Intro to Heather Stewart Teaching
Introduction to Heather Stewart Teaching
Creative Approaches to Music Teaching
Hello and welcome!
I started this BLOG to publish practical articles and experiences from my teaching practice. I also post occasional videos of performances I thought were special and fun. More music performance stuff is found on www.heatherstewart.com.au
My name is Heather Stewart. I'm an Australian musician and music teacher currently living and working in Paris. I've been teaching and performing professionally for 18 years, and swapping and sharing between these careers over the years. I love teaching and I love performing, listening to, practising and playing music. Each inspires the other and I could never do one fully without the other.
I teach violin and voice, and general music classes for children. I studied classical violin, voice and piano and completed a Bachelor of Music (honours) at University of Melbourne. In this degree I discovered the fascinating fields of classical violin pedagogy with strings pedagogue Fintan Murphy, general pedagogy and cognitive neuroscience research (as related to music) with Dr Bruce Barber and focused study of violin and voice performance. At 22, the intended career as an orchestral player was coming in and out of focus. While avoiding auditions, I learnt jazz repertoire and sat in cold with jazz musician jams. I studied jazz and opera and began rebuilding my connection with playing classical music "for the love of it". I attended summer schools and workshops with jazz masters in UK and Europe, and studied with a very serious and intimidating classical voice teacher.
Longing for my family, horse and the red and golden brown of my Australian family home, I returned to Australia and began studying a post graduate diploma in jazz and improvising at Victorian College of the Arts. I went to gigs, met and heard loads of musicians and found myself drawn to the repertoire, harmony and improvising of the music of the 1920-50s.
By 2007 I was teaching three full days and running a string program. I sought more inspiration for this program and my teaching. I wanted to engage students and myself in teaching. I wanted to inspire and allow students to find the joy and motivation that makes you want to play, to practise and to build something. This lead me to complete a Master of Arts in 2009 at Monash University focused on improvising and string teaching.
The research began by examining the role of improvising in (western art music) "classical" string pedagogy. To have a manageable topic, I then focused on primary school string programs of the late 20th century and their pedagogical developments (Rolland, Suzuki, Nelson etc). I noted elements of improvising gradually being mentioned and utilised in these programs for developing musical skill and technique. After years of crossing between classical and jazz repertoire, I had personally experienced benefits from improvising in developing my technique and musical knowledge. I wrote a new case study program at my then-current school, to test out my personal findings and further develop the applications I had discovered briefly introduced in the Rolland and Nelson programs. I was convinced both they had suggested improvising at times but not fully explored the possibilities or potential for improvising to instruct and engage students. I included a range of repertoire styles and improvising presented in game formats as well as purely musical contexts. Although anecdotal, many of the children involved in the case study program demonstrated engagement, enjoyment and subsequent development of their skills.
In 2011, I worked with Zoë Barry and co-wrote a new program "Harmony In Strings". This program integrated improvising, songwriting, expression and social/emotional learning and closely worked with the school curriculum to engage refugee students in music making. This program was an incredible experience and changed the lives of all of us involved. It continues successfully with a fully supportive school principal and staff, and with considerable regret I left this program in 2016 to move to Paris with my family.
IF you've gotten this far, send me an email - you must be a dedicated musician, teacher or lover of music! I LOVE teaching and LOVE making music and want to share it wherever possible.
My current focus in 2018 is living with a little family in Paris, my performing career, my small teaching practice and writing about all three.
Contact me if you're interested in
•music lessons
•lessons for professionals
•music for children
AND if in doubt, come to gigs - it's the secret to inspiration and motivation!
Hello and welcome!
I started this BLOG to publish practical articles and experiences from my teaching practice. I also post occasional videos of performances I thought were special and fun. More music performance stuff is found on www.heatherstewart.com.au
My name is Heather Stewart. I'm an Australian musician and music teacher currently living and working in Paris. I've been teaching and performing professionally for 18 years, and swapping and sharing between these careers over the years. I love teaching and I love performing, listening to, practising and playing music. Each inspires the other and I could never do one fully without the other.
