The South African Society of Music Teachers/ Die Suid-Afrikaanse Vereniging van Musiekonderwysers SASMT Annual report 2014: Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North-West regions This region has over 200 professional members affiliated to the Johannesburg and Pretoria centres and 16 institutional centres. Even though the activities hosted by the institutions (schools with subject music, music centres, universities and societies) are not necessarily done so under the auspices of the SASMT, they have a huge influence on the development of music. I thank them for the dedication in their teaching and promoting a high musical standard. The past year has been a busy one. The previous AGM and Conference was hosted at the Unisa Sunnyside Campus in Pretoria from 3-6 April 2014. The focus was on Engaging with the Community, aiming to bring musical education to all communities of society. The Regional Conference took place at Pretoria Girl s High School in October 2014. It was very successful with around 50 people attending. Enthusiastic speakers giving lectures on a diversity of subjects contributed to a successful and enriching morning. Two of the subjects eliciting intense interest were Creating an orchestra from scratch and Jazz Bands and how to deal with them. Between the presentations and discussions the audience was entertained by several young artists. Prostudio and Musical Gifts exhibited music books and gifts, and 3 music teachers had their theory and piano books for sale. The exhibitors had a surprise give-away where some of the attendees received some gifts. My thanks go to the Pretoria committee members and everybody who helped with hosting this event. Two successful music festivals were hosted in this region. These annual events are the main focus of both the Pretoria and Johannesburg centres and have significant amounts of entrants. Pretoria Eisteddfod( May & August 2014) This project requires ongoing attention and support. Participants can enter different categories including music, drama and art. With its extensive and complex compilation it becomes a challenge every year to manage successfully. The SASMT generates no income from the Eisteddfod for Pretoria centre and needs sponsors and fund raising projects for financial support. Johannesburg Festival for the Advancement of Music (July & August 2014) The festival is searching for a new, bigger venue and much time will be needed to consider the way forward for the Festival, their biggest event. Special mention was made of the highly successful SA Composers section and the enjoyable double Gala Concert. Johannesburg centre hosted two pupil concerts during the year and otherwise focussed on the Festival. Regular committee meetings, including delicious teas, were held. The
committee envisages an information day to assist and inform piano teachers. Financial issues were settled and non active members were removed from the membership list. The Pretoria centre organised several meetings, some with guest speakers, and others as social gatherings. Members were active and very supportive in hosting the national and regional conferences. The finances are looking good and membership numbers are on the increase. Members of both Johannesburg and Pretoria enter learners for the different examinations and festivals in the region as well as national competitions, obtaining excellent results. The concerto festivals are also growing due to the high standard of work being prepared by the teachers. It is uplifting to see that there is interest in developing the substantial musical talent found in the youth. News from the institutional centres: A. Universities: 1. The Music Division of the Wits School of Arts hosted the 8th Annual Conference of the South African Society for Research in Music (SASRIM) from 12-14 September 2014. The conference keynote address related to informal learning practices within formal music education environments. A number of music development projects and partnerships are growing the division s community engagement profile: The Music Enrichment Workshop Project (MEWS) provides low-cost or, in some cases, free basic music education for participants who don t typically have access to such, and draws learners from central Johannesburg particularly areas such as Berea, Hill brow and Parktown. MEWS fullfills a need for a more informal approach to music education than is offered in a degree and is designed to accommodate a wide range of students, adults, and sometimes school children. MEWS is funded by the SAMRO Endowment for the National Arts which contributes about R45000 annually to the project, and is co-ordinated by 4thyear or master s students, and teachers sourced from the current BMus cohort. Several past and present students have been employed by the Youth Orchestra Company as student teachers and conductors, herewith gaining opportunities to learn how to teach, conduct and run music projects. The Music Division formally established a partnership in 2013 with the JYOC to enable students playing orchestral instruments to participate in, and join, the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, or Jazz Band. In addition, the JYO performs Wits composition students compositions, enabling students to learn about orchestration in practice. In return Wits Music offers JYOC the use of the Linder auditorium free of charge for one of their concerts and helps to promote the work of the JYOC. Rena le Lona is an after-school care centre for vulnerable children in the Diepkloof area in Soweto. The organisation uses the arts to develop life-skills, and promote learning for children. They provide physical and emotional support for children in need. Wits Community Music students have taught music at Rena le Lona for three years, as part of their community music course, contributing to music and life-skills development for young children while developing their own teaching and facilitation competencies. The Music Enlightenment Project in Braamfontein is located in a primary school opposite Wits and provides music education in the form of Orff classes, an orchestral programme with group teaching, and dance classes.
