Papers

1. Tertiary music curriculum
2. Musical culture of Australia

ISBN: 978-1-921291-20-3
Published by Griffith University

Peer reviewed papers from Music in Australian Tertiary Institutions: Issues for the 21st Century, the 2007 National Conference of NACTMUS, held at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.

Introduction

The 2007 National Conference of the National Council of Tertiary Music Schools (NACTMUS) was held from 29 June to 1 July 2007, and was hosted by Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, Griffith University, Brisbane. Titled Music in Australian Tertiary Institutions: Issues for the 21st Century, the conference provided a national platform to address issues relevant to the achievement of excellence and diversity in tertiary music education. In particular, it focussed on the people who represent the discipline of music in Australia’s universities, and the elements that inform their work:

• the students, their learning, and graduate outcomes within the context of a dynamic external environment
• the wider community of music practice in Australia, and how this relates to the work of tertiary students and staff
• the staff, the scholarship that informs their teaching, and their career aspirations within the higher education sector

Nineteen tertiary music institutions were represented at the conference, with presenters from over a dozen institutions across Australia. The full conference papers underwent a double blind peer review process. Two themes emerged from the compilation of those papers accepted for publication:

1. The shape of the contemporary tertiary music curriculum in Australia and its delivery, including models for delivery and assessment; the role of technology; the interface between music and other disciplines; instrumental pedagogy; and the question of what our students need, and how can this be embedded in tertiary learning environments and programs.
2. The musical culture of Australia and its relationship to tertiary institutions; synergies and tensions between academic programs and the music industry; the tertiary music institution as an arts organisation and community resource; and the interface between professional creative practice and research among tertiary music academics in Australia.

Professor Malcolm Gillies (UK) gave one of the keynote addresses, based on decades of industry and academic experience: an exploration of current issues in the musical culture of Australia. The other keynote address was given by Dr Helen Lancaster (Brisbane, Australia), and was the outcome of several years’ focussed academic research on leadership in tertiary music institutions. This has led to contrasting but complementary formats of an informal speech and an academic paper for their written addresses. The editorial comments by Professors Peter Roennfeldt and Richard Vella reflect on the national significance of these keynote presentations and all the conference papers, and provide the context for them.

Each paper is downloadable as a PDF. Please refer to the citation link should you wish to cite any of the papers