Day, connecting with Adelaide’s teaching community to share how recording can enrich music education. That experience reaffirmed our role as a community hub for South Australia’s music scene—not just for recording local music, but for giving students their first taste of being part of the broader music world; a physical location that can bind our community together.
Increasingly, schools and teachers use our space for solo recitals, small ensemble showcases, or performance assessments, with the option to record these moments for coursework, sharing, or keepsakes. Students rise to the occasion in this inspiring setting, making it a valuable resource for educators.
One-Day Workshops: Hands-On Creativity
We’re excited to offer a series of one-day workshops tailored for schools, teachers, community groups and musicians wanting to learn the basics of recording. These sessions provide a practical, fun introduction to the recording process, from setting up microphones to overdubbing and mixing. Designed to be accessible to all—no technical expertise required—our workshops keep the focus on creativity and music-making whilst giving some professional insight into the technology used. It’s a chance to explore sound production and gain realworld skills in a supportive environment.
Why We Do This
At Wizard Tone Studios, our mission is to nurture
here to support teachers and students, offering a space where music education extends beyond the classroom.
For teachers looking to enrich their programs, musicians seeking a top-tier recording experience, or students eager to explore the industry, we invite you to connect with us. Reach out through our website or social channels to book a session, workshop, or recital space, and discover how Wizard Tone Studios can bring your musical or educational vision to life.
The next recording workshop will be held at Wizard Tone on Saturday December 6th. It will cost $100. Please get in touch to book as there will be limited availability.
If you would be interested in using our studio for any educational workshops or recitals, please get in touch with either Sam or James.
For more information, please visit www. wizardtonestudios.com or contact us at info@ wizardtonestudios.com.
PIANO FOR SALE
Beale Piano BA43
• 109cm
• Excellent condition
• 7 years old
• Mahogany
• $900
• Not negotiable
• Heavily discounted
ON THE VOICES The Comps
By Pat H. Wilson
“Anything you can do, I can do better”, sing Annie Oakley and Frank Butler in Irving Berlin’s Annie, Get Your Gun, a 1946 musical that is still popular worldwide. We laugh as Annie and Frank trade increasingly outrageous challenges with each other:
Frank I can shoot a partridge
With a single cartridge.
Annie I can get a sparrow
With a bow and arrow.
Frank I can live on bread and cheese.
Annie And only on that?
Frank Yes.
Annie So can a rat!
Howard Keel and Betty Hutton glowering competitively in the 1950 film of “Annie Get Your Gun”
What puts me in mind of this humorously competitive duet is the time of year. Middle of the year is Comps Time for musicians of all kinds, including singers. Eisteddfodau, if you feel like showing off your Welsh spelling skills.
Any thoughtful artist is forced to ask the obvious question: how do you award one artist above another? Is it purely on technical skills (… fewer wrong notes? …slicker appoggiaturas or acciaccaturas? …higher/lower vocal range than the rest of the competitors?). These criteria are mostly measurable and can form a basis for discrimination between performers. However, the artistic elephant lingers in the room. How can we rank creative artistry into a “Winner, Second, Third and Honourable Mention”?
Easy! Just ask anyone who knows absolutely nothing about music. They will tell you. Their vocal expertise comes from watching The Voice, Australian Idol, Australia’s Got Talent and the nowdefunct X-Factor. These reality television shows have taught the last couple of generations about how singing competitions really work. What to do, what to avoid, how to succeed. People whose formal singing training ended in kindy will earnestly tell you “Michelle didn’t deserve to get through last night; she was too pitchy.” This intelligence they gained from the comments of a shock-jock who is one of the judges on the show. It will come as no surprise that said shock-jock is not a singing
pedagogue. Few of the judges seem to be; at best, they are professional singers. And we all know that there can be a huge gap between the ability to do a skill and the ability to teach that same skill.
So ,when your students line up to do a singing competition of some kind or other, they have frequently been conditioned, either by viewing these reality-television singing competitions themselves, or by assimilating the views and attitudes their parents have gained from them. Not a lot of help when a student is seriously focussed towards working on their craft. So, it’s up to us, folks… their singing teachers. We need to readjust our students’ views by reminding them why there are competitions in the first place.
Comps are a great idea. Eisteddfodau and singing competitions abound across the nation. Some of the benefits –
● Your student gets performance experience in front of an unfamiliar audience. This builds confidence, helping them to develop an easy stage presence.
● Your student’s performance will receive constructive criticism from a qualified adjudicator. This helps them become accustomed to critique, with areas which could be improved pointed out, while things which were well done will be praised.
● Your student is amongst a group of other competitors of a similar age range, singing comparable material within a genre. It’s an encouraging reminder that there are many
this artform and want to practice it.
● The external discipline demanded by competitions and eisteddfodau challenges students to work within a very structured environment.
Yes, there can be problems too – an adjudicator’s comment that may crush an insecure singer’s confidence, the age-old problem of comparing apples with oranges (or Wagnerian soprano with Handel countertenor), the temptation for students to see beating the other entrants as more important than artistic excellence. And the big trap for us teachers – teaching “towards the competition” and not towards the development of our student as an artist.
However, each one of these potential or actual problems can be wisely managed by the student’s teacher. It’s up to us to put their interests first whilst facilitating the growth of creativity, artistry and skill which make up a performing artist in any music genre.
