Musica Viva Australia - Musica Viva Australia in Schools Digital Learning Resources

Nisha Feik has taught classroom music in Victorian schools for three decades, in primary and kindergarten all the way to VCE, as well as guest lecturing at Australian Catholic University and the University of Melbourne. Now she is Victorian State Education Manager for Musica Viva Australia. She writes about the role Musica Viva Australia In Schools resources have played in her teaching practice:

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Musica Viva Australia In Schools (MVAIS) resources have been formative when building my classroom music teacher practice. For three decades, I taught classroom music in Victorian schools. Mainly primary schools, but also kindergarten and VCE students as well as guest lecturing at Australian Catholic University and the University of Melbourne. I remember discovering Musica Viva Australia In Schools resources early on in my teaching career and having an aha! moment (and I’m not talking about Take on Me).

My great love in life is playing and listening to a wide variety of musical recordings and I am always looking for meaningful ways to engage my students with these. Now I really enjoy helping schools include our amazing ensembles and resources in their programs. Sometimes we are the program.

The supporting resources are excellent and of very high quality. I have been able to incorporate into my term program which is focused solely around Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Music.

Alexandria Park Community School, NSW

Digital learning resources for Imagination Exploration’s In Your Place

Rather than being written to demonstrate a particular musical concept, MVAIS resources activities are generated from the musical elements in the quality recordings and live performances. For example, the Life is an Echo resources teach students how to play Chinese and Japanese pentatonic scales and play along with one of the pieces from the ensemble’s performance. Learning about unique features such as these from the Life is an Echo show underlines Musica Viva Australia's approach to providing quality content for students to experience in the classroom and beyond.

MVAIS resources also help ensembles to customise their performances for individual schools.

The resources/lesson ideas provided by Musica Viva were a great way to prepare students for the performances.

Victor Harbor Primary School, SA

Digital learning resources for Life is an Echo’s Reflections & Tea: Tea Ritual

Upon booking a show, schools are invited to share details of what activities have been completed from the digital learning resources so the performance can be tailored to the students.

Our unique Student Creation Gallery is a space to share students’ work between classes and even between schools ahead of the performance. The Student Creation Gallery work is also shared with musicians, so that they can make their performance even more relevant and engaging. I have seen performances where this has happened and a whole school of students have sung every song and participated in every movement or body percussion pattern enthusiastically. They make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end!

Digital learning resources for Imagination Exploration, Activity 8: Leader of the band

Incorporating the resources in the weeks leading up to the performance significantly enhanced the students’ involvement and connection with the performance. Students were well-prepared with questions and felt confident responding to the musicians' questions.

Mullaloo Heights Primary School, WA

It is key to all MVAIS digital learning resources that they can be used by generalist and specialist classroom teachers alike. All the digital learning resources are aligned to the Australian and all state curricula and, most of all, they are FUN. Sometimes I pinch myself. After a long and enjoyable teaching career I’m now in a job where I get to help teachers to learn through our MVAIS resources + feedback + performance program. I know my colleagues in state offices feel the same.

If you are curious about how MVAIS online resources work, we are here to help. Contact your local MVA office on 1300 663 608 or email the MVA education team at education@musicaviva.com.au to request a short demonstration.