Report from the Ina South Africa: SASMT 16 June 2017
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Report from the Ina South Africa: SASMT 16 June 2017 Elma Britz The South African Society of Music Teachers (SASMT) was formed in Johannesburg in 1918. The Society can therefore shortly look forward to celebrating its centenary! The SASMT owes its existence to the fact that, since its inception, there was a need to unify the music teaching profession and to further the interest of the profession ‘collectively and individually, besides bringing Music Education and our rich and varied culture to as many people as possible throughout all areas of Southern Africa’ (SASMT handbook revised 2015 - www.sasmt-savmo.org.za). Harry Garvin, a prominent teacher and all-round musician who had come to South Africa from England as a young violinist to lead various light music orchestras and a small group of music teachers felt the need for such a body. The first Annual General Meeting was held in October 1922. The broad outlines of a Constitution were laid down and Garvin was elected president, a position he held for the next nine years. Throughout the years, various membership benefits were established and promulgated. A benevolent fund is available to members who experience unforeseen financial difficulties. A small committee handles deserving applications with the utmost confidentiality. The fund accumulates interest in a special account and a small sum of membership fees is added annually. Many centres collect extra money which is paid into this account. The current editor of our magazine, John Roos, has a small concert venue (Tauromenium) attached to his home where he regularly collects donations from audiences in a newly decorated formerly defunct old cello for this purpose. (See Picture below). Other centres also have contributed to the fund in a similar way. John Roos with his cello for the SASMT’s Benevolent Fund The Society has a working website containing information about events, meetings and interesting news countrywide. An important service is the SASMT’s directory list containing members’ names, qualifications, contact details as well as subjects taught. This information is available to the public needing music teachers in certain areas, unless members elect not to have their details published according to the POPIi act of South Africa. Several scholarships for mainly tertiary study are available to students of SASMT members. The funds for these have been bequeathed to the SASMT for instrumental and vocal studies and many winners have become highly successful professional musicians and teachers in South Africa and abroad. Winners are invited to perform at the annual national conferences. At the recent Annual General meeting, the delegates voted to investigate the possibility for more bursaries, especially for disadvantaged students who want to start music studies at a later stage in their lives. A resolution was passed to find sponsors for such a purpose. In the 1940s and 1950s the SASMT was instrumental in facilitating the large-scale employment of teachers by the education departments. Previously, most SASMT members had private studios and relied on their membership to promote their businesses. However, with the security of full-time employment, teachers no longer felt the need to belong to the Society. Similarly, prospective pupils (or their parents) who had previously regarded SASMT membership as a necessary validation of their teacher's competence, now considered employment by a school to be sufficient. With the plethora of music qualifications and specialisations available, the education departments battled to standardise their requirements for employment and this gave rise to protracted debate, in which the SASMT played a major role. Andrew P Brown in The South African Music Teacher #151 2017 In 1970, a new category of membership was introduced. Staff members of Universities and schools – with a minimum of 5 members – could join as group members. In the early 1960s, a National Youth Orchestra came into existence under the auspices of the SASMT. An orchestral camp was held in 1964 at the Hartbeespoort Dam resort in the current North-West Province. The idea stemmed from a nationwide plan for regular orchestral camps for young musicians to be held. The suggestion was made and adopted at the annual SASMT Conference in 1962. The National Youth Orchestra under the managing director, Sophia Welz, is continuing to provide a platform for an increasing number of students learning to play orchestral instruments. The SASMT is still represented on the Board of the South African National Youth Orchestra Foundation (SANYOF) by one of our longstanding honorary members, Diane Heller. The South African National Youth Orchestra celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2014 