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Meet four Australian music teachers doing amazing work around the country

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Lee Strickland plays guitar to a young child with blonde hair.
Lee Strickland of Narbethong State Special School in Woolloongabba QLD is a finalist in the ARIA Music Teacher of the Year Awards for 2019.()

All around Australia music teachers go to amazing lengths to support and encourage students to develop their musical skills.

They often fight hard to embed music into their curriculum, so children have a rich and full education and can reap the benefits of a music education.

Every year, the ARIA Music Teacher of the Year Award acknowledges the value of creativity and the arts to improve education standards, and build a better connection for students to their school life in general. We got to know the 2019 nominees a little better.

Julia Rennick – Gunnedah Public School, NSW

Julia Rennick is a long-serving music teacher working in the NSW community of Gunnedah. For many, Mrs Rennick was their first ever music teacher: she has brought the joy of musical education into early childhood and learning programs for over 20 years.

25 years ago, she started developing the cutting-edge music education program she teaches today. Mrs Rennick believes musical language can be learned alongside literacy for young children, and has spent decades seeing the benefits musical education has on young children. She also works with Parkinson’s patients to ensure that the benefits of music are brought to all ages in the local community.
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Bel Skinner – Broome and Pilbara/Kimberley, WA

Based in Broome, Bel Skinner teaches music throughout the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia. Driving tens of thousands of kilometres for her students in remote communities, Ms Skinner’s classroom is one of the biggest in the world. Sometimes in small communities, she doesn’t even teach in a classroom at all. Ms Skinner works against the odds with a lack of resources in these communities to make sure that her students get the best education possible.

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Lee Strickland – Narbethong State Special School, Woolloongabba, Queensland

Narbethong State Special School provides specialised education for children with vision impairment and other disabilities. Lee Strickland customises her teaching and vernacular to each individual student to make sure that they get the education best suited to them.

Ms Strickland has developed music programs that aim to develop translatable skills, for example a piano program to develop fine motor skills to aid in reading Braille; music communication to help students to learn how to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ if they’re unable to say it verbally, and music movement sessions to help develop balance and coordination. She even customises instruments to make sure that students with access requirements get to play.

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Antonio Chiappetta – St Andrews College, Sydney, NSW

Antonio Chiappetta is recognised as the driving force behind stellar musical opportunities for students at Sydney’s St Andrews College. Years ago, he pioneered the school’s Creative Arts Night (CAN) which has grown exponentially each year. It has now involved into a music festival inside the school grounds for over 2000 people each year. Students from all over the school contribute and get hands-on experience in many areas of the music industry. Mr Chiappetta has inspired students from St Andrews College to become music teachers themselves, and many others to go on to a put their musical education to great use.

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You can vote for the ARIA Music Teacher of the Year at the ARIA website.

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