MusicZettel: Recent Episodes
James Humberstone
In Music Zettel, I share ideas and resources for teaching and learning music from my lectures at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, from my own practice as a composer-producer-educator-academic, and from my free online course "The Place of Music in 21st Century Education". Warning - I'm a classically-trained composer, but I passionately believe our model for music education is exclusive, irrelevant, and broken. I advocate for a pluralist approach to music education for ALL children/humans, and welcome you to the discussion around those ideas.
In this, the final episode of the season, I reflect on some of the (eight!) resources that the amazing Jess Lee, Lillian Li, Vicky Zhang made (with me getting in the way here and there) for Genevieve Lacey’s wonderful Finding Our Voice project which commissioned 8 new works from Australian artists including William Barton, Linda May Han Oh, Lisa Illean, Madeleine Flynn, Jenny Hector, Tim Humphrey, Mark Atkins, Erkki Veltheim, Matthias Schack-Arnott, Lior, Nigel Westlake, Lou Bennett, and Sunny Kim.
Here is an AI-made transcript of the episode:
S3E15-Finding-Our-Voice_otter_aiDownload
This week I’m thinking about the project that I’ll create for our undergraduates and postgraduates at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music to learn about Project Based Learning (and similar pedagogies) with and through. In this episode, I share some of the previous projects with you, and talk about what Project Based Learning (PBL) is, and how when we do music education well, everything’s a project!
Comments are still broken on my blog, so please just send me a message in any format with your thoughts!
Here’s an AI-generated transcript:
S3E14-PBL-in-Music-Education_otter_aiDownload
Explicit Teaching (not dissimilar to Direct Instruction) is really in vogue with our local government at the moment, and this coming week all government school teachers have to undertake professional development in it. Of course, there’s a research base behind the use of Explicit Teaching, but does much of that research come from music education? And if it doesn’t, what should music teachers make of Explicit Teaching and similar ideas? Are they useful for music education, or will they get in the way of best practice?
In this episode, I speak to music teacher and research Dr Brad Fuller, who published a wonderful article on this very subject just last year: Is What Works Best, Best For Music Education?
Apparently my blog isn’t accepting comments at the moment, so please feel free to comment by dropping me an email or over on the socials!
Here’s the transcript of this episode, made by Otter.ai (so it will have a few inaccuracies!):
S3E13-Explicit-teaching-and-music-education_otter_aiDownload
I know, everyone is writing and podcasting about AI at the moment – YAWN! But the AI generation of music (audio) has just taken another huge leap forward, and in this podcast I wonder what it means for the teaching and learning of music creation – composition, songwriting, producing, and so on. Can students just get AI to do their work for them? Should we be encouraging it or banning it? And if the really good technologies make audio, not MIDI, how easy is it to create a score for that audio (in school systems where a score is still required)? I’ve created a load of tracks with Suno.ai and I’ll be breaking them down. Here is the score of Broken Pieces, one of the tracks that I speak about:
Broken-PiecesDownloadPlease get involved by sharing your thoughts athttps://humberstone.org/2024/04/19/musiczettel-s3e12-ai-and-teaching-music-creation/
Here is a transcript also made by AI (so it won’t be 100% accurate!):
S3E12-AI-and-teaching-music-creation_otter_aiDownload
Today’s show is sponsored by Abble and their new product the iSlave Mini, as well as by FcDonald’s. Please check out these unreliable products!
In this episode I’m reflecting on the list of pre-service music teachers’ blogs that I published via my blog yesterday, and the courses to which each relates. I make links to the brilliant Electronic Music School by Will Kuhn and Ethan Hein, and also to the DAYTiME music conference coming up in Adelaide and streamed online on June 14th this year.
I explain why public blogging is useful as a tool to encourage critical thinking, not just in undergraduate and postgraduate music education students, but, following my own research, for in-service music teachers, too.
Here is a transcript that should be tolerably accurate, thanks to Otter.ai:
S3E11-Public-blogging-CT-and-worldview_otter_aiDownload
Having had a grumble about the lack of an evidence-base in the local government’s supposedly “Evidence-based syllabus” in the last episode, I turn this into a positive, with the first of several podcasts accounting for my own research in music education, as well as others’. In this episode, specifically, my chapter on teaching music creation in Australia which is part of a relatively new book “The Routledge Companion to Teaching Music in Schools”.
I would really LOVE it if you’d add comments on the corresponding blog post for this episode… https://humberstone.org/2024/04/04/musiczettel-s3e10-teaching-music-creation-in-australia/
Here is an AI-generated transcript (so it may have a few errors!):
S3E10-Teaching-music-creation-in-Australia_otter_aiDownload
Following on from the last episode of MusicZettel, in which I focused on the positive things about the new NSW Syllabus, in this episode, I look at the things that the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) got wrong, especially given that they’re claiming this is an “Evidence-Based Syllabus”. I hope that this critical look at the syllabus is useful for listeners in other states and countries also being affected by syllabus/curriculum reform. NB This podcast was removed for a day following my website upgrade yesterday – there was no government conspiracy!