The publication of The South African Music Teacher magazine has the distinction of being the only South African publication devoted entirely to music teaching and has been published from 1931 until the present. It includes information about the development of music education in South Africa as well as the role of prominent teachers and performers. In 1998, the International Society of Music Education (ISME) held its conference in Pretoria and the SASMT was appointed the ISME National Affiliate. The stage had been set for the Society to lead South African music education into the 21st Century. South Africa with its vast geographic arena is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Michelle Hattingh wrote: South Africa is known for its ethnic diversity and with 11 official languages, the country’s melting pot of cultures often astonishes visitors. Referred to as the ‘Rainbow nation’, South Africa is home to a fascinating mix of citizens (Cultural Diversity in South Africa, June 13, 2013). The 2017 National Conference of the SASMT and AGM were held in Paarl, one of the picturesque wine producing regions of the Western Cape. The principal of the Frank Pietersen Music Centre, Vaughan Pietersen, President of the SASMT at the time, and his staff hosted a very successful event; the theme was Building Cultural Bridges Through Music. Vaughan Pietersen delivering his Presidential address Presentations ranged from titles such as Embracing cultural diversity in music education: changing perspective, changing clientele and changing identities (Carika de Swardt) to Contextualizing the theme of building musical, cultural and cross-curricular bridges, with practical application to the classroom, using movement, dance, sound, music, theatre and research techniques (Glenn Morton) to a newly designed mobile phone teaching application, ‘Piano boost’, by Frelét de Villiers and a real time Skype connection between South Africa, Jakarta (Indonesia) and Utrecht (Netherlands). Groups of young people alternated musical performances, for and with each other. It was facilitated by Frank van Berkum. The following link is of a performance by the South African group that took part in the performance: https://cvws.icloud- content.com/B/AayIktqmjutmYpcD6aiiK1v72AlHAR9HaXFTMx2yuDs1SF9QKPfXYZxn/IMG_0629.MOV?o=Ashw WADH3- MMb8gjk2GgvXuLS7RWaLrjZgDzC3UkOjEL&v=1&x=3&a=BWM1rEo9OhGkAx5vPAEA_wHIAP9q2_kc&e=149994 0345&k=LxydlhWB1D22KEnxiKpb1A&fl=&r=39FCF60A-B613-4CC8-B106-3C87820CEDD7- 1&ckc=com.apple.largeattachment&ckz=E662287D-0BAC-4FFD-B8B0- 3CF0BE00944C&p=20&s=0QaUIEcKRGAKHGzXSvfMWyLzjpQ&teh=1 Various national competitions in South Africa were started and organised, some on an annual basis. For example, the SAMROii Hubert van der Spuy Competition is organised and presented by the Tygerberg Centre of the SASMT. In 2013, the competition celebrated its 25th anniversary. This year the competition will take place from 10 to 14 October. The mission of the SAMRO Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition is to offer talented young music learners the opportunity to learn from one another in a competition environment and to compete on a national level. The late Leon Hartshorne described the role the competition plays in the community as follows: In addition to offering participants the chance to distinguish themselves within the ambit of their own sections, the structure also facilitates interaction and contact between students, teachers and parents from divergent communities, from all parts of South Africa … Potential candidates from poor/disadvantaged communities who are receiving music tuition in development outreach initiatives, but whose progress is being delayed or jeopardized by socio-economic issues, are assisted to enter, audition and finally compete, on equal terms with all entrants and within their own peer group. From 8 to 10 September 2017, the Pretoria centre of the SASMT is hosting a National ensemble competition for young musicians in four age categories, from under 10 to under 19 years of age. The competition is aimed at developing young musicians through collaborative participation and by encouraging the enjoyment of performing with others. Participation is open to learners up to, and including, the age of 19 (www.sasmt- savmo.org.za). Evidence of diverse cultural endeavours towards the achievement of artistic and cultural harmony in southern Africa can be found in a variety of projects that are kept alive like campfires through the incentives of our members, musicians, and music lovers all over the country. To mention a few: The Keiskamma project The Keiskamma Music Academy’s vision is to give children the life-changing opportunity to become highly skilled and trained musicians. The discipline and knowledge that are required in this pursuit, as well as the fulfilment and