The Wits Music Division provides rehearsal space for the Gauteng Choristers, enabling them to rehearse at a central and safe venue in Johannesburg. Wits students also participate in the choir which also performs as part of Wits Music s annual concert programme. A Music and Health project examines the effects of music-making in hospital settings. With the support of a Wits Teaching and Learning Grant, the project will involve students learning how to use their own performance and musical skills, for the benefits of anyone working in hospitals, as well as patients. 2. The University of North West is not active as a formal SASMT member. Dr Hetta Potgieter although was personally active. She helped in wording the proposal for the ISME bid and also attended the 2014 Congress in Porte Alegre 3. The Unisa Directorate of Music and Unisa Music Foundation hosted the 1 st Unisa International Flute and Clarinet Competition in February. A National Saxophone Symposium, which included workshops, master classes and concerts, followed in April. A special performance of Credo was hosted at Artscape on 27 April 2014. The Credo schools project from 2013 was extended into 2014 with special school programmes in Pretoria, Cape Town, Malmesbury, Robertson and George. A unique Guinness World Record for the world s largest busk at multiple venues was attempted on 11 June at 16h00. It was internationally coordinated by Musequality, a London-based charity that assists fund-raising for community music development in Africa. Unisa is still waiting for written confirmation that this goal was achieved internationally. The annual SA Music Scholarship Competition for outstanding Grade 8 candidates took place on 9 October, and the Unisa Directorate Music 120 th Anniversary Competition concluded with a concert on 31 October 2014. During 2014 several issues were dealt with by the Directorate of Music: All graded examinations were officially accredited as Short Learning Programmes of the university in 2013 where after music teachers had to be endorsed as accredited Unisa music teachers. The accreditation is an on-going process. Because of the extended postal strike, significant problems and delays were experienced because teachers do not always submit correct personal information. This is required to speed up communication and to ensure safe delivery of documentation and certificates via courier. As of 2014 all certificates are printed by the Graduation Department and are issued in English only. As of 2015 separate registration forms with separate due date for Practical and theory examinations will be used to smooth the registration process during peak registration time. New instrumental albums for Guitar, Violin, Soprano recorder and flute were released in 2014. 4. The Unisa Musicology Departement did not host any events under the auspices of the SASMT. 5. Unfortunately no reports were received from the University of Pretoria and the Tshwane University of Technology. B. Schools: 1. The music department at Kingsmead College in Johannesburg has 31 staff members teaching a wide range of instruments and voice. Group music making opportunities include choirs, chamber choir, orchestras, marimbas and various ensembles. The school annually
organizes and hosts two Orchestras & Ensembles Festivals for Junior and Senior schools. Individual pupils also partake in external examinations such as ABRSM, UNISA and TCL as well as the SASMT Festival for the Advancement of Music, Jan Celliers Kunswedstryd and various local and national competitions. 2. The music department of Pro Arte Alphen Park had a busy year which included events to celebrate 20 years in the current school building. Some of the learners performed with the Simfonia Juventi Youth Orchestra, the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra and at the Grahamstown Art Festival. The Pro Arte Music Ambassadors jazz band took part in the Tshwane Youth Festival, performed as guest artists at the ATKV Muziq competition and participated in the ATKV National Ensemble Competition in Stellenbosch. 3. Learners from the subject music department at Hoërskool Waterkloof were active on several levels. Many learners were entered for external examinations and music festivals in Pretoria. Two instrumentalists were invited to be part of the University of Pretoria Symphony Orchestra and two were members of the Simfonia Juventi YouthOrchestra. The school organises an internal art festival and offers chances for performing at several concerts. A piano pupil was part of the duet team which won the High School Category at the ATKV National Ensemble Competition in Stellenbosch. Another learner was a finalist in the PHMoore, Beka Bantwana as well as Atterbury Piano Competitions 4. The newest institutional centre is the music department of the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool where 10 fulltime and 7 part time staff members teach subject music, piano and all the orchestral instruments. Learners can partake in the concert orchestra, symphony orchestra, swing ensemble or the choir, which all enter for the Pretoria Eisteddfod. The orchestras toured to Namibia and the choir was named the best Boys Choir in the category for advanced choirs at the ATKV Applous choir competition. Performance opportunities included concerts at St John s College, University of Pretoria Lunch Hour Concerts, several choir festivals, an Affies-Grey Cultural evening, an Old-Affie Concert and the Four-Schools Concerts. The second National Il Vento Competition for Woodwind and Brass instrumentalists was successfully hosted during the October holiday. 5. No report was received from Brescia House. C. Music Centres: 1. The Arts Academy Pro Arte Alphen Park, Pretoria, serves around 270 learners from about 30 different schools (some as far afield as Middleburg and Polokwane) and has seven full-time and seven part-time staff members. Learners can also obtain lessons for music as a matric subject through the Arts Academy if it is not possible at their own high schools elsewhere in the city. Special events such as an Ensemble Concert, the Academy's Arts Festival and a prestige concert and prize giving are organized. 2. The Mamelodi Music Project operates in Mamelodi and on the premises of the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool to accommodate learners from several areas. String, woodwind, recorder, brass, classical guitar, percussion and voice lessons are offered. A new percussion set was acquired on which pupils can practise. Collaborative work forms an integral part of the programme and some of the ensembles were invited to perform at concerts for the Child Welfare Society, the Gauteng Women s League, as well as a lunch hour concert at the
University of Pretoria. Learners excelled at the Unisa Music Competition with the Project winning prize money in the order of R18 000. 3. The seven staff members at the Skuilkrans Musieksentrum at Laerskool Skuilkrans in Murrayfield, Pretoria give lessons in piano, violin, recorder, keyboard and guitar. Several of the learners are on the Unisa Roll of Honour for practical and theory results. Eisteddfod specific voice training, where attention is given that the repertoire is suitable for the age and voice of each pupil, is also offered. Sadly the teacher, mrs Irmanda Roos, passed away during 2014 after 12 years of committed service. Fortunately the post could be filled by a new young teacher. In 2015 a course in General Music History has been initiated. Three concerts are held annually where learners are encouraged to participate, and a prize giving rounds off the year. D. Societies: 1. The South African Suzuki Association (SASA) organized several collaboration concerts and hosted teacher training events in Johannesburg and Pretoria. An interview on ClassicFM, presentations at the NWU, as well as the PASME (Cornwall Hill) and ISME (Brazil) conventions were aimed at inspiring violin and cello teachers.