I would love to know what you think about this topic – please leave comments on the blog at https://humberstone.org/2024/03/28/musiczettel-s3e9-the-new-nsw-syllabus-pt-2-when-ideology-gets-in-the-way-of-educative-evidence-based-practice/.
I will post the unit of work planning resources for teachers planning for both the new and old syllabi on my blog in the coming days (again!).
Here is an AI transcription of the podcast:
S3E9-The-new-NSW-Syllabus-pt.-2_-When-ideology-gets-in-the-way-of-educative-evidence-based-practice_otter_aiDownload
I’m asking the big questions today, prompted by the new year 7 to 10 (12 to 16 years) music syllabus released recently by the NSW Government: what is classroom music education for? What are the aims of this syllabus, and can we remember the good to avoid the not-so-good? Today I’m focusing (mostly) on what’s good in this new syllabus, and using that to advocate for the same aims in Music Education.
I also mention an article that I wrote recently for AARE (The Australian Association for Research in Education) responding to the new syllabus, and you can read that here: https://blog.aare.edu.au/the-brand-new-syllabus-should-let-the-music-play/?unapproved=234158&moderation-hash=5ce8abd82ef18bc132a6a4b9443b8915
Please leave comments on the blog post for this episode at https://humberstone.org/2024/03/14/music-zettel-s3e8-the-new-nsw-syllabus-pt-1-what-is-classroom-music-education-for/.
Here is a transcript, generated by Otter.ai:
s3e8-syllabus-pt-1_otter_aiDownload
In today’s episode I talk about ways I’ve used samping in my own composition and production, and ways that I’ve used it to teach composition and engage children in my music classes. There are lots of ideas, and examples of music that I’ve written. My page of resources on teaching sampling with the Flip Sampler app is available here.
If you have any comments, I’d love you to leave them on my blog, where I publish this podcast series. https://humberstone.org/2024/03/08/music-zettel-s3e7-teaching-music-through-sampling/
Here is an Otter.ai transcription of this episode:
s3e7-sampling_otter_aiDownload
This episode of Music Zettel extends ideas about The Maker Movement for Music Education with a recording of my (lockdown) conversation with expert maker-teacher, Phil Nanlohy. Big thanks to Phil for recording this conversation for my students during lockdown, and also for giving me permission to include it in Music Zettel, even if that did take me a few years!
I would really love to hear from you with any feedback about this season of Music Zettel. You can simply add a comment here: https://humberstone.org/2024/02/27/music-zettel-s3e6-the-maker-movement-pt-2-with-mr-phil/
Here’s an AI-made transcript of the chat:
s3e6-maker-movement-with-mr-phil_otter_aiDownload
In this episode of Music Zettel I revisit the topic of the Maker Movement in music education – something that I’ve discussed in prior seasons. I also bring something back from those prior seasons – interviews with teachers! Caitlin Sandiford is a brilliant music teacher who plays in ensemble QuartEd, is a composer and music producer, and is doing a research masters at the Sydney Con. At the time of the interview, Rowena Stewart was a programmer by day, and volunteer teacher with the Girls Programming Network by night/weekend/school holiday. They both bring wonderful perspectives to this topic.
Please comment on the blog post from which this podcast was released: https://humberstone.org/2024/02/15/music-zettel-s3e5-the-maker-movement-with-caitlin-amp-rowena/
Transcript, made by Otter.ai so possibly not entirely accurate:
s3e5-maker-movement-with-cait-and-rowena_otter_aiDownload
In this episode, I show how setting a poem to music can be guided by the structure of the words, using an example from my latest music theatre work, Agapi and other kinds of love, created with poet and rapper Luka Lesson. I then explain how these students can use this approach as models for their own compositions and music productions, through free education resources I’ve shared. Music is by me, James Humberstone, and Luka Lesson. All text in and concepts for Agapi are by Luka Lesson and remain his copyright. You can access the learning resources I’ve made to go with the show here: https://humberstone.craft.me/AgapiRiverside You can buy tickets for the show, or a copy of the book here: https://www.lukalesson.com/
Please leave comments on the show on this podcast page on my blog: https://humberstone.org/2024/02/09/music-zettel-s3e3-the-sound-worlds-of-agapi/
Here is a transcript made by Otter.ai (may include some errors):
s3e4-stucturing-poetry-structuring-music_otter_aiDownload
In this episode, I introduce the sound worlds that I created to reflect the narrative in my latest music theatre work, Agapi and other kinds of love, created with poet and rapper Luka Lesson. I then explain how these sound worlds can be used as models for student compositions and music productions, through free education resources I’ve shared. Music is by me, James Humberstone, and Luka Lesson. All text in and concepts for Agapi are by Luka Lesson and remain his copyright. You can access the learning resources I’ve made to go with the show here: https://humberstone.craft.me/AgapiRiverside You can buy tickets for the show, or a copy of the book here: https://www.lukalesson.com/
Please leave comments on the show on this podcast page on my blog: https://humberstone.org/2024/02/09/music-zettel-s3e3-the-sound-worlds-of-agapi/
Here is a transcript made by Otter.ai (may include some errors):
s3e3-the-sound-worlds-of-agapi_otter_aiDownload