Pat H. Wilson
Conflict of Interest Disclaimer: I work as an adjudicator in eisteddfodau. I’m off to do one in a couple of weeks.”?
PIANO BENCHES FOR SALE
We sell home-made quality piano benches out of solid wood. All benches come with a lid and chain to store your music. Benches come raw, and need to be painted or polished... That’s the fun part!
Size:
Length : 800mm
Width : 300mm
Depth : 100mm
Height : 450mm Length : 800mm
BAGATELLE ARTICLE
By Pat H. Wilson
This regular column is a light-hearted way to get to know MTASA Council members, those hard-working people who help to run the Music Teachers’ Association of SA.
Bagatelle
BAGATELLE (Fr. ‘a trifle’). A short piece of music in a light style. Probably first used by Beethoven in his ‘Seven Bagatelles,’ op. 33. The form of the bagatelle is entirely at the discretion of the composer. It is short and not too serious in character.
Spring Spotlight is on Pete Barter - drummer, educator, entrepreneur, producer and founder of SAMii.
Once upon a time…
Where were you born? I’m a northern suburbs kid. I was born in Elizabeth at the Lyell McEwen Hospital.
What did you look like as a child?
What about your parents; were they musical? Both my parents were born in England and migrated to Australia. Dad’s trade was diesel mechanic, and he worked with a big engineering firm in Sydney before finally owning his own automotive garage in Salisbury. Mum was a housewife and mother. She was not musical, but dad played lots of different instruments (some only a little bit). His favourite instrument was the electric bass guitar
Where did you go to school? Salisbury North Primary School and Salisbury High School. I left high school in the middle of Year 10 because I felt that an apprenticeship in electronic technology would serve me much better in the future than the schoolwork I was currently doing. I had a real fascination with electronics and had already done quite a few little projects. I built motorised skateboards when I was ten. By the time I was 16, I built an automatic remote cellular starting device, enabling me to start my 1974 VW convertible from anywhere in the world. I also built electronic drum kits, including a specialised kit to accompany my TEDx talk.
How old were you when you got your first drum kit? Two years old.
When did you start learning to play music? Pretty early. Just watching and listening to my dad built my musicianship from a very early age. I jammed with dad in the back shed for hours, with dad on bass and little me on drums, playing such old favourites as Peter Gunn theme and Guitar boogie.
How about formal tuition? I enjoyed mucking around on my drum kit, either on my own or with dad, until I was about eleven years old, when I started having formal lessons (one hour per week) with Billy Warnock. These continued until Billy left Australia to return to the United Kingdom.
So who was Billy Warnack? And how influential was he on your development as a musician… and your philosophy as a music educator?
From the age of 11 through to 14 years old, I did weekly lessons with Billy Warnock, who was a massive inspiration for me, both as a musician and as a person. He was the epitome of a fine educator, and I owe everything I am today to him. Somehow, he saw something good in me from the very first. I’d describe him as confident, polite, caring and ambitious. He not only taught me to play music; he taught me how to learn. He was also the best man at my wedding. Sadly, he died two years ago.
Growing up…
What’s your primary instrument? Drums
Can you play any other instruments? I can play a bit of trumpet, bass and guitar.
When did you start teaching music? When Billy left Australia, I was around 14 years old, and he entrusted some of his less advanced students to me. I also took over some of his gigs. Thanks to the foundational nature of Billy’s training, I’ve continued both performing and teaching ever since.
How about a picture of your favourite instrument?
How do you handle performance anxiety? I do what I tell all my students to do: teach your butterflies to fly in formation. It works for me.
Players who have influenced you? Dave Weckl (American jazz fusion drummer who worked with Chick Corea) and Jay Oliver (jazz & rock musician who grew up with Weckl in St Louis).
Scariest performance? Not really scary, but very, very intimidating. I worked the support gig for rock and heavy metal guitarist Paul Gilbert, co-founder of the USA band Mr Big.
So what do you look like now?
How’s your cooking? I’m a comfortable improviser in the kitchen. I’m not one for following recipes… but I can turn out a reasonable Butter Chicken. I enjoy simple comfort food, such as fresh bread and soup.
Your favourite meal?
Entree: Oysters
Main: Lasagna
Dessert: Affogato
Are you a dog person or a cat person? Dog person. I have a golden retriever called Sam, and I’m also grandparent to a Maltese-Shih tzu-Poodle called Bear.
A picture of your current pets?
What are the feature plants in your garden? I don’t have a garden; I simply have pot-plants in my house. And they have to be pretty robust to survive! They tend to be cactus or aloe vera.
Any hobbies? Curiously, I reckon my hobby is actually business. I’m fascinated by it and enjoy learning as much as I can about it…. there’s lots to learn, particularly systems, e-commerce and making things work.
Got a pet project that you’re currently working on? Funny you should ask. I’m just finalising an album called Project 45. It’s to be released this September, to coincide with my 45th birthday. Comprising originals and covers, the lyrics form a sort of autobiography. It will be issued in vinyl format. The feature single from it will be Heartbeats. Excellent guest artists join me on some tracks of the album. I wrote and programmed the music, played drums on all tracks and produced the album as well.
Any final thoughts you’d like to share?
