TASME Term 3 Newsletter, 2022

Message from State Chair - Paul Radford

Welcome to the Term 3 TASME Newsletter. Alas, we never seem to be able to get our newsletter out at the beginning of each term, mainly because there's always something new to add!

In this edition, I wish to draw members' attention to a number of upcoming events:

• a student composition workshop with Dr. Maria Grenfell (2 September) - we're particularly grateful to the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for their support with tickets for workshop participants to the performance of Grenfell's work, Tarraleah, the same evening.

• a pre-service and graduate teacher workshop on how to set up and run an ensemble program, with Glenn Shultz, Head of Music at Taroona High School (9 September).

• the visit to Tasmania by Dr. Joanne Heaton, Head of Bands at Haileybury College in Melbourne (26-7 September).

Please click on the above links to go directly to the relevant sections of this newsletter and forward the information to whomever you think would benefit from it.

You'll also note that information is now available about the 2023 ASME National Conference, to be held in Sydney. Planning for the conference is well underway and the event looks very promising indeed! Please consider supporting the conference by attending. Additional information may be found later in this newsletter.

I'd like to take this opportunity to commend Jennie MacDonald and Karlin Love for presenting a workshop at the recent ISME conference, which whilst held in Australia, ended up being an online event. Jennie's and Karlin's presentation, titled You're a musician ‐ you can teach composition and improvisation, was very well received and focussed on the classroom teaching of composition and improvisation.

As an aside, several members of my family and I recently visited the north east of the state and attended a Saturday-evening 'hymn sing' at a little church near Scottsdale. What I wasn't prepared for was hearing a congregation sing a cappella in four part harmony, with the tonic provided only with a pitch pipe! What's more, the hymn books used were from the Anabaptist tradition and featured shape notation. I admit my ignorance; I hadn't really come across such notation before - other than in Sibelius - but soon worked out it was another way of identifying the scale degrees and solmization syllables. I have included one form of the notation below.

Lastly, it was with great sadness that we acknowledged the passing of a dear friend, colleague and long-standing TASME member, Carolyn Cross, earlier this term. Whilst her absence will be severely felt, as commemorated at her funeral her legacy will speak of a life very well lived for many years to come. Vale, Carolyn Cross.

Paul Radford

State Chair