Technological Advances that Shape Practice Towards Better Teaching and Learning Experiences in the Study of Music

Arts and humanities educators have been urged in recent years to remain attentive to the political, economic, and ideological forces shaping their institutions, their work, and their students’ expectations. The arts landscape continues to face challenges such as global pandemics, online learning, and changing student populations. In continuing to be mindful and engage with teaching and learning as a collective, we must persevere and share both our successes and challenges in the arts and humanities teaching and learning space. At Sydney Conservatorium of Music (SCM), at the University of Sydney, Australia, we have a workforce of expert musicians who mentor tertiary music students within a variety of disciplines including music composition, performance, musicology, etc. In their roles as practice-focused educators, these musicians have significant experience of teaching and learning, yet many have had no opportunities to engage in formal training as higher music educators. In order to provide formal training as an essential component of an academic’s growth and development, institutions have established short-term postgraduate programs, such as the Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Higher Education). We present two examples of how this formal training has led to significant innovations within our faculty’s teaching practice. The importance of encouraging arts practitioners to engage in this training has established a framework of excellence in our tertiary music institution and challenges music educators to refocus on the significance of teaching and learning in music degrees globally.