If it wasn’t for my teacher Billy Warnock, I wouldn’t be at this immensely satisfying place in my life. Teachers have a huge influence. Music educators really need to learn how their students learn and then go about their teaching in ways that make the information assimilable to students. Great teaching identifies the student’s mix of approaches to learning, and adapts accordingly. I believe in meeting each student where they are… it makes them feel confident. Teaching 1 : 1, is always a privilege. It enables us to tailor each class to the unique learning needs of that individual student. Build confidence, celebrate small wins, and keep students on-track through belief and structure.
Pat H. Wilson
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN STATE MUSIC CAMP 2025.
By Wendy Heiligenberg
The SA State Music Camp 2025 was held for the very first time at Brighton Secondary School, which is one of the Department of Education’s 4 Special Interest Music Centres in Adelaide. As Music Camp requires a large concert hall, multiple large rehearsal spaces, tutorial rooms and facilities for the over 200 young attendees and 50 staff, it was wonderful to have Brighton host our camp, with its excellent facilities and beautiful grounds. The location encouraged many first-time campers from the Southern suburbs to attend. However the complications of public transport and distances involved possibly affected the attendance of students from some areas.
There were 5 ensembles conducted by both local and interstate conductors-Christopher Bearman OAM from Tasmania (Bishop Orchestra-this year appearing as a string chamber ensemble), Andrew Barrett, Head of Music at Brighton Secondary School (Shepherd Concert Band), Brendon Pearn, Interim Director of Music from Methodist Ladies’ College, Perth (Alexander Orchestra), Lester Wong, Acting Director of Music Performance and Coordinator of Strings at Pembroke School (Marcus String Orchestra) and Nic Jeffries, Executive Director of the Adelaide Youth Orchestras (Stimson Wind Ensemble).
Bishop Orchestra performed works by Sibelius, Janáček and Tschaikovsky, Shephard Concert Band delighted with 5 different works including Holst and the Music from Wicked. Alexander
Orchestra performed works by Khachaturian, Dvořák and Newbold and members of the young Marcus String Ensemble were most enthusiastic when performing 2 movements from Saint-Saens’ beautiful Carnival of The Animals and the music from the The Avengers. The younger Stimson Wind Ensemble revelled in the Jurassic Park highlights, Holsinger ‘s Hymn and Sweeny‘s Due North.
Highly respected specialist tutors from all over Adelaide guide the young musicians throughout the Camp and the week culminates in a concert on Friday night. It is always amazing to see and hear how the ensembles develop throughout the week. Shy and nervous students arrive on Monday morning and at the end of the week they have formed connections with other students that may last a lifetime. Many of the tutors and conductors are former campers and willingly give up their valuable holidays to keep coming back to Camp every year.
My experience of Music Camp dates right back to 1967 at Pultney Grammar, at which Mitch Brunsden OAM, Director of this year’s camp, was a conductor. I have been back tutoring, became a member of the Committee, I am Vice President and even directed Camp during the past 20 years. The musical skills learnt in my student years were invaluable to my development as a musician and as a music teacher and I am still in close contact with many Campers I met nearly 60 years ago!
[Photo Credit: Radogna Photography]
ANATS NATIONAL CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION
The biennial national conference of the Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing was held in early July this year. At the final session of this biennial three-day conference, Pat H. Wilson was awarded the ANATS National Certificate of
Recognition by National President Nadine Manion. Criteria for awarding this Certificate is outlined by ANATS: “This award is presented to individuals who have made a significant and sustained contribution to ANATS and the broader singing teaching community.”
The citation on Pat Wilson’s award reads: “Awarded to Pat Wilson in appreciation for her dedicated and sustained contribution to the Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing Ltd., and the wider singing voice community. A former President and committee member of the South Australian/Northern Territory Chapter, Pat has continued to support and represent ANATS Ltd. through national workshop presentations and active involvement in professional development initiatives. A strong advocate for diversity, mentorship and voice research, she actively promotes ANATS principles within the broader community, consistently supporting both committee initiatives and the advancement of vocal education nationwide.”
National president Nadine Manion presents Pat H. Wilson with the ANATS Certificate of Recognition on the final day of this year’s Conference at Ian Potter Southbank Centre, Melbourne
ACCOMPANIST CORNER ARTICLEACCOMPANIST_S GUILD
FROM ONE OF OUR HIDDEN TREASURES……………….
Accompanying in Schools
I was fortunate enough to attend a very musicfocussed secondary College in Victoria where I played a variety of music from sacred music and arias through to AMEB exams and recitals throughout my schooling. I quickly learnt to chordread using the ABC Sing Books when asked to play for the Primary Choir, accompanied my brass playing brothers, and played for local theatre groups and Eisteddfods.
Today I am very fortunate to be involved in a variety of music programs within schools where there is still the need for accompanists to be amongst some of the most versatile of musicians. Recently in rehearsal a vocal student told me “It doesn’t sound right” and, “My teacher plays something different to what you’re playing”.
Another time I was given the lyric sheet with chords sprinkled throughout, with no indication of style or tempo, and then told, “I don’t think those are the right notes”.
A student came to a rehearsal, gave me sheet music and then announced that they hadn’t had time to get the correct music and could I play it in few different ‘places’ (keys) so they could work out the best one!
