APATA Podcast

APATA Podcast

By APATA [The Australian Performing Arts Teachers Association]ArtsPerforming Arts
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APATA Podcast episodes

  • Ultimate Music Theory with Glory St Germain
    Meet Glory St Germain
    Founder and creator of the Ultimate Music Theory programs and the Global Healing Power of Music Summit.
    Coming from a family of entertainers it was a given that Glory and her siblings would learn music as naturally as learning to walk and talk.
    Glory understands however that not everyone has that kind of introduction to music.
    When she first started teaching young children, she found the resources quite challenging for them. So, she became an author, writing a program for learning music through all stages, no matter what style - be it classical, jazz, pop etc.
    Once evolving to speaking and delivering her program to teachers all around the world common questions kept popping up:
    · How do you teach music theory?
    · How can we generate income from teaching?
    · How do we communicate effectively and understand our student's learning style?
    Helping people to teach music theory effectively was the lightbulb moment for Glory. Here is where she incorporated Neuro Linguistic Programing [NLP] into her education.
    NLP = Understanding how people think and how you need to communicate to get the results you need.
    There are 3 types of learners.
    1. Visual
    2. Auditory
    3. Kinesthetic
    When you engage in these three modalities as a teacher your students will learn faster.
    "If a student can't learn from the way you teach, maybe you should teach the way the child learns."
    Glory has some great giveaways to download and share with our listeners. Please head to Glory St Germain's podcast page at APATA.com.au to download.
    38 min
  • Design Goals with Frances Story (nee Hannaway)

    Sometimes all you need is that one piece of golden advice to keep you moving forward. That advice can get you out of your comfort zone, make you see things from a different perspective and empower you to never give up. Conversations had between friends and colleagues can open a door you may have assumed was closed. 

    Meet Frances Story (nee Hannaway), Set Designer for Iceworks Design in Brisbane and dance enthusiast. 

    "My goal has always been design...I love that so much. I just needed some practical runs on the board with understanding how sets are built and understanding how they're used. 

    I already had the understanding as a performer, on the performance side of things, but understanding how they're used backstage and the function of how they're used in a theatre right through to knowledge of how they're built as well. It allows you to be a better designer. If you are armed with that intel you can use it to your advantage in your design rather than getting all the way through the design process and then finding out that its not actually practically possible due to budget, time or touring etc." 

    "What are those things that make you say, this is it? If I could do this for the rest of my life, I want to be involved in this. Start talking about it with people, let everyone know. Everything that has happened to me has come from a conversation." 

    1 hr 2 min
  • Do What You Love, Love What You Do
    It was while working as an acting teacher and scouring scripts for relevant content her students could relate to, that Talia Rowley realised that maybe if you want something done you have to do it yourself. Meet Talia Rowley, Founder and Chief Writer of Script & Scribe Creations delivering Australian scripts for Australian kids with themes and language we can all relate to.
    Talia had tried it all when it came to extra-curricular activities but her mum was adamant that she just needed to find that one thing, that spark that would ignite the amazing fire she had inside her. What was that one thing? Acting of course.
    Taking classes at the Australian School of Performing Arts, Film and Television (ASPAFTV) Talia instantly found that fire. Graduating with a Bachelor of Film and Screen from Griffith University and a Diploma in Screen Acting from Screenwise Talia's journey then came full circle, returning to her first acting school as a teacher.
    Writing hundreds of scripts for her students to utilise in the classroom Talia unknowingly setting her off on her future path and what would lead to Script and Scribe Creations which launched October 2020.
    "For young people here in Australia doing courses and acting there was no material that was relevant for what they were facing here and the kind of challenges they were experiencing even in terms of the rhythm in which we speak. The challenge was finding stuff that was challenging and age appropriate and relevant to different age groups and being able to provide all of that in a one stop shop that teachers, parents and students knew would be exactly what they needed. It took a while but that's where it started, from just wanting to provide that resource."
    Talia also has a team or young writers helping her build the Script & Scribe catalogue. Her energy and passion for what they do is evident and for teachers and students heading back to the studio and school wanting to learn more check out http://scriptandscribecreations.com.au/
    40 min
  • Woven Words With MC Trey

    Meet Pasifika hip hop artist MC Trey, a pioneer MC who was among the first females to step on stage at the dawn of Australia's hip hop music scene.