I teach violin and voice, and general music classes for children. I studied classical violin, voice and piano and completed a Bachelor of Music (honours) at University of Melbourne. In this degree I discovered the fascinating fields of classical violin pedagogy with strings pedagogue Fintan Murphy, general pedagogy and cognitive neuroscience research (as related to music) with Dr Bruce Barber and focused study of violin and voice performance. At 22, the intended career as an orchestral player was coming in and out of focus. While avoiding auditions, I learnt jazz repertoire and sat in cold with jazz musician jams. I studied jazz and opera and began rebuilding my connection with playing classical music "for the love of it". I attended summer schools and workshops with jazz masters in UK and Europe, and studied with a very serious and intimidating classical voice teacher.
Longing for my family, horse and the red and golden brown of my Australian family home, I returned to Australia and began studying a post graduate diploma in jazz and improvising at Victorian College of the Arts. I went to gigs, met and heard loads of musicians and found myself drawn to the repertoire, harmony and improvising of the music of the 1920-50s.
By 2007 I was teaching three full days and running a string program. I sought more inspiration for this program and my teaching. I wanted to engage students and myself in teaching. I wanted to inspire and allow students to find the joy and motivation that makes you want to play, to practise and to build something. This lead me to complete a Master of Arts in 2009 at Monash University focused on improvising and string teaching.
The research began by examining the role of improvising in (western art music) "classical" string pedagogy. To have a manageable topic, I then focused on primary school string programs of the late 20th century and their pedagogical developments (Rolland, Suzuki, Nelson etc). I noted elements of improvising gradually being mentioned and utilised in these programs for developing musical skill and technique. After years of crossing between classical and jazz repertoire, I had personally experienced benefits from improvising in developing my technique and musical knowledge. I wrote a new case study program at my then-current school, to test out my personal findings and further develop the applications I had discovered briefly introduced in the Rolland and Nelson programs. I was convinced both they had suggested improvising at times but not fully explored the possibilities or potential for improvising to instruct and engage students. I included a range of repertoire styles and improvising presented in game formats as well as purely musical contexts. Although anecdotal, many of the children involved in the case study program demonstrated engagement, enjoyment and subsequent development of their skills.
In 2011, I worked with Zoë Barry and co-wrote a new program "Harmony In Strings". This program integrated improvising, songwriting, expression and social/emotional learning and closely worked with the school curriculum to engage refugee students in music making. This program was an incredible experience and changed the lives of all of us involved. It continues successfully with a fully supportive school principal and staff, and with considerable regret I left this program in 2016 to move to Paris with my family.
IF you've gotten this far, send me an email - you must be a dedicated musician, teacher or lover of music! I LOVE teaching and LOVE making music and want to share it wherever possible.
My current focus in 2018 is living with a little family in Paris, my performing career, my small teaching practice and writing about all three.
Contact me if you're interested in
•music lessons
•lessons for professionals
•music for children
AND if in doubt, come to gigs - it's the secret to inspiration and motivation!
Short Teaching Biography
Heather Stewart B.Mus.(Hons), A.MusA, Grad Dip, MA (string pedagogy)
is a violin teacher and one of Australia's finest performing jazz and blues vocalists and violinists. She is currently based in Paris, France but travels internationally and returns to Australia annually. Heather's musical training includes a Bachelor of Music (violin and voice) from University of Melbourne, a performance Graduate Diploma from Victorian College of the Arts, A.MusA on violin and a Masters of Arts from Monash University studied under Fintan Murphy, Made Hood, Hollis Taylor and Janet Davies. The rest of the training included workshops, masterclasses and the largest learning for and in gigs and in the classroom. Heather has taught private lessons, small group lessons, ensembles, choirs, bands and string orchestras. She has conducted workshops for children, adults, music professionals and teachers. Heather currently advises professionals on diction and vocal technique, jazz singing and violin.
is a violin teacher and one of Australia's finest performing jazz and blues vocalists and violinists. She is currently based in Paris, France but travels internationally and returns to Australia annually. Heather's musical training includes a Bachelor of Music (violin and voice) from University of Melbourne, a performance Graduate Diploma from Victorian College of the Arts, A.MusA on violin and a Masters of Arts from Monash University studied under Fintan Murphy, Made Hood, Hollis Taylor and Janet Davies. The rest of the training included workshops, masterclasses and the largest learning for and in gigs and in the classroom. Heather has taught private lessons, small group lessons, ensembles, choirs, bands and string orchestras. She has conducted workshops for children, adults, music professionals and teachers. Heather currently advises professionals on diction and vocal technique, jazz singing and violin.
For more information or lesson enquiries please send Heather an email
Comments
Post a Comment