By PHILIP CHANDLER
Queenstown Primary’s trialling a music-teaching programme that could be rolled out in schools nationwide.
The programme, called Play.music, is aimed at reversing the decline of music learning in
schools, and is an adaptation of Britain’s user-friendly Charanga programme.
At Queenstown Primary, it’s being introduced by teacher Belinda Fraser and part-time
teacher Natasha Wilson, who’s had experience with the method in England.
The pair have mentored teaching colleagues ‘‘to be confident enough to use it within
their rooms without having to depend on an individual music teacher’’, Fraser says.
‘‘We’re feeling very excited about how far we’ve come in a reasonably short time.’’
The programme’s being supported financially by Queenstown’s Turn Up the Music Trust (TUM) and Auckland-based Youthtown.
Last Thursday, Year 1 to 4 students demonstrated the programme to TUM chair Bill Moran, trustee Diana Hubbard and administrator Sue Marshall, and to Youthtown CEO Fay Amaral.
It’s hoped the programme will be pushed out to other local schools early next year, before then possibly being rolled out regionally and, hopefully, nationally.
