Dr John Heyworth Dip Teach (sec). B'Ed (prim). MMusTech. PhD .

 John Heyworth is a retired lecturer in Primary and Early Childhood generalist music education. He has taught into both the undergraduate and postgraduate courses at Edith Cowan University in WA.  John also has had over 30 years of previous experience teaching in early childhood, primary, secondary and intensive language centres with the Department of Education in Western Australia.  John Heyworth’s research interests include music and technology, creative music making and music as an integral part of social learning and inclusive education.  He currently works as a volunteer at Nedlands Community Care’s Affinity Group with Ilsa Smith (group leader).  He has written a number of resource books including recorder ensemble without tears and mixed classroom ensemble books.  

 

Inclusive compositions: Ensembles and consorts with multiple parts are perfect for group learning. Within one piece of music you can allocate differentiated parts to best meet the needs of  children with varying levels of musical abilities. Therefore you are less likely to lose players who are gifted because they are bored, or inexperienced players because the music is too hard! This is why I write simple and achievable parts but still with some variation in levels of difficulty for each part so that everyone can play music together at the same time.

 

For example; the 4 part piece “Lament” from Recorder Ensemble Without Tears has an easy Tenor part, an easier Alto part and even easier 2nd soprano part.  The 1st soprano is the most challenging. However all parts are of equal importance to the overall ambience of the piece.

Once children taste success they are ready for more music making and more challenges ahead!