The Master of Music (Performance Teaching) is a specialist coursework degree, preparing graduates in Western classical and contemporary music as performer-teachers. Our graduates work as instrumental or vocal instructors in schools, studios, community programs, and in private provider and further education settings, both in Australia and overseas.

The course has two specialisations:

• The Instrumental Specialisation prepares students for school-based instrumental/vocal teaching, and includes three professional placements and a specific focus on conducting and orchestration
• The Studio Specialisation prepares students for private studio-based instrumental/vocal teaching, and includes two professional placements and a focus on instrumental pedagogy

The course provides advanced music performance tuition, second instrument studies and ensemble participation alongside the pedagogy of performance teaching. Professional practice is completed in a variety of settings including community organisations, schools, studios and Suzuki classes and there is a range of elective subjects in the practical, theoretical and research areas.

The specialist pedagogical subjects, combined with individual lessons, will enable students to acquire a thorough understanding of teaching issues that are specific to music performance and of the various methods and approaches applied to teaching music performance at all levels.

In the final semester students choose between:

• Music performance
• Music performance research
• Conducting or
• Suzuki music education (includes Primary Level Suzuki Teacher accreditation)

Specialist electives may include: Teaching Aural Musicianship, Applied Physiology for Musicians, Piano Pedagogy and Piano Repertoire.

Successful completion of the Instrumental stream of the Master of Music (Performance Teaching) provides an agreed 87. 5 points and 30 teaching days of credit towards The University of Melbourne’s Masters of Teaching (Secondary), providing a pathway to VIT accreditation. The remaining 112.5 points of the Master of Teaching can be completed in one year full time, or two years part time.

This course also offers a pathway into the PhD after completing the Professional Research Project elective.