We can be given a piano arrangement of a song and asked not to play the melody, asked to play a solo section ‘just like it is in the recording’ or become a mind reader when a student has made a cut or tempo change, without any score indications or markings.
Singing students can present us with the keyboard score of a musical and expect that all instrumental lines are played, or we are given orchestral reductions of violin or brass works where the accompaniment is full of busy parts in multiple octaves, and we quickly learn the art of knowing what to leave out!
School accompanying can vary from Chapel music, SACE accompaniments of varying styles and complexity, junior primary singing classes with songs consisting of a melody line and chords, choirs at all year levels with music ranging from unison singing to 8 part choral works, classical through to jazz, and musicals involving every time signature change and modulation under the sun.
We can be kept musically and mentally busy in recitals; accompanying a 2nd Grade flautist, an 8th Grade violinist, a jazz vocal duet, a brass ensemble and then presenting the same piece twice, for a viola and a trumpet, in two very different keys.
One of my strongest memories as a young teenage accompanist was during a large performance in country Victoria. I was playing ‘Memory’ by Andrew Lloyd Webber for a young vocalist when she sang her final note and promptly left the stage, leaving me to play the last 16 bars and consequently take the bow and applause by myself!
Meredith Wilson
M.Teach.(UNE)
B.Mus.(Adel)
Adv. Cert. Accomp.(TAFE)
PROTECTING A GRAND PIANO
By Rosslyn McLeod
I live in a Village comprising eighty - three units. Every so often a unit is vacated, thorough refurbishment takes place, a new resident moves in. Normally renovations take about three to four months, a skip is placed in the driveway for collecting rubbish and workmen’s trucks are constantly there. For the neighbours the resultant disturbance is bearable. However, in June 2024 two units were vacated next door to me. This meant not only double the amount of renovation but complete re-concreting, and widening of the shared driveway between the two units.
All this activity has taken twelve months to complete with constant accompaniment of noise – including jackhammers, dust – including a skip three metres from my lounge room window always being piled up with rubble, and workmen’s trucks coming and going from 7 am onwards until early afternoon. Thankfully early knock off time around 3.30 pm was a godsend!
By July this year all renovations for the two units next door were completed and it was time for me to take stock of the condition of my unit. The exterior was rather grimy especially the dusty solar panels but of main concern was the condition of my carpeted lounge room where resides my beautiful Yamaha Grand Piano.
A Deep Clean of my unit was needed including steam clean of the lounge room carpet and washing down the walls of that room as so much dust had accumulated. One wall in particular had assumed a reddish/brown colour as though an Impressionist Painter had depicted the effect of a passing dust storm.
Throughout the previous twelve months I had had dust covers across the top of the Yanaha, but a carpet steam clean meant more protection for the piano would be needed; moving it out of the lounge room definitely not possible.
Preparation for the Deep Clean
I rang Winston Music – I had bought the piano from them – I know they are now called Australian Piano Warehouse but I still think Winston. The advice for protecting the piano during the deep clean was that particularly the underside – the soundboard – should be covered, not with cotton material but with plastic to counter the steam from the steam vacuum.
Obtaining a large enough quantity of covers meant enlisting the help of some obliging neighbours –Merrilyn, Stan, Judy – who not only supplied some of the needed materials but also the human power to wrap up my piano. Even the piano legs were covered! The instrument was ready to withstand the strongest vapours. Only two other items stayed in the lounge, a large table and the computer on a desk – both covered – everything else was out of the room. Quite a job.
D(eep) C(lean) Day. Monday July 21st, two cleaners working for three and a half hours did an amazing job.
My piano has now been unwrapped and looks resplendent against the backdrop of the now pristine lounge room walls. My post clean resolution is that all items taken out of the lounge room before D-C-D will not automatically come back to their usual place. Questions will be asked of each item, do I use it, if not the item will be given away or thrown out. Lastly the piano has now been tuned, thank you David!
Here is a photo of the Yamaha now restored to all its glory after the Deep Clean.
GEOFFREY PARSONS AWARD
By Frances Wood
Geoffrey Parsons Award 2025, offered biennially by the Accompanist’s Guild of SA.
What a cold, dreary, rainy day it was in Adelaide on Sunday 21st September - but the afternoon was soon transformed by sunshine and wonderful music in the University’s Hartley Concert Room on Kintore Ave!
The atmosphere upstairs in the foyer was abuzz with excitement and anticipation; soloists and their collaborative counterparts were toing and froing as the Geoffrey Parsons Award, Australia’s premier competition for the Collaborative Pianist, was being contested.
The Associate Artists were all the best Australia could offer – Janis Laurs, Greg Tuske, Alison Heike, Jenny Hu and Gordon Scott Richter. They delighted us with their expertise and musicianship in support of the competitors, the three very fine pianists, Lynne Gong, Shawn Hui and Simón Pazos Quintana.
They presented programmes with their instrumental associates (including a Set Work played by each with violinist Minas Berberyan) to Judges Jamie Cock and Michael Ierace and the large audience
who had braved the weather!
After these stunning performances the audience was entertained by Guest Artists Hans Zheng (piano) and Bridget McCullough (viola), whilst the judges deliberated.
They returned to declare Simón Pazos Quintana the winner for this year. Simón was also awarded the Special Prize for the Set Work, suggested and donated by the GPA winner of 2023.
