Music Teachers In International Schools Podcast Chris Koelma

Brian White is the current Director of Bands at the American School of Milan, Italy.

Brian is originally from the USA. After a fortuitous encounter with an international school teaching couple when on holidays in Austria, Brian and his wife knew this was the path for them. 20+ years lates and Brian has completed long stints at international schools in Singapore & the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Having recently moved to Milan, and after eating his own body weight in gelato, pizza and pasta, Brian joins the podcast with some incredible stories to share. 

In this episode we explore:


Brian's background as a musician and music educator.
What a standard 'American-style' music curriculum might look like, the reasons why this system came to be, and how this might look in the international school context.
The way Brian draws on his own experience of music school to create an environment for his students that combines a his drive for musical excellence with an underlying focus on student joy and wellbeing.
Brian's evolution as a band director, moving through different contexts and adapting to new school communities and cultural influences on the way.
Some ideas around the future of music education in international schools, and Brian's thoughts about what makes a 'good' international school music teacher.

There's so much in this episode! For those of us that are a little less familiar with how an 'American-style' music program works, this one is gold. Brian is a fantastic conversationalist and a reflective and measured professional. Enjoy!

Get in touch with Brian:Email: bwhite@asmilan.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/band-director-brian/

Links to other content referenced in this episode:

SmartMusic (by MakeMusic): https://www.makemusic.com

Saudi Aramco Expatriate Schools: https://www.aramco.com/en/careers/non-saudi-applicants/expatriate-schools

This episode was brought to you by Naxos Musicbox: https://www.naxosmusicbox.com

Naxos Musicbox is a new online learning platform from Naxos, the world’s leading classical music brand. I’ve been playing around with Naxos Musicbox for the last little while and I was impressed by a couple of things 1) the simple, easy-to-navigate interface for students and teachers, and 2) the quality of the content. This is an excellent solution for teaching Western music theory and classical music to students from 4 up to 14 and in some cases, beyond into GCSE level. There is also a super nice section dedicated to culturally diverse music with fantastic listening examples. Naxos Musicbox has student quizzes that integrate with Google Classroom. For the MTIIS community, Naxos Musicbox has an introductory offer where you’ll get 20% off your license. Simply email musicbox@naxos.com and mention MTIIS for your discount.

Find out more about MTIIS: https://mtiis.co

I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to interview good friend and inspiring educator Yann Zhe Yau.

Yann and I worked together for a number of years in Malaysia. His story is inspiring. His attitude is exemplary.

Yann is a joyful, positive and thoughtful music educator that represents a new wave of international school music teachers who have transitioned from their role as instrumental tutor. Yann worked with me as a trumpet tutor and then did an online PGCEi through Warwick University, before securing a full time classroom music teaching role in an international school. As a Malaysian working in a Malaysian International school, it is fascinating to see how the historical and political influences on international schools come through in hiring practices and biases for host country national staff.

In this episode, Yann and I discuss:


Some of the interesting cultural tensions in Malaysian society, particularly around national identity and ethnicity. 
Yann's journey to international school music teaching.
Some of the potential biases faced by host country national staff working in international schools.
The favourite moments and challenges that Yann has experienced as a new international school music teacher.
A variety of wonderful pieces of advice for those interested in transitioning from instrumental tutor to full time music teacher, including some of Yann's ideas on time management, managing expectations and self-belief.
How to be an 'asset' to an international school music department!

Yann and I touch on some challenging topics and I'm so thankful to Yann for taking us on this journey. This episode has to be one of my favourites so far as it represents an exciting shift 'international' schooling. The question: what does it mean to be 'international', once again, comes to the fore. Keep an eye out for an upcoming episode with Dr. Denry Machin - where we are going to try and explore the question: "what is an international school?" - going to be a good one!

In the meantime, get in touch with Yann with any questions and please see the contact information and links below.

Get in touch with Yann:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yz.yau

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yann-zhe-yau-100a46127/

Links to other content referenced in this episode:

Warwick PGCEi (Postgraduate Certificate in Education International): https://warwick.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/pgcei/

Organisations/individuals supporting reform to international school hiring practices:


International School Anti-Discrimination Taskforce: https://www.ecis.org/taskforce/ - an organisation with a vision for international schools to be truly diverse, inclusive, safe, equitable and welcoming for all students, staff and families by promoting practices that eliminate racism, implicit bias and discrimination of all kinds.
Staffroom.school: A platform for job seekers that is focused on inclusive and equitable processes for international school positions.
Dr. Liam Hammer: researcher looking specifically at international school hiring practices.
Kevin Sting Alburo: a head teacher working in Vietnam that is exploring international school hiring practices.

Learn more about MTIIS: https://mtiis.co

There are many 'types' of international schools. The two dominant powers influencing what happens in these schools are the UK and the USA. The reasons for this are largely economic, but also stem back to important historical movements, as well as, the more recent push and pull of globalisation. Anyway...a whole episode on 'international schools' is in the pipeline, so watch this space!

For now, we are going to focus on the influences coming from the UK context on music education in international schools. And who better to discuss this with than Dr. Liz Stafford! Liz is a strong voice in the UK music education world and is regularly at the forefront of important conversations in this field. Liz also provides a wide range of resources and support services that may be very useful for international school music teachers (see below for links).

