Register here: https://mtiis.co/world-music-pedagogy/ 

In this bonus podcast episode, Dr. Jennifer Walden and I sit down for a chat about the upcoming World Music Pedagogy course in May 2023. 

This unique opportunity for international school music educators is not to be missed!  

Accredited by the Smithsonian Institution and hosted by Jennifer, in collaboration with musicians from around the world, this course is a ground-breaking shift in professional learning for international school music educators. 

In this short (14 minute episode), we explore what participants can expect and why this course is going to be a beautiful space for connection, learning and growth.  

8 x 2 hour sessions throughout May, fully live online.  

$295 USD early bird before April 15th.

In this episode, Ollie Tunmer explores why the art of body percussion connects so well with the international school context. 

Since 'body percussion' is a fundamental part of cultural meaning-making in societies around the world, Ollie explores how international schools can find a deeper sense of community and expression through this accessible art form. Ollie has expanded his mission to work with many international schools, helping staff and students find connection to beat, rhythm and movement.  

As a former cast member of the London and European Tour casts of STOMP and their sister show ‘The Lost & Found Orchestra’, Ollie knows a thing or two about rhythm and percussion. Ollie and his team at 'Beat Goes On' are energetic presenters with a wealth of combined knowledge and skills.  

Get in touch with Ollie: https://www.beatgoeson.co.uk/contact/ 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Body Percussion Scheme of Work: https://www.beatgoeson.co.uk/body-percussion-scheme-of-work/

Listen to other episodes and get in touch with our community at https://mtiis.co

Kirrili Williams has been a Director of Music in international schools in Australia, UK, Oman and China.

With a research Masters in International Education, and many years experience teaching British-style and IB music, Kirrili provides articulate and nuanced insights for the MTIIS community. Kirrili is currently in Australia, so I made the trip up the coast to record this episode in-person. You may even hear the buzz of cicadas in the background - a quintessential sound of the Australian summer!

In this episode, we discuss:

These are just some of the highlights in what was an in-depth and fascinating discussion that reflects a broad view of music education in the international school context. All music department leaders and teachers will find some gold in this one!

Jana Beydoun had no idea what she was getting herself in to!

A one year teaching post in the UK was simply meant to be an opportunity to develop her teaching skills and do some travel. As a Slovakian national with an English Language/Literature and Music Education double major, Jana was well-qualified and happy to try some new things!

Twenty years later, Jana has lived and worked as a music educator in Tanzania, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong and Thailand. She has collected some incredible experiences teaching both 'British-style' and IB curricula, but has come up against a bunch of barriers due to the fact that she holds a 'non-dominant' passport.

In this episode, Jana and I discuss:

This is a wide-ranging and challenging topic that I thoroughly enjoyed exploring with Jana. Do reach out with any questions, or if you need support. There is a plenty of academic literature currently exploring this topic and I would be happy to share links to these papers for those interested. Also, do feel free to add your comments to the YouTube version of this episode if you would like to engage further with this conversation.

Jump on our website: https://mtiis.co for more information about this organisation or visit https://chriskoelma.com to get in touch with me!

Steve Jackman is an expert in understanding how to develop whole school music programs in international schools.  

Steve currently works at Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok as the Head of Curriculum Music. He oversees curriculum music for K-13 and knows a thing or two about how to build a program that is relevant, innovative and connected to an individual school context. Steve also completed his dissertation looking at Music Technology in International Schools and has some brilliant ideas for how to integrate music-making using technology right from the early years. 

In this episode, Steve and I discuss:   

- his current model for whole school curriculum, including a 'walk-through' from K-13.  

- a redefinition of the concept of 'music technology', based on his research in the field. how to integrate Musical Futures into a whole school curriculum.  

- viewing each DAW as a separate instrument.   

- the importance of connecting with your local international school network, if possible.  

Get in touch with Steve:

Jump on our website: https://mtiis.co for more information about this organisation or visit https://chriskoelma.com to get in touch with me!

w/ Liam Callan.

In November 2022, I attended the AMIS Music Educators' conference to present the keynote address. I encouraged the audience to think about their journey to international school music teaching and to reflect on the unique stories that we each bring. We all come to music education from a variety of angles and inevitably this feeds directly into how we teach our students.

Liam came up to speak with me straight after the keynote. He began to share a little of his story and it got my attention immediately!

That's because Liam is one of the few international school music teachers I've met that identifies as a Third Culture Kid (TCK). There is plenty of research into TCK's, including the seminal work by Van Reken, Pollock & Pollock (2010), and Liam and I explore what this means to him. This is truly fascinating!