Many thanks to our generous sponsors: the $3,000 Award was a private donation from L&A Casey, the other two Finalists received $1,000 each, donated by Pianomax, Recitals Australia and Diana and Peter Harris.
Thanks also to our ever-willing and most enjoyable compere Keith Hempton, our convenor Monika Laczofy OAM, radio 5MBS recordists, and the volunteers from the Accompanist’s Guild of SA who helped our President Gina Macri with various jobs to ensure a smoothly flowing event.
Frances Norton AGSA Membership Secretary
PEDAGOGY MATTERS
By Rodney Smith
More
Practising or Better Practising?
The days of the classic half-hour per day practice seem to have long gone for many students. Less than half of this appears to be the current rate for some. The reasons are many and have been explored at length in music education circles. One thing seems certain – there will be no going back.
Consequently, the question of how teachers deal with a situation of minimal practice and yet obtain progress is topical and highly relevant. It is equally certain that students will practice if they really want to. How to engender motivation therefore assumes critical importance.
AMEB has long considered these questions when designing their examinations and it is significant their current range now includes Repertoire only grades. A definite pathway towards fewer demands can be traced from Comprehensive, to For Leisure, to Repertoire. There is an impression that Repertoire exams are increasing fast in popularity. Repertoire exams give teachers more options. The caricature of a stern piano teacher demanding more and more scales and arpeggios still persists although hopefully long gone. But the old “let’s learn two more lines by next week” is equally certain to fail in today’s environment.
Wise instrumental teachers teach to their instrument’s strengths and practising ensemble instruments such as flute or cello naturally gravitates towards the ensemble music in which students can participate.
Piano teachers can also address this question since the piano is an ensemble instrument too and playing together is a great motivational stimulus. The AMEB has introduced Collaborative exams from Grade 5 upwards and it remains to be seen how popular these will become. However, student drop out is at its greatest from around Grade 2 to Grade 5 so other measures are necessary for student pianists to maintain momentum prior to Grade 5.
An argument can be made for the danger zone for drop out commencing at the moment students discard tutor books and start grade exams themselves. It is notable that good tutor books maintain a balanced diet of pieces, exercises and applied music theory. When practical grade exams commence the main provision for theory in AMEB becomes written theory exams. For many, written theory exams are ignored as they can become rather dry and mechanical in the student’s mind. That leaves pieces, scales and exercises only.
If a teacher allows that to happen, they are essentially ignoring one of the piano’s great strengths – its ability to encompass applied theory (keyboard musicianship) better than most other instruments. Keyboard Musicianship embracing harmonising, transposing, improvising and accompanying can lend added colour and interest to practising and help to free students from the tyranny of playing from the music.
If introduced when the tutor is discarded, Keyboard Musicianship simply continues the multi-layered learning students have been used to previously in their Tutor. Even with today’s shorter practising routines it can maintain that essential ingredient of continual discovery which is so essential to maintaining motivation.
MTASA Winter Professional Learning Day – Follow-up Article
The Blues: Part One – Roots and Historical
Background
By Amanda Handel
This article was originally published in The Studio, the journal of the Music Teachers’ Association of New South Wales (February 2021), and is reprinted here with the kind permission of the author and publisher.
The music which has become known as the “blues”, began germinating during the final decades of the nineteenth century in the United States of America. Before coming to the attention of the wider world in the teen years of the twentieth century, research shows it had an embryonic existence dotted around the plantations in the southern states with particular intensity in the Mississippi Delta region.
While the blues was taking shape, it is interesting to note that there were outpourings of grassroots musical expression emerging from similarly marginalised communities in other parts of the world. On this circumstantial level, Flamenco may be seen as the Spanish blues, Rembetika the Greek blues, Tango the Argentinean and Fado the Portuguese. There are even more comparisons which can be drawn, all of which share heartwrenching vocal based beginnings at the “folk” level. Above all, blues are heart-felt responses to sorrowful conditions. Like the American blues, the genres mentioned have undergone many evolutions throughout the twentieth century along with commercialisation, global popularisation and rising celebrity artists.
Part One in this series focuses on the hidden and forgotten sources of the blues. While tracking its ongoing development and evolution is beyond the scope to pursue here, shedding light on the circumstances around its origins affords us illuminated ways of listening as we encounter the genre in its many transformations a century later. The blues was born organically and emerged as a unique phenomenon: a synthesis of Old Africa and New America. Impoverished, down-trodden and displaced, the first generations of emancipated slaves were forced to carve out an existence in the New World. Initially (what we now call) the “blues”, were vocal expressions of the immediate descendants of slaves. These sorrowful strains
came from ordinary folk: plantation workers, prisoners and people at leisure around their homes and neighbourhoods. They would sing spontaneously to alleviate their suffering, during and after a hard day’s work. Personal stories of hard luck and troubled love were spun out in long songs. On special occasions these “moanings” were lightened up with comic and ribald lyrics, and sometimes livened up for dancing.
Audio examples can be heard at the end of this article. Please note that early blues recordings were made up to twenty years after the music’s inception. Hear legendary Delta blues artist Charlie Patton’s Banty Rooster Blues (1929) on link #1.
