CURRICULUM VITAE CHRIS BURCIN Music education is my passion. The study of music enhances students understanding of all other learning areas. I don t expect my students to become musicians, just better people. I perform regularly myself and enjoy creating unique musical arrangements. Whether performing, teaching or conducting, I hold myself to the highest standards and expect the same from those around me.
Classroom Music Teacher Choral Conductor Piano & Voice Teacher Bass Voice Classical Soloist Phone: 07 4039 3562 Mobile: 0413 867 400 6 Satinash Close Redlynch QLD 4870 AUSTRALIA Web: chrisburcin.com Email: chrisburcin@yahoo.com Date of Birth: 6 June 1974 Place of Birth: West Chester, U.S.A. Citizenship: New Zealand & U.S.A. Marital Status: Married to Michelle Burcin Children: James Interests: Running, cycling, hiking, tennis, ICT chrisburcin.com 1
EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS Queensland Teacher Registration Queensland College of Teachers New Zealand Teacher Registration New Zealand Teachers Council 2012- present 2001-2013 Grade 8 Voice with Distinction 2006 Trinity Guildhall, London Recognised Bachelor of Music with Honours/Dip Tch 2002 New Zealand Qualifications Authority Bachelor of Science in Music Education 1996 Choral conducting/ vocal music focus; piano major Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, USA chrisburcin.com 2
PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. (Antoine de Saint- Exupery) Education should empower our students to become ever more confident, creative, independent, thoughtful and active participants in our community and society. Through their subject, their passion, teachers should strive to galvanise students to take ownership of their learning, to celebrate the new skills and understanding they are gaining and to long for the chance to contribute their gifts and knowledge to the ever- widening world. A good teacher celebrates the diversity, dignity and potential of each of their students. They recognise that each student learns differently and deserves to have a number of opportunities or angles from which to grasp new concepts. Students should be encouraged to recognise why they are doing what they are doing; to see a reason behind the enormous effort and high expectations placed upon them. Innovative teachers may teach the same subject matter from year to year but how they deliver their course varies organically according to the needs and interests of the students before them. Music teaching plays a unique role in students wider education. Studies continue to demonstrate music education s impact on students cognitive abilities and competence in literacy and numeracy. Students who are musically literate gain an improved comprehension and deeper understanding of their other subjects as well as skills which will help them to flourish in a world which demands increasing creativity and ingenuity. We live in an ever- changing global environment. Schools must be safe places for students to express and challenge their ideas so they may begin to see their place in the world. Teachers and schools must prepare our students as best we can to engage in that world as self- assured, life- long learners who feel emotionally, socially, academically and spiritually prepared to not only survive but thrive throughout their lives. chrisburcin.com 3
TEACHING & CONDUCTING SUMMARY Music Teacher/ Religious Education Teacher St. Monica s College, Cairns, Queenland Co- Conductor with Rowan Johnston Gondwana Singers, Gondwana National Choral School, Sydney Co- Conductor with Lyn Williams Cairns Gondwana Indigenous Children s Choir (CGICC) 2013 - present 2014 - present 2012 - present Music Teacher/ Head of Department 2012 Edge Hill State School, Cairns, Queenland HOD Music & Performing Arts / Music Teacher 2002-2012 Waimea College, Nelson, New Zealand Associate Conductor 2007-2008 New Zealand Secondary Students Choir Regional Music Tutor 2004-2007 University of Canterbury College of Education, Nelson Campus (formerly Christchurch College of Education) Musical Director 2002-2005 Polyhymnos Chamber Choir, Nelson School of Music Music & Performing Arts Teacher 2001-2002 Kamo High School, Whangarei, New Zealand Music Teacher/ Choir Conducting Specialist 1998-2000 June Ryan School of Music, Apia, Samoa Via U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer Service Music Specialist Classroom Teacher (K- 6) 1997-1998 Kingston Elementary School, Massachusetts, U.S.A. chrisburcin.com 4
KEY TASKS & EXPERIENCE Music Teacher/ Religious Education Teacher, St. Monica s College Classroom music teaching for all Year 8 students and Year 9, 10 and 11 option Music classes at respected, private all- girls school (approx. 550 students) Religious Education and Social- Emotional Learning (SEL) teaching for all Year 9s (2013) and Year 10s (2013 - present) Conductor, HarMonica (formerly 16 Voice Choir), winning 1 st place in all Eisteddfod categories attempted (2013-2014) Assistant Conductor, Saints Concert Band (2013), consistenting of students from both St. Monica s and St. Augustine s Colleges Assistant Musical Director, Downtown: The Mod Musical (June 2014) Sacred Song: led the entire cohort of Year 9 and Year 10 in preparation for Catholic Education Week event (2013 - present) Music Teacher/ Head of Department, Edge Hill State School Classroom music teaching for all 1000+ students (30 min each week x 40 classes) Conduct Junior and Senior Choirs each of which consisting of over 50 students; Senior Choir won the school s first 1 st placing at Eisteddfods 2012 and Junior Choir Highly Commended Oversee Instrumental Music programme including supervision of four additional teaching staff and five ensembles (two concert bands, two string ensembles and percussion ensemble) Lunchtime clubs/ extra help for keyboard, guitar and keyboard Performances and concerts for the school community including school fete and parades and also Eisteddfods and other concerts Recording & mastering all school ensembles for the first time ever in 2012 chrisburcin.com 5