In this episode, Liz and I discuss:


Her background as a professional vocalist, including a quick exploration Liz's PhD looking at vocal performance and the work of Henry Purcell.
The current exciting developments and key challenges impacting music education in the UK.
The major debate in the UK around the place of classical music in schools.- The concept that all musics around the world are like separate 'languages'.- An overview of the CME course offered by Music Education Solutions and how the context-specific nature of this course applies beautifully to aspiring international school music educators looking for a formal music education qualification.
The features of the Primary Music Magazine and how international school music teachers can contribute an article!

Liz is keen to stay connected with international school music teachers and would love to learn more about this unique world. Head to the Music Education Solutions website for more info and check out the various contact details and links below.

Get in touch with Liz:

Website: https://musiceducationsolutions.co.uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrLizStafford

Links to other content referenced in this episode:


Level 4 Certificate for Music Educators accredited by Trinity College London: https://musiceducationsolutions.co.uk/level-4-certificate-for-music-educators/


Primary Music Magazine: https://musiceducationsolutions.co.uk/primary-music-magazine/


Music Education Solutions online courses: https://musiceducationsolutions.co.uk/ourcourses/

Find out more about MTIIS here: mtiis.co/

Well, we've reached episode 20 - thank you for joining us so far!

This episode is a special exploration of one question:

'What is the future of music education?'

I speak to an amazing line-up of international school music educators who attended the Musical Futures International Big Gig conference in Bangkok in March 2023. The conference brought 40 music educators together to sing, play, jam, record, sample, edit and mix. Centred around 'informal music learning' pedagogy underpinned by the research of Lucy Green, the conference was all about making music together. The energy throughout the two days was wonderful!

One teacher summed up the experience as follows: “We teach it every day to our kids…but what’s been so fun and refreshing is just being in a room full of music educators and actually making music together”.

The episode includes short reflections from 9 different educators as they attempt to answer the big question. The views are diverse and thought-provoking!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about the future of music education. Please send me an email, video or short audio clip to contact@mtiis.com

I first met Tina Arenas when I attended one of her workshops at a music education conference. During the workshop, Tina gracefully led 50 music educators through a wonderful repertoire of joyful activities. We made shapes, explored our vocal range, danced, moved, played instruments and more.

I spent some time chatting with Tina and her husband Juan (also a music teacher) after the session and knew I wanted to follow up with a conversation for the podcast at some point.
Tina currently works as an early childhood and elementary music teacher at the American School of Dubai. She is also the director of 'Pop Up For Play', an organisation that 'helps kids create music through play'. Tina draws on a combination of Orff, Kodaly and Dalcroze methods, plus her own unique context, to engage young people in exciting music-making activities.

In this conversation, Tina and I explore:
- her background as a musician and music educator, including a surprising shift from teaching band to teaching early childhood music.
- some of the joys and challenges of teaching with one's partner in the same school and department.
- how teachers can use 'play' as a fundamental focus in their early childhood music teaching.
- how teachers can also incorporate play in primary and secondary school classes.
- the way that teaching music in an international school has changed her philosophy and approach.

Tina loves to support international school music teachers in developing their approach to early childhood music pedagogy and would be happy to chat with anyone who is interested in learning more!

Get in touch with Tina:
Email: tina@popupforplay.com
Website: https://www.popupforplay.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-arenas-music-educator/

Links to other content referenced in this episode:
University of North Texas Music Program: https://music.unt.edu
Polyglot Theatre: https://polyglot.org.au
'The Squiggle' book: https://www.amazon.com/Squiggle-Carole-Lexa-Schaefer/dp/0517885794
UN Rights Of The Child Article 31: https://childrensrightsqld.org.au/childrens-rights-to-play-and-have-fun/
Tina's amazing music educator aprons: https://www.popupforplay.com/shop

Listen to other episodes and learn more about our community at: https://mtiis.co

Nate Holder is a musician, author and international speaker based in the West Midlands, United Kingdom. I have been keeping an eye on Nate's work for the last couple of years and I recently came across his book series called ‘The Why Books’. Along with his own podcast series for students, called 'The Why Music Podcast', Nate's work challenges music educators to ask some important questions about what, why and how they're doing the things they do. Nate has worked in Germany and has been forming connections with some international school educators, but is equally fascinated by this world (as you will hear!).

In this episode, we explore:
- Nate's cultural heritage, musical identity, and experience as a musician and music educator.
- Nate's upcoming book called 'Listen and Celebrate', which celebrates composers from a range of backgrounds and musical styles and includes a range of fun activities for primary/elementary students.
- the important nuances in the word 'decolonisation' and how this concept might apply to music education.
- the idea of importance of understanding colonial histories in the countries we're living in.
- the way colonisation impacts perspectives and provision of music education.
- the history of international schooling and its' potential ties to colonisation.

As you will discover, this episode is not about 'throwing things out' or 'decolonising' music education. It is in encouragement for us all to take the time to explore the colonial histories of the worlds we exist in. I thoroughly enjoyed this wide-ranging and challenging conversation and hope you do too.

Nate is excited to connect with our community, so please do reach out to him if you're interested in knowing more about his work:

Get in touch with Nate:
Email: info@nateholdermusic.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/N8Holder
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-nathan-holder-319962b4/

Links to other content referenced in this episode:
The Why Books: https://www.nateholdermusic.com/books
The Why Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-why-music-podcast
Nate's consulting services: https://www.nateholdermusic.com/services

Engage further with the MTIIS community: https://mtiis.co