The conversation then turns to how Liam is approaching music education from this lens. Having grown up in American international schooling models around the world, Liam finds himself at the crossroads between traditional US-style band-based programs and the student-centred approach of the IBDP. Drawing on his current context of Hong Kong, Liam consciously taps into his students interests in music production, luthiering, C-pop & J-pop, but also creates space to build a jazz-centred school band. Liam uses a 'music as paint' analogy to provide a rationale for centring his curriculum in jazz harmony. This was cool food-for-thought!

This episode will delight all music educators who are looking for some fresh perspective. Liam is eloquent, fun and a genuinely nice bloke. He is clearly passionate about what he does, but carries a layer of humility and self-reflection to each of his ideas. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Learn more about Liam's work by visiting his website: http://www.liamcallanmusic.com

Jump on our website: https://mtiis.co for more information about this organisation or visit https://chriskoelma.com to get in touch with me!

This episode was recorded live at the FOBISIA Music Teachers' Conference at Bangkok Prep International School, Thailand. 

I speak with three wonderful music educators currently working in international schools in the Asian region.   Delphine Hastwell is the head of infants music at Tanglin Trust School, Singapore where she has worked for 20 years! In her time, Delphine has witnessed some amazing changes to her school, the music curriculum and her surroundings.   Emma Jones has worked at Dover Court International School, Singapore for 4 years and has made it through a turbulent time with COVID restrictions. Emma's answer to my favourite question: "what makes a 'good' International school music teacher" is brilliant - you have to hear it!   Tara Berryman has just started her 2nd year teaching at Regents International School, Bangkok. Tara surprises us all with her intimate connection to international schooling, not only as a teacher, but throughout her childhood as well. Tara provides fresh insights into what it means to teach music in an international school for those who are new to their role.  

This is the first time that we've taken the MTIIS podcast on the road and it was great fun. 

A special thank you to the team at Bangkok Prep International School for providing space for this discussion.  

To join our community, visit: https://mtiis.co

This episode is dedicated to exploring musical theatre in international schools. 

I speak with John Prignano, the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Development & Education at MTI (Music Theatre International) - https://www.mtishows.com

John was a professional broadway dancer before beginning at MTI and knows a thing or two about musical theatre education! MTI is known as one of the leading organisations for licensing musicals to international schools. Their resources are spectacular and their support is second to none. 

John and I discuss the role of musical theatre in International schools and dig deep into the power of developing a strong program at your school. We explore some of the resources available through MTI and also the best ways for international school teachers to find support with producing shows. This is an episode not to be missed for international school music teachers looking to build their musical theatre programs!

International school music teachers should reach out to Adam Deremer for any questions about show licensing, school accounts etc. Adam can be reached at: [email protected]

For all other info about what MTI offers, please visit: https://www.mtishows.com

Alison Armstrong has worked as a music educator in Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Switzerland, Laos, Thailand and now Uzbekistan. 

Drawing on influences from all of these experiences, Alison represents a new wave of international school music educator. Unconstrained by tradition, Alison delves into the experiences of her students to create music programs that are truly communal.  In this episode, we explore the ways that Alison's personal reflexivity around her own music learning has informed her approach to music education pedagogy. 

Alison recounts her various experiences in international schools to draw a thread to show how tapping into student interests and cultural contexts creates incredibly powerful musical communities. I particularly loved her description of "the jam"! You'll have to listen to find out what that is all about. 

Using music technology, hybrid ensemble work, culturally diverse music styles and an "album club" all feature in this episode! It's a fun one.  

Alison is most active on twitter: @alisonmusicblog

Listen to more episodes at: https://mtiis.co

Andy Gleadhill is well-known on the international school music education scene, especially in the Middle East and Asia. Andy has worked with hundreds of international school music teachers over the years, specifically in the area of culturally unique styles of music focusing on drumming and percussion. He has produced books and resources to support teachers and presents workshops and speaks at conferences around the world.   

In this episode, Andy begins by sharing some crazy stories about how he traveled the world to learn a diverse range of musical styles. Andy then explores how he got involved with working in international schools and discusses his approach to teaching 'world' percussion styles. This launches us in to an exploration of the debated concept of "world music" where Andy gives the listeners some wonderful food for thought for how to approach this idea in the international school music education context. We then pivot to Andy's latest project looking at how music can impact student wellbeing. Andy provides a rationale for why international school music teachers should think about music and wellbeing and provides some fantastic practical ideas for how to engage with students on this.  Andy loves working with international schools and shares ways that we can get him on board in our schools.  

Book Andy to come to your school and learn more about Andy's work here:  

Website: http://www.andygleadhill.co.uk