    Of Fijian and Samoan heritage, Trey grew up in Fiji moving to Sydney’s Western Suburbs at thirteen. Introduced to hip hop music and culture through movies like Beatstreet and Breakdance in her island home, it was at parties in Sydney that she experienced rap in a more personal way. The more she listened, the more Trey realised that rap was an outlet, a way of sharing stories and being able to stand up as Pasifika person and represent.
    A hip hop play performance at a juvenile detention centre lit the fire for a future working with kids, teaching them how to write and express themselves. Combining social commentary with social work through her agency Tapastry Creative, Trey is a soulful community advocate.


    As a speaker, leader, presenter and performer Trey works with government agencies and community organisations facilitating programs that connect youth to their culture.


    For teachers MC Trey believes it is important to find out young people’s stories and empower and encourage them to share and add to the Australian landscape. Allow kids to be part of the process, "They have a lot of the answers to the problems of today."

    Thank you, MC Trey.

    • Read this article for more
    • Facebook: @MC.TREY.SYD
    • Youtube: Treymuzik


        • 40 min
      • Yarrabil Girrebbah: Singing Indigenous Language Alive
        Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander [viewers, listeners, readers] are advised that the following article and podcast contains names and stories of people who have passed.
        Heralding from the Kombumerri [Gold Coast/Southport/Nerang] and Ngughi [Moreton Island] regions, Candace Kruger has always been surrounded by those who have taught her to lead by example. Her family has played an integral role in the Kombumerri region, her father stepping out of teaching to work in Aboriginal child welfare and ATSIC, leading communities in the Torres Strait and Roma and helping the Kombumerri people in establishing themselves as corporations.
        With 26 years as a music educator, choirmaster and currently Head of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives for Beenleigh High School, Candace is also the Director of the Yugambeh Youth Choir, teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children language and culture with song.
        While still in university Candace was approached by elders Patricia O'Connor and Ysola Best to go out on country and collect songs, language and memories from the regions' elders. The task became the book, Yugambeh Talga- Music Traditions of the Yugambeh People and was the catalyst for a life now dedicated to piecing together the narratives and recollections of her people. And earning the title of Yugambeh Songwoman. A role they say was hers all along.
        Singing Indigenous Language Alive is Candace's current PhD work, focusing on the permissions and protocols for how she has worked on country with her elders and community. With hopes that her template will inspire others to do the work for their own language regions on their own country and can be adapted and replicated in a way that works for them and their communities.
        "If we publish Aboriginal music - do we have permission from elders? Do we know the narrative? Do we know the storyline? Have we got it right? Are you following the correct protocols and is the community happy? Are there Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people actually learning those songs, not just non-Aboriginal people? When we sing a song alive is it being sung by the Aboriginal people that live in that region as well as being sung in schools. That's really important. That's that connection to your identity and the connection to the language and the land."
        Candace along with Indigenous Ethnomusicologist Lann Levinge and Isobella Kruger have composed the song for the 2021 AMEB Online Orchestra - Morning Star and Evening Star. The very first song Candace collected from Lottie Eaton at the start of her Songwoman journey, which has now found it's true place to shine.
        56 min
      • The Pride of Polynesia - Heimana Tahiata
        Meet Heimana Tahiata.
        Co-Founder and Co-Director of Heilani Polynesian School of Arts and Heilani Productions.
        From travelling the globe with Polynesian performance groups, Heimana Tahiata with his wife and fellow directors Leilani Tahiata and Fati & Waiana Tagata hhave spent the past eleven years bringing a touch of home to the Maori and Pacifika communities around Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
        the Heilani Polynesian School of Arts draws from the combined heritage and knowledge of their seasoned directors making them well versed to teach classes in Maori, Samoan, The Cook Islands and Tongan, as well as Tahitian and Hawaiian performance.
        The launch of their new Heilani website "where you will be able to join us from anywhere in the world for Pacific Dance, Fitness, Music, Arts/Crafts, Costume Making, etc!" adds a new dimension to their business with cultural dance lessons, breakdowns and new content added weekly, discussion forums and more, this is your chance to find out about your own Pacific heritage or learn something new!
        Heimana, grew up surrounded by culture and the performing arts. His mother was a member of the showband, 'The Maori Volcanics' and his father, one of Tahiti's best dancers. It wasn't until looking back at his life globetrotting with his parents surrounded by Polynesian performers and entertainers that he realised the incredible impact these showfolk had on him. He learnt by example how to be a professional performer and how your connection to culture can create a life in the arts. "That is what I want arts people to know. For us, what we do is more than just an artform. It goes so much deeper because you're talking about a people and a culture not just a dance. People can learn a modern dance and have no connect. With our people and with our artforms there is a connection because that art is actually a part of who we are and that is just as important as the artform and that's the difference and what makes us different from others!"
        Website: www.heilani.com
        Facebook: @heilaniproductions
        Instagram: @heilaniproductions
        45 min
      • Connecting Education to Industry
        Meet Richard Fabb
        · Creative Director of LiveLab, the commercial production arm of Griffith Film School, Griffith University, Brisbane.
        · BAFTA and Royal Television Society award-winning producer.
        · Richard has produced a range of broadcast programs for ITN, Channel 4, CNN, RTE, ABC, SBS, Channel Seven, Channel Ten and The Comedy Channel.
        · Graduated with an Honours Degree in Drama, specialising in Film & Television from the University of Bristol.
        Creative Director of Livelab & Senior Lecturer at Griffith Film School. The BAFTA and Royal Television Society award-winning producer speaks with Jason Raft, from JLX Productions and Iceworks Design, about his journey into the world of Film and Television.
        From the early inspiration of having 'The Omen' filmed in his hometown, to using his 26 years of broadcast experience to bring practical, industry-driven education to his students in Australia's only university-based, commercial, production studio - LiveLab.
        Richard shares his schooling and pathway into Broadcast Journalism and beyond, his mentors and teachers along the way and how his own experiences forged his teaching philosophy.
        What does it take for students to make it in today's industry during this time of disruption? What does industry want? And how building a network and making connections to industry while you are in school can make all the difference when it comes to starting your career.
        1 hr 20 min
      • All From the Heart

