The inclusion of jazz ensembles within extra-curricular instrumental music programs in secondary schools in Australia has grown exponentially in the past two decades. Despite this growth, there is a deficiency of specialist teacher training in jazz education and pedagogy in Australian tertiary institution instrumental music courses. This lack of…

This paper investigates one experienced classroom music teacher's journey in navigating syllabus changes in New South Wales (NSW) secondary schools in the period between 1968 and 1978. A significant dearth of research on teacher education in general, and in particular, in the area of secondary music teaching exists in NSW. This research will add…

In 1993 the Victorian Music Teachers' Association (VMTA) published a fund-raising cookbook, Prestissimo Food for Agitato Musicians. Community cookbooks provide social historians with valuable windows into the lives and personalities of the contributors. The VMTA cookbook is no exception, bringing individuals into sharp relief and including asides…

Despite recognition of the value of music in education, the policies of governments have not always been reflected in the provision for music teaching in schools. This article represents a retrospective analysis and review of government policy in relation to the provision of music teachers and teacher training in Australia, with a focus on the…

This article proposes and discusses a theoretical framework that combines elements from critical policy sociology and discourse theory to study enactments of policy for research-based music teaching in three Swedish policy contexts. Sweden, being the first country to incorporate legal demands for research-based education into its Education Act in…

It is almost as if there are two Bartóks -- the amiable collector of Hungarian folk music and the 'infernal' barbarian intent on destroying the music of the past (Gillies, 2010). These two sides of Bartók's character may be seen in such disparate works as "The Miraculous Mandarin" (1919) and his "Suite" No. 2, Op. 4 (1904-07).…

The initial application of evolutionary theory to the universal practice of music-making in humans was at best marginal and at worst dismissive of non-Western musics. Darwin's biography defines an agenda for musicality in the emergence of human culture that is receiving considerable attention in several disciplines, presenting a robust case for…

In 2020, the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) within the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education published "What Works Best: 2020 Update (WWB2020)." Drawing on Michael Apple's "simple questions" as a theoretical lens, this paper analyses the first two "Themes, Practices, or Strategies" (TPS)…

The paper explores the relationship between the regulatory requirements to be registered to teach and the provisions to meet these requirements in the initial teacher education programs in Australia. This is part of a broader study of the regulatory requirements for music and art teachers in primary and secondary schools in Australia, and only the…

This article is the starting point of a longitudinal research project, The New Era of Music Education: Technology, Creativity, and Policy. This project investigates how music curricula and teachers' perspectives on technology, technological competency, and approaches will transform owing to the evolution of technology over the 2020s. Eight…

This paper discusses the results of an anonymous survey completed by 239 Australian piano teachers in relation to the teaching materials and practices used by teachers with piano students aged 12-17, older beginners. The survey, which is part of a broader study investigating constructivism in music education, explores teacher choices and opinions…

This paper examines the state of music education in Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores government and school responses, adaptations in music education, teacher education and professional development, and challenges faced in music education during the pandemic. The findings highlight the need for further professional development in…

Early-career teachers are referred to in the literature as being in their first few years of teaching experience (Ballantyne & Zhukov, 2017; Dabback, 2018). This research aims to identify current issues that affect the aspirations of early-career secondary school music teachers, including what motivates and engages them in their work and what…

The purpose of this paper is to share the initial outcomes of a doctoral study about teaching for creativity in primary schools. The investigation inquired into how and why educators teach for creativity and implement creative processes in music, performing arts and generalist classrooms. The key outcomes discussed in this paper refer specifically…

The paper, presented as the Jacinth Oliver Memorial Address at the ASME national conference in 2017 explores a range of issues in music, education and music education. Past addresses are explored in the framework of a series of preludes.