In this episode, I explain how to teach composition and production with free resources that I’ve made to go with my new show, Agapi and other kinds of love. These first set of resources are aimed at mandatory classes for middle or junnior secondary classes and use the title track, Agapi, as a model. Students make their own song based on this one. Music is by me, James Humberstone, and Luka Lesson. All text in and concepts for Agapi are by Luka Lesson and remain his copyright. You can access the learning resources I’ve made to go with the show here: https://humberstone.craft.me/AgapiRiverside You can buy tickets for the show, or a copy of the book here: https://www.lukalesson.com/
Please leave comments on the show on this podcast page on my blog: https://humberstone.org/2024/02/09/music-zettel-s3e2-rapping-about-history/
Here is a transcript made by Otter.ai (may include some errors):
s3e2-rapping-about-history_otter_aiDownload
In this episode, I explain the story behind my latest music theatre show, Αγάπη (Agapi) and other kinds of love, which is touring around Australia and the world in 2024. Music is by me, James Humberstone, and Luka Lesson. All text in and concepts for Agapi are by Luka Lesson and remain his copyright. You can access the learning resources I’ve made to go with the show here: https://humberstone.craft.me/AgapiRiverside You can buy tickets for the show, or a copy of the book here: https://www.lukalesson.com/
Please leave comments on the show on this podcast page on my blog: https://humberstone.org/?p=16664
Here is a transcript made by Otter.ai:
s3e1-intro-and-agapi_otter_ai-1Download
Well, five episodes in five days, and today’s episode coincides with our public presentation of learning, which you can still sign up for if you’re very quick: https://bit.ly/InventIdeas. In this episode, I look at the 5th elective stream – new pedagogies and technologies – including projects to build new social media, to build instrumental ensembles, … Continue reading Music Zettel S2E5 – Thongaphone!
In this episode of Music Zettel, I look at the theme of Virtual ensembles, multi-screen mixes, and animation in recent work by my students following my Technology in Music Education course. I’m sure you’ve all been wowed by virtual choirs, orchestras, and other ensembles of people “performing together, apart” over the lockdowns due to the … Continue reading Music Zettel S2E4 – Oh no, virtual choirs.
In the third Zettel of the week, I take you through a number of songwriting, composition, and other zany creative projects that our pre-service music teachers have produced in response to my Tech in Music Education course. Music included in this episode is by Kyra McMorrow, Matt O’Brien, Katrina Wu, and Emily Turner. If you’re … Continue reading Music Zettel S2E3 – Songwriting, composing, & creativity
In the second episode of this micro-season of Music Zettel, I’m looking at projects undertaken in the stream of digital resources for teaching, learning, and music making, and the related content from my Unit of Study “Technology in Music Education” at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. We’ll look at a number of digital resources that … Continue reading Music Zettel S2E2 – Free Resources FTW
Here I am, back with a second micro-season of MusicZettel, after abandoning the first one just when it was getting good (or was it?). Anyway, in this episode I’m going to tell you what the plan is for this short season, and for the future, as well as about a fabulous event coming Friday! If … Continue reading MusicZettel S2E1 – The Elephant in the Room
We’ve just had three wonderful days with our Maker-in-Residence, Linsey Pollak! In this episode, I reflect on the learning that went on, the Bad, the Ugly, and the Good, and we hear from my students who were involved in the residency at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. If you’d like to hear more music from … Continue reading Music Zettel Ep. 8 – A load of Pollak
In this week’s podcast, I interview Brad Fuller, director of music at Northern Beaches Christian School, about his pedagogical approach to teaching the class that I described in Episode 6, where our undergraduate pre-service Music Teachers wrestle with jamming with chord-playing instruments that are totally new to them and the philosophy of the Creative Music … Continue reading Music Zettel Ep. 7 – Teaching like a musician
This episode features a “flipped learning” video that I made for Key Approaches in Music Education at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the first year course that I mentioned in episode 2. For those wondering what “flipped learning” means, it’s when you take a part of a class that you’ve traditionally chalked-and-talked, and “flip” it … Continue reading Music Zettel Ep. 6 – The Creative Music Movement
This week we are giving away dozens of free resources for music education and technology! I’ll be reflecting on the first 5 weeks of my Sydney Conservatorium course “Technology in Music Education”, which culminated in a media creation session with brilliant pianist Lolita Emmanuel in which the students were the film and sound crew. I … Continue reading Music Zettel Ep. 5 – Tech skills & industry collaboration
I’ve been to Alice Springs to work on a new project, Ilyawe, and in this episode I introduce the project in the context of social justice in Music Education. You can find out much more about the project at its website, www.ilyaweproject.com. There is a longer version of this podcast at https://humberstone.org/?p=1219 with more background about the … Continue reading Music Zettel Ep. 4 – Music Education & Social Justice