Co- Conductor of Gondwana Singers, Gondwana National Choral School Choose appropriate repertoire and co- conduct intensive rehearsals for choir of about 60 singers (SATB) from across Australia over two weeks at Macquarie University, Sydney, culminating in a performance at The Concourse, Chatswood Co- Conductor of CGICC Conduct rehearsals and performance in place of conductor Lyn Williams Theory lessons in place of staff who are away absent Head of Music & Performing Arts Department, Waimea College Overall responsibility for music, drama and dance activities at the largest secondary school in the area (approximately 1500 students) Developed the Performing Arts Department from one classroom teacher to four teaching staff, full- time Arts Coordinator, up to 12 itinerant music tutors and a full range of Music, Drama and Dance classes from Years 9-13 in 2011 Taught curricular Music classes for Years 9-13 and Performing Arts (Drama/ Dance) Years 9 and 11 Conducted the concert orchestra, formed and conducted the school s two vocal ensembles (Camerata and Belle a Cappella) and managed all music ensembles Led Belle a Cappella choir to perform at The Big Sing National Finale in winning Silver, Bronze and Youth Ambassador awards Oversaw renovations to the Performing Arts Department which added a digital recording studio, a sound- proofed recording room and a computer suite Supported and encouraged all styles of music within the department, with a focus on excellence in performance and music literacy Led student groups on a number of New Zealand and international music tours including Samoa (2004) and the Bonyi Youth Music Festival, Brisbane (2007) Musical director for school production of Jesus Christ Superstar chrisburcin.com 6
Head of Creative Faculty, representing staff in the Performing & Visual Arts, Design and Materials Technology Departments Trained and supported student conductors of Camerata choir and oversaw Performing Arts Captains, House Captains and leaders within ensembles Head of Sheppard House, one of the four school houses Served on the Curriculum, Professional Development and ICT Committees as Creatives Faculty respresentative Associate Conductor of the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir Shared responsibility with the music team for selecting repertoire, planning rehearsal camps and tours, and directing 55 students from throughout the country Conducted and accompanied the choir at concerts Recorded rehearsals and performances using Protools Shared the pastoral care of 55 students on camps and tours Toured throughout New Zealand and to Brazil and Argentina for the Melodia! Youth Music Festival (July 2008) chrisburcin.com 7
PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE More detail, including audio and video, may be found at chrisburcin.com/performer Tango Amor/ Paradise Concerts Int l Chamber Music Series 2012- present Accordion/ piano with professional tango duo/ Classical concert series Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir 2002-2013 (formerly Tower Voices) New Zealand (national) Comrade Z 2010-2012 Accordion/ Vocals as character Fyodor Mikhailov Co- founder of New Zealand s loudest East European folk band Baroque Voices 2010-2011 Early Music Ensemble, Wellington, New Zealand Classical Bass Voice Soloist 2001-2011 Nelson Civic Choir & Orchestra, Consortium Choir, Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir Trent de L Amour and the Subcommittee 2009-2011 Trombone/ Hammond Organ/Keys/Vocals Co- founder of Nelson s Premiere Funk Lounge band Nelson Symphony Orchestra Trombone in various concerts, as required 2005-2009 Musica Ficta 2007-2011 Founder of Nelson s Early Music Vocal Ensemble chrisburcin.com 8
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PAC Australian Curriculum Development Creating Music Learning Area Plan and Year 7 and 8 units in alignment with the new Australian Curriculum to be shared with all schools in the Cairns Dioceses Queensland Orff Schulwerk Association Workshops and publications which furthered my understanding of the developing Australian Curriculum and current trends in Music education in Australia Recording/ Mastering with Nigel Pegrum at Pegasus Studios, Cairns One- on- one tutelage on professional- standard Protools software with a focus on properly recording and mastering school ensembles and producing professional- quality CDs Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir Enriched my classroom teaching and conducting by working as part of this professional ensemble, conducted by Dr. Karen Grylls, throughout New Zealand and abroad alongside top professional groups including the NZ Symphony Orchestra and the Hilliard Ensemble MENZA Member of professional body Music Education New Zealand Aotearoa New Zealand Choral Federation A member of this professional body, attended and shared conducting workshops Nelson Music Teachers Cluster Meetings Attended and facilitated meetings with music teachers in the Nelson area to moderate marks on internal assessments against the national standards. New Zealand Curriculum and NCEA Realignment Participated in teacher- only days focusing on the revised New Zealand Curriculum and implemented these standards as part of NCEA chrisburcin.com 9
SKILLS, STRENGTHS & INTERESTS Choral Conducting Experienced conductor with singing groups of a variety of ages, abilities and genres Intrumental & Vocal Tuition Piano and voice to advanced level, trombone, accordion and guitar to intermediate level Choral Arranging and Workshops Created pieces which have been performed by a number of choirs throughout New Zealand. Watch performances of my works at: www.chrisburcin.com/arrangements ICT & Web Design Keen interest in Google Drive/ Docs and finding ways streamline teacher data collection and workload Lead teacher at Waimea College for new technologies, including Smartboards, and designed and maintained various blogsites in a professional capacity Sibelius confidence with this specialist music software Protools experienced in this industry- standard recording software Word/ Excel proficient in standard PC software PC and Mac comfortable on both platforms chrisburcin.com 10
REFERENCES Kristen Sharpe The Principal St. Monica s College 177 Abbott St. Cairns Queensland 4870 Australia (07) 4042 4800 kristen.sharpe@stmonicas.qld.edu.au Lyn Williams OAM Founder and Artistic Director Gondwana Choirs Pier 4 Hickson Road Millers Point NSW 2000 Australia (02) 8274 7000 Lyn@gondwanachoirs.com.au Karen Grylls Associate Professor Artistic Director, Voices NZ Chamber Choir, NZ Youth Choir www.youthchoir.org.nz School of Music, University of Auckland, New Zealand Undergraduate Advisor, Head of Choral Studies Artistic Director, Exultate Chamber Singers, Toronto www.exultate.net k.grylls@auckland.ac.nz chrisburcin.com 11