        Meet Jonny Ng

        •Principal Second Violin and Education Manager, Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra
        •Pianist in Ensemble Entourage for Musica Viva In Schools
        •Upper strings and piano teacher at St Margaret's Anglican Girls School
        •Tutor for the Queensland Youth Orchestra
        •Co-Founder, Music Lab Education Studio
        •Music Director, Hong Kong Pops Orchestra
        •Guest Conductor, Hong Kong Saxophone Ensemble & Polytechnic University Orchestra
        •Artistic Director, Hong Kong Festival Orchestra.
        .
        Jonny Ng's passion for music began when he was chosen for his school's strings program and from there he was hooked. Learning violin, viola and piano, Jonny would go on to play with the Queensland and Australian Youth Orchestras and, after gaining a Pharmacy degree on the way to medical school, music took over and thank goodness for us and Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra.

        Speaking with Angela Loh, Camerata's Managing Producer, Jonny takes us through his musical journey from those early days of inspiration to his current experience as an educator and professional artist.

        "Thinking back on those early years, music really was my first love and it grew into a true passion of mine...I vividly remember my 1st year in Queensland Youth Orchestra, when I was fifteen, and that whole first year was filled with the kind of goose-bumps or spine tingles you get when you listen to or play music. And that really had a huge impact on me."
        With music being the driving force of Jonny's passion for education he finds that passion resonating with his fellow Camerata artists, who have almost 300 years of teaching experience between them. Being able to take that experience to regional towns and communities who do not have that resource is a special part of Jonny's work. "At Camerata we're committed to furthering the opportunities for music students & teachers throughout Queensland with a real focus on the communities that we visit through our annual touring program."
        Jonny has a light in him that you'll hear in his voice and as a teacher and musician that light shines through. He believes in the value of educators, especially those in the performing arts.

