Mr Matt Orchard, or Matty O to his students and colleagues, is a working muso, with over 25 years in the business and over 3500 gigs under his belt.
Matt brings his years of experience and passion for rock music into the classroom to inspire the next generation of music students at Apollo Bay College in Apollo Bay - a remote coastal town in south-western Victoria with a population of only 1600.
Music at the school began as a single rundown portable with a few elective classes. It’s since grown to have two band rehearsal rooms and two tutorial rooms, including a fully functional recording studio. Matt’s House Of Rock music program is taught in every grade at the school from prep through to Year 12. It offers a variety of activities that engage students in all aspects of modern music - including live performance, song writing, recording and technical staging.
Despite the limitations of living in a regional area, Matt still enables his students to experience live music opportunities, organising performances at local pubs, cafes and music festivals, including the hugely popular Apollo Bay Seafood Festival and Winter Wild Festival.
Matt believes that rock music has necessary and positive effects on our learning capabilities. Electric energy and fast, heavy beats can put you in a good mood, enhance focus and creativity and motivate you to work harder. Live performance and collaborating with others in a band setting is a proven way to boost confidence and self-esteem.
Watch Matt accept his Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award.
Mr. David Collins-White has been a music teacher at Haberfield Public School for 22 years, teaching weekly music lessons to all 650 students and conducting an additional 10 music ensembles.
When David first started teaching at Haberfield Public School there was just one ensemble of 31 students and no music taught in the classrooms. Today every student in the school learns music and David coordinates and conducts 4 choirs, 3 wind bands, 2 string ensembles, a recorder ensemble and a percussion group.
Beyond the school, David is involved in numerous musical initiatives and art projects across Australia where he shares resources and mentors other music teachers so they can provide a quality music education for their own students.
In 2015 David collaborated with the late Richard Gill in developing the highly celebrated National Music Teacher Mentor Program and participated in the pilot program. The program pairs experienced music educators with generalist classroom teachers to build their skills and confidence in teaching music.
David is the Artistic Director for the NSW Department of Education choral concert (Cantabile Music Festival), which sees over 1000 students from city and regional areas gather to perform at the Sydney Opera House.
David setup his own YouTube Channel where he has published numerous music video resources for other music teachers to use in their teaching.
David has seen many of his music students go on to have great musical success beyond his classroom, including world-renowned Juilliard graduate Cellist Rachel Siu and ARIA-nominated singer-songwriter Odette.
For over ten years Ms. Jane Nicholas has been the music teacher at Willandra Primary School, in Armadale, Perth. The school has over 600 students from 40 different countries that come from diverse cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds.
Jane has created a music program that captures her student’s diverse identities in music to build greater understanding, respect, and peace for each other. It provides opportunities for students to develop a sense of achievement, community, pride, value and connection.
The music program explores her students’ culture and language from all continents including Arabic, Tagalog, Hindi, Marathi, Swahili, Congolese, Thai, Malay, Japanese, Polish as well as the Australian languages of Noongar, Wongatha, Murrungan and Guugu Yimithirr.
Jane runs three choirs at her school: the School Choir, the Māori Choir and the Indigenous Choir, which have all come to be well respected by many in the WA music and First Nations communities.
The Indigenous Choir was established with the help of Noongar Elder and singer songwriter Uncle George Walley. The choir are regularly invited to showcase their skills and culture at large events and venues across Perth. The feedback from First Nations families was of pride, while the choir has been recognised andcelebrated by local and national First Nations musicians.
Jane also conducts After School instrumental tuition for up to 30 students, and musically supports regular assemblies, school events, and excursions. Jane is instrumental in orchestrating performances for key calendar events including Book Week, ANZAC Day, Harmony Week, WA Week, NAIDOC Week and Presentation nights.
Mrs Kath Dunn is a teacher at Wollondilly Public School in Goulburn, a regional city in the southern-tablelands of NSW located 2.5 hours from Sydney.
Kath has created a daily, 10 minute beat program that engages all 300 students at the school through regular and fun activities, supporting them to grow their skills and a love of music learning.
Every day, every class takes ten minutes out of their day to participate. The beat and rhythm activities work with the principles of reading, writing and performing music.
Basketballs, parachutes, stretchy bands, pool noodles, cups, scooter boards and the students’ own bodies are the instruments of choice - proving that music can be enjoyed by everyone at any time with whatever you have around you. The beat program is having a noticeable impact on students’ academic success, improving their focus, self-esteem and social skills.
Kath also regularly runs workshops for the school’s staff, sharing information on the benefits of music as well as hands-on activities so they feel the joy and success of being part of music making.
Kath organises regular school and community performances for her music groups and classes to demonstrate what they have learnt in the classroom, including Carols In The Park and the Easter Hat Parade.
Kath is a big believer that music should not be tucked away and should be part of every child's day. Her program constantly challenges and encourages her students not to give up, a skill that she believes transfers across all learning.