From the African collective memory the music has unconsciously developed with a unique quality of phrasing (transferred into the English language) and a distinctive melisma and microtonal pitch treatment, conveyed in a moaning vocal style. The microtonal effect is heard in extended melismatic passages with a broad flattening and accentuation notably on the fifth and seventh scale degrees at emotionally poignant moments. The twelve bar format comprising three phrases (which eventually became standardised) almost certainly took this shape from the African call-and-response tradition. Here the first phrase was repeated (usually varied), and the third provided resolution and confirmation with rhyming lyrics. Likewise the steady beat has been retained instinctively from the African drumming tradition. The heavy throb is emphasised in later blues developments with electric guitars and drumkits. Nevertheless a strong sense of beat was inherent in the early decades when the blues was based on song with simple accompaniment. Hear Robert Jonson’s Sweet Home Chicago (1936) on link #2. This popular “classic” demonstrates the twelve-bar form and typical chord progression over a persistent beat.
Back in the old kingdoms of Africa, travelling bards and griots held highly regarded social positions. They were responsible for delivering important news and for re-telling significant historical events. Social singing was done in the form of call-and-response, where the people would repeat to confirm the call sung by the leader. This important practice secured community identity, solidified communal knowledge and enriched ritual life. In America the enslaved Africans lost these esteemed social reasons to make music. They were forbidden to play drums and were brutally punished if they did. However, their communal participation in work songs and “field hollering” bolstered productivity on worksites. Therefore singing was tolerated and even encouraged by plantation owners, labour gang bosses and in the penitentiaries. The following archival recordings were made by respected researchers John and Alan Lomax. Field hollering in call-and-response form is heard on link #3, and a chain gang worksong on link #4.
The early blues was a medium for solo singers in a dialogue with their instruments - which played the “response” part, reflecting on the “call”. Originally banjos and fiddles were most commonly used in blues since they resembled traditional African instruments, but soon they fell out of use and became associated with country music. Instead, the guitar became the favoured instrument.
Call-and-response practice also flourished in the Christian church where preachers worked interactively with the congregation in delivering the gospel. Some of the most famous singers were part-time preachers, yet since the blues was often considered “the devil’s music”, many battled with the conflict. Listen to Son House struggling with the incompatibility of his life as a preacher, and that of being a bluesman in Preachin’ Blues (1930) on link #5.
The New World at the dawn of the twentieth century brought enormous social change and unprecedented advances in exploration and technical innovation - with big business booming. African-Americans absorbed and utilised everything the new world offered within their reach. Many became experienced musicians working in vaudeville, minstrelsy, medicine shows, marching bands and church music. These skills and influences were inevitably absorbed and found a place in shaping the blues.
White people started becoming curious about what they termed “primitive’ music just as the recording industry was becoming established. Keen to exploit the market for selling native music,
industry scouts were sent into the remote southern plantations seeking out distinctive blues musicians who had accumulated original repertoire and a local reputation. Some musicians benefitted well from the recording contracts, yet it is unknown how many remained undiscovered. The new marketing category was called “Race Records” Developments and mutations naturally occur with the passing of time, and so over the ensuing decades the original blues style gave birth to other musical genres: country, gospel, rock, R&B, folk, fusion, rap, hip hop and most significantlyJazz. With its own history and evolution, Jazz has many sub-genres all of which stem from the blues. This phenomenon is illustrated in saxophonist Charlie Parker whose music (coined “be-bop”) is not immediately recognisable as a descendant of the blues. His music is purely instrumental, frenetic and complex - and yet like the blues his melodic inventions are improvised. Although his extraordinary chains of tonicisations and complicated chromaticism obscure it, they remain faithful to the foundational harmonic progression and Parker’s blues roots. This relatively early digression of the blues into be-bop via jazz, was far less commercialised and much more sophisticated than the broad easy-going path that mainstream blues meandered on. Listen to Parker’s (Fast) Blues (1949) on link #6.
Seeking better fortunes, people migrated northwards in droves during the first decades of the twentieth century. Soon the blues which travelled with them transformed from a rural into an urban music with booming commercialisation. Part Two explores the harmony and form that the blues takes as it appears in the classical arena, a century after the historical background that has been described in Part 1 and will also include analysis of two contemporary piano blues pieces.
YOUTUBE LINKS:
Link #1. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=NAbDjKg9Zww
Link #2. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=O8hqGu-leFc
Link #3. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fjv0MYIFYsg&list=WL&index=56
Link #4. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=3O3vEOwFuOo&list=WL&index=57
Link #5. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=zmR7jjOoFOw
Link #6. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=GWT5XJzadRc
SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION.
The Singapore International Music Competition (SIMC) for piano and violin, one of Asia’s most prestigious competitions for young pianists and violinists, held its inaugural Australia Live Rounds in Adelaide on 30 September, 2025.
The international jury panel featured Chen Qu, Founder and Executive Director of SIMC; Jeremy Wong, Artistic Director of SIMC; Rosanne Hammer, President of the Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia Inc (MTASA) and renowned GreekAustralian violinist Niki Vasilakis.
All winners of this live round have been invited to Singapore in December to receive their crystal trophies and certificates at the Gala Concert and Award Ceremony. In addition, each winner was offered individual scholarships for international masterclasses opportunity in Singapore. Absolute winners will also represent Australia to perform at the Gala Concert ceremony itself.
This competition event was proudly supported by PianoMax (Adelaide), Austral Piano World (Melbourne), Kawai Australia, Music Teachers’ Association of South Australia, and Victorian Music Teachers’ Association.