        "Sometimes I think the biggest challenge we face as teachers is the value that society puts on what we do. In a past life I used to be a pharmacist, so scientific evidence is really important to me. Now there's almost 3 decades of research into the massive benefits of learning a musical instrument and brain development...I find music teachers really struggle with schools and parents believing music is simply a leisure activity...but it isn't, it simply isn't...It's a beautiful art form in itself and it gives us the ability to connect with people, it gives us greater empathy and sensitivity to emotions and it unleashes creativity."


        Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra

        APATA


        44 min
      • You've Got This!
        As a professional performer in the Music Theatre industry, Will has been on stage and in the rehearsal room for 20 years working the national and international touring circuit on productions including - A Chorus Line, West Side Story, The King and I, The Lion King, Aladdin and In The Heights.
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        After an incredible career there came a point when things needed to change. "Living out of a suitcase and chopping and changing, missing birthdays and weddings etc, this isn't an easy road and I was aware of that. After 20 years of being in the business I realised that I was not that person anymore."
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        Transitioning to Psychology and integrating his own experiences in performing arts, Will taps into the performer psyche and empathises on a whole other level. "The lived experience of being a performer is so valuable and my own experience with mental health has armoured me for what it is I do today."
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        Will has developed a range of mental health services that target the needs of Australian performers. One of which is the Teachers Mental Health Tool Kit. With so many teachers being the sounding board for their students it helps to give them strategies and language to do the best by themselves and their students. "It goes back to how I wish teachers had understood me while I was going through my professional development. I had a lot of battles."
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        "You won't always have an applause or someone telling you're doing a fantastic job and patting you on the back. Sometimes you just have to do it for yourself."
        38 min
      • Sensorium Theatre

        Meet Francis Italiano, Founder and Co-Artistic Director of West Australia's Sensorium Theatre.

        Francis was always being taken to a show of some sort by his mum, but it was a switched-on English teacher who introduced 'Frankie' to literature, theatre and poetry turning him into an admitted high school drama dag. Frankie would tell his teacher Val years later, that the stone she cast in his life had rippled beyond himself and into the work he now does with Sensorium.
        With a background in community cultural development in the Arts, Frankie is used to 'presenting theatre to people who might not have encountered it before'.
        When serendipity stepped in to inspire Frankie and Co-Artistic Director of Sensorium, wife Michelle Hovane, set off on a journey that has led them to creating Australia's leading multi-sensory theatre for children with disabilities.
        'There is an impulse...to share stories that is integral to [the] development of humankind and the continuation of cultures'.
        Michelle and Francis are dedicated to bringing the thrill of live performance to special needs and inclusive audiences and subsequently their parents, teachers, and carers through the artform of immersive, interactive and participatory theatre.
        Winners of the APATA 2020 Social Change Maker Award and the Australian Access Award for Best Not-for-Profit/Community Digital App, Sensorium was fortunate to secure organisational funding well before COVID-19 and as such they may forge ahead with projects addressing the change in delivery of their intimate work and further develop their online presence while they wait for a return to touring next year.
        'I'm grateful that we [have been] able to forge our way into the cultural landscape...the fact that we've kind of stuck to our guns and are now at a point where people not only accept what we do but support it and encourage it and we're getting kids into theatre who hadn't accessed that before... that's great!...it's lucky in life to be doing what we love doing.'
        www.apata.com.au www.sensoriumtheatre.com.au

        Read more HERE

        56 min

      About APATA Podcast

      From the publisher's feed

      The APATA Podcast connects teachers, students and industry practitioners training, working and delivering performance across all disciplines of the performing arts - dance, music, circus, technical, design, wordsmiths, musical theatre, arts managers, directors, theatre, comedy, specialists and everything in between.