Curriculum Vitae
I am a musician and teacher of music with over 30 years’ experience, having taught music in schools in NSW and Tasmania. I specialise in Contemporary Music with key skills in ensemble direction and arranging, composition, music production, program development and instrumental training in guitar, keyboard, drums and vocals. I am an experienced online education developer and audio engineer and currently teach music in private practice.
I have taught students from Prep through to Grade 12 across a wide range of abilities and interests. Differentiation in terms of ability, but also the interests and motivations of individual students, is built into the way I teach. I have found students will naturally strive to discover their own musical expression and so my practice lends itself easily to a student focused pedagogy. To do this I need to be flexible, open to new ideas and call on a considerable skill set as a musician, as well as a teacher.
Career Highlights
2020-2023 Music and Support Teacher at Austins Ferry Primary School
At Austins Ferry Primary School I developed and implemented the music program for around 500 students from Prep through to Grade 6. The driving principle of this program was to maximise student engagement. I consciously chose to focus on listening, performing and composing in a variety of Contemporary Music styles. This proved effective both in the classroom and in enrichment opportunities such as Choir, Rock Band and the instrumental program.
I also worked in a support role, running targeted music programs for students with specific needs. In this role, I created resources in Braille for a blind student,
facilitated drum circle groups for trauma effected students, piano programs for students with a learning disability and other targeted programs for students with ASD and ADHD. I collected data, worked with families, other teaching staff and allied health professionals, as well as consulting relevant research and psychological assessments. I was able to use data collected as a support teacher to contribute to student learning plans.
Highlights of my time there included:
- The development from scratch of an engaging and dynamic music program.
- Twice performing at MONA’s 24 Carrot Garden Festival.
- Performances at community events and school assemblies.
- Supporting students with complex behavioural and learning needs to develop skills in collaborating, problem-solving and communicatiion through music.
- A positive impact on individual students and the whole school culture through a strong and vibrant music program.
2020 – Music Teacher at Mt Nelson Primary School
In 2020, I worked for two days a week at Mt Nelson Primary School and three days at Austins Ferry. At Mt Nelson I replaced the regular music teacher who took one year long-service leave and had already built a strong music program. My goal there was to preserve the program and the strong culture of music performance in the school. I took over students from Grade 2 through to 6 as well as two large choirs and a marimba ensemble. I also established a classical guitar group.
2016-2019 Big Picture Advisor and Music Teacher at Montrose Bay High School
Working as a Big Picture advisor was a seminal part of my early teaching career and instilled in me the necessity of a strong student focused practice. I learned to do that effectively in large and diverse groups and since then have seen how powerful these skills are in the music classroom.
I drew heavily on the Australian Curriculum to ensure students met and exceeded requirements across core curriculum areas. I explored cross curriculum links,
particularly integrating music and the arts into individualised learning programs. I also facilitated ukulele and percussion ensembles, and a small but enthusiastic choir.
At Montrose Bay High I was occasionally asked to participate in the school’s wider music program, contributing to specific projects as required and covering for the music teacher, including a six-week period in 2017.
2013-2015 Relief Music Teacher
Upon completion of my degree I was employed as a relief teacher at Emmanuel Anglican College in Ballina, NSW. I had the opportunity to work with young musicians from Grade 7 through to 12 in Concert Band as well as contemporary Rock and Jazz ensembles. Upon arrival in Tasmania in July 2013 I worked as a relief teacher at DoE high schools and colleges around Hobart teaching music and other subjects as required.
2011-current Online Education Developer
I worked in the ICT industry from 1981 to 1989 and have followed the evolution of digital technolgies closely since then, particularly in music. I have developed a number of websites for commercial and educational purposes using CMS technologies such as Drupal, WordPress, Moodle and more recently CANVAS. My current project teaches adults to play home-made three and four string guitars, it can be found at https://www.learncigarboxguitar.com.
The music classroom provides many opportunities to integrate ICT literacy. I’ve used it in composition and performance tasks, to develop reading and aural skills and develop understanding around music theory. It allows students to access rich and meaningful learning in music without requiring often complex instrumental skills which can be a barrier for some.
1990-current Musician and Audio Engineer
I studied classical guitar from a young age and have worked as a musician all of my adult life. As a working musician I’ve performed as a soloist and in a range of different ensembles in both leading and supporting roles across the country.
I completed a combined Bachelor of Contemporary Music/Education degree at Southern Cross University in Lismore, NSW in 2012. I majored in voice and guitar while consolidating my skills in ensemble direction, composition, arrangement, music production, audio technologies and music theory.
I have also worked as an audio engineer for many years and am proficient in the wide range of technical skills required of a contemporary musician. These include live sound reinforcement and studio recording techniques in both digital and analog environments, as well as the use of software such as ProTools, Cubase, Logic, Musescore, Sibelius and Ableton Live.
Key Strengths
- Student focused pedagogy
- Ensemble direction and arranging
- Exploring links between music, the arts and other curriculum areas
- The use of ICT to engage a diverse range of learners
- Planning for differentiation at all levels
- Explicit teaching and learning
- Parent and carer communication
- Liaising with support staff and teacher aides
- Adapting audio technologies to the classroom
- Event management
- Positive behaviour support
Relevant Qualifications
- 2012, Bachelor of Contemporary Music/Bachelor of Education, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW
- 1993, Diploma of Audio Engineering, School of Audio Engineering, Sydney, NSW
Professional Learning Highlights
- Research into the impact of music education on different areas of cognitive function – Academia.com, Southern Cross University and University of Technology Sydney libraries (alumni access).
- Berry St Education Model – Four day training course (2021)
- Percussion in the Classroom workshop with Tracey Patten from the TSO (2021).
- Instrumental tuition with Mark Marshall (2018)
- Online piano tuition (2017) www.udemy.com
- Big Picture Foundation Training (2017) www.bigpicture.org.au/cc_events
- Getting Started with Positive Education – Geelong Grammar School (2018)
- In house PL at MBH and AFPS including sessions on: Feedback, Learning Intentions/Success Criteria, unpacking NAPLAN data, Choice Theory, Deliberate Practice, Differentiation, Learning Plans, Behaviour Management, Student Engagement and the Inquiry Process, CANVAS
Community Involvement
As a working musician I have always been actively engaged in the wider community. While my professional playing days are mostly behind me, I still enjoy the unique opportunities that being a musician allow, such as:
- I was an active member of the South Arm Community Choir (2017-2018)
- In the summer of 2019/20 I organised, promoted and facilitated monthly jam sessions on behalf the Hobart Blues Club at The Republic Hotel.
- I offer free tuition on my YouTube channel for players of three and four string homemade guitars. www.youtube.com/user/LearnCigarBoxGuitar
- I’m an active musician in the Hobart community.
Portfolio
In 2022 as part of the TRB’s Experienced Teacher Pathway to Full Registration I created a Portfolio, excerpts of which can be found here. I have removed any identifying images or names of students.
Referees
Referee names and contact details are availble on request. Please use the Contact page to get in touch.
PatCurley.com 