We look forward to seeing you at next year’s competition!
Chen Qu
Concert Pianist & Music Educator
Executive Director, Singapore International Music Competition (SIMC)
Artistic Director, World Piano Teachers Association Finland
MTASA ADVISORY SERVICE
You’ve hit a problem in your professional life as a music educator.
Feeling isolated in your role as a music educator? You’re not alone.
The Music Teachers’ Advisory Service (MTAS) is here to offer the support and guidance you need. Whether you’re concerned about a student’s progress, your studio’s business model, or navigating institutional regulations, we’re here to help. When you encounter a professional challenge as a music educator, your first step is to reach out to the Secretary of MTASA. Based on your query, you will be referred to the most suitable MTASA Council member who will then contact you to provide the necessary advice and support.
FIND OUT MORE at MTASA.com.au
REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR FULL MEMBERS OF MTASA
MTASA has introduced a Professional Learning scheme for Full members. This commenced on July 1, 2019 when Full members began accumulating their seven hours of Professional Development. The scheme is designed to underpin and enhance MTASA’s established reputation for the professional excellence of its members, ensuring its standards are fully compliant with current educational expectations. These are clearly outlined in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (visit www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards) and similar documents.
From July 1, 2020 onwards Full members, when renewing their membership, will be asked to tick a box declaring that they have undertaken at least seven hours of Professional Learning during the previous twelve months.
The following examples are provided to give general guidance for Full members about Professional Learning that would be acceptable to MTASA. These examples represent only a small sample of all the possibilities available to Full members. Generally Full members should feel comfortable about their own choices but in case of doubt you are welcome to contact the Secretary for further advice (info@mtasa.com.au).
Improved music teaching should be a major factor in all activities that Full members wish to count towards their MTASA Professional Learning.
MTASA will undertake random checks from time to time to ensure the system is working properly. So, on very rare occasions a Full member may receive a request from the Secretary for information about their Professional Learning. In such instances you may submit evidence such as certificates, programs, diary notes, recordings and so forth.
Examples of Professional Learning that would be acceptable to MTASA:
1. Online.
Attending a webinar or similar event; undertaking an online e-learning course.
2. Face-to-Face.
Attending a conference, workshop, masterclass or lecture.
3. Formal Study.
Undertaking a qualification or part-qualification delivered by a recognised institution.
4. Personal Research.
Studying books, journals, articles, musical scores, musical theory, analysis, etc., which lead to an example of improved music pedagogy and/or pupil performance.
Self-conducted research leading to a presentation, masterclass or workshop at a conference.
Composing an educational piece of music that motivates a group of pupils.
5. Team Research.
A joint project with others that achieves particular improvements in a training ensemble.
Joint creation of music teaching materials that improve learning in a group of pupils.
Remember! These are only a few amongst many possibilities. MTASA is a community of creatives. You are encouraged to be creative in your Professional Development!
EDUCATORS SA
As a member of Educators SA, MTASA can offer benefits to its members. Here are some offers:
Andersons Solicitors offer MTASA members:
• 10% off legal services, in ALL areas.
• Free initial phone conversation with a lawyer.
When contacting Andersons Solicitors tell them you are a member of MTASA, which is a member organisation of Educators SA (CEASA). Visit the website at www.andersons.com.au/.
Credit Union SA has a range of education only offers. Visit the website at www.creditunionsa.com. au/community/education-communitybanking-benefits/ for more information.
NOTICE TO STUDENT MEMBERS
Have you fulfilled the requirements for Full Membership? Student members are reminded that Student membership is restricted to four years after which time it is expected that they would be eligible for another membership category, either Full Membership by Tertiary Study or Full Membership by RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning and Experience).
Student members who are ready to upgrade their membership are invited to submit an application form to the Secretary together with the required supporting documents. Criteria can be downloaded from the MTASA website (www.mtasa.com.au) or obtained from the Secretary (info@mtasa.com.au).
WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK (WWCC)
New Legislation regarding Child Protection was introduced with effect from September 1, 2019. A ‘Police Check’ is now known as a ‘Working With Children Check’ (WWCC). The Working With Children Check is the most comprehensive check that exists. Anyone found guilty of breaching this legislation can be fined up to $120,000.
People working or volunteering with children in South Australia must, by law, have a Working With Children Check. A DHS/DCSI child-related check will be recognised as a Working With Children Check until it expires.
People need a Working With Children Check if they are in a ‘prescribed position’. This means people who are in paid or volunteering roles where it is reasonably foreseeable that they will work with children; run or manage a business where the employees or volunteers work with children; are employed to provide preschool, primary or secondary education to a child.
A Working With Children Check is needed for all schools (Government, Catholic and Independent).
For further information go to www.screening. sa.gov.au/types-of-check/new-working-withchildren-checks.
EVENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Enthusiastic volunteers are needed to help with various jobs at MTASA events. Tasks include setting up the venue, helping with registration at the check in table, ushering, assisting performers, helping with meals, and packing up afterwards.
It is a great way to network and a volunteering certificate will be provided, which will enhance your CV!
For more information, please e-mail the Secretary at info@mtasa.com.au.
TEACHING IN REGIONAL SA
In recent years each issue of SA Music Teacher has included an article about music teaching in a country region of South Australia. There are some regions that haven’t been visited yet. If you haven’t done so please write something – it doesn’t need to be very long – and also include a photo. If you have written something before you are welcome to send an update. E-mail the Secretary at info@mtasa.com.au.
ADD
MTASA MEMBERSHIP NOTES
Visit mtasa.com.au/index.php/members/becomea-member/ to join MTASA.
Current Full, Student or Associate Members are not required to submit any supporting documentation to continue their MTASA membership. Anyone applying for Full Membership (either Tertiary Level Qualification and Study or Recognition of Prior Learning and Experience) or Student Membership for the first time must fulfil all of the requirements listed and submit the appropriate supporting documentation. Associate Membership is no longer being offered but those who were Associate Members on September 24, 2017, can continue their membership provided they remain as financial members. Full Membership (Recognition of Prior Learning and Experience) has replaced General Membership.
MTASA Members are always encouraged to write to the Secretary about any concerns that they may have. The MTASA Council will consider your request.
TEACHERS OF THEORY/ MUSICIANSHIP
To be listed in the ‘The Directory of Teachers of Music’ on the MTASA website as a teacher of theory/musicianship applicants for Full or Student membership must supply evidence of having completed studies in this field to at least AMEB 5th Grade theory/musicianship standard or equivalent. Full, Student or Associate MTASA members wishing to have theory and/or musicianship included in their Directory listing should send copies of the relevant certificates to the Secretary (info@mtasa.com.au).
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ‘SA MUSIC TEACHER’
The Editor is always looking for things to include in SA Music Teacher. Articles can be about any music related topic. If you would like to write an article this is your invitation! A helpful hint, a comment, a joke, a poem, a cartoon, etc. … please e-mail them to the Secretary at info@mtasa.com.au.
CONTACTS
Some music-related organisations useful for South Australian music teachers
5MBS
RADIO 5MBS: MUSIC BROADCASTING SOCIETY OF SA www.5mbs.com
+61 8 8346 2324 manager@5mbs.com
4A River Street, Hindmarsh SA 5007
ABODA
Australian Band and Orchestra Directors’ Association (South Australia) ABODA SA www.abodasa.com.au info@abodasa.com.au
PO Box 327, Walkerville SA 5081
President: Michael Degenhart
ABRSM EXAMINATIONS
The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) www.abrsm.org
+44 20 7636 5400 (UK)
4 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
SA Rep.: Anastasia Chan +61 423 282 589 abrsmsa@hotmail.com
ACCOMPANISTS’ GUILD
Accompanists’ Guild of SA Inc. www.accompanists.org.au
PO Box 13064, University of Adelaide SA 5005 adyo@adyo.com.au
AIR
Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) air.org.au
+61 3 9329 7105
187 Peel Stret, North Melbourne VIC 3051 CEO/CFO: Maria Amato maria@air.org.au
AMEB
Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) SA & NT www.adelaide.edu.au/ameb/ +61 8 8313 8088 ameb@adelaide.edu.au
Lvl. 1 Hartley South, University of Adelaide, Kintore Avenue Adelaide SA 5000
ANATS
Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing (ANATS) anats.org.au/sant-chapter +61 435 300 070 admin@anats.org.au
ANZCA
ANZCA Examinations www.anzca.com.au +61 3 9434 7640 admin@anzca.com.au PO Box 3277, Nunawading Business Hub VIC. 3131
APRA AMCOS
The Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA AMCOS) apraamcos.com.au
+61 8 8331 5800
Manager, Writer Services: Alana Jagt Suite 29/8 O’Connell Street, North Adelaide SA 5006
ASME
Australian Society for Music Education, SA Chapter Inc. https://asme.edu.au contact@asme.edu.au
C/- Educators SA, Education Development Centre, Milner Street, Hindmarsh SA 5007 Chairperson: Kate Goodes +61 481 188 587
AUSTRALIAN STRINGS ASSOCIATION
Australian Strings Association (AUSTA): SA Chapter https://www.austa.asn.au/chapters/sa/ President: Bethany Nottage sapresident@austa.asu.au +61 8 8276 0359
Balaklava Eisteddfod Society www.balaklavaeisteddfod.org.au info@balaklavaeisteddfod.org.au PO Box 253, Balaklava. SA 5461 Administration: Trish Goodgame +61 417 891 834
ELDER CONSERVATORIUM
Elder Conservatorium of Music https://able.adelaide.edu.au/music/ +61 8 8313 5995 music@adelaide.edu.au Level 9, Schulz Building, University of Adelaide, SA 5005
ELDER HALL, ELDER CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC www.music.adelaide.edu.au/concerts/ +61 8 8313 5995 concertmanager@adelaide.edu.au
FLUTE SOCIETY
The Flute Society of South Australia, Inc. flutesocietyofsa.org admin@flutesocietyofsa.org flutesocietyofsa@gmail.com PO Box 3208, Norwood SA 5067
KODALY
Kodaly Music Education Association of SA www.kodalysa.com +61 405 066 469 sa@kodaly.org.au
6 Baroota Avenue, Rostrevor SA 5073
LIVE MUSIC OFFICE livemusicoffice.com.au info@livemusicoffice.com.au
John Wardle +61 2 9935 7875 john@livemusicoffice.com.au
