Music of Course

Courses in music for everyone

We all know the emotional enjoyment that comes with an ability to ‘do’ music. This enjoyment is probably at its highest when making music in the company of other people. It is obviously not necessary to be a professional musician to have access to a high level of musical enjoyment but some basic music knowledge and ability certainly increases the pleasure.

Over the past 100 years and increasingly concentrated since 1990, scientific evidence shows that music tuition stimulates certain brain functions and increases the tissue that connects the two hemispheres of the brain and enlarges part of the auditory cortex. An increased volume of grey matter in motor, auditory and visuospatial areas of the cortex and in the cerebellum is observed in those who are taught music. Further, it seems that the ability to ‘do’ music is an innate characteristic of the human, much as is the ability to ‘do’ language.

We can gain access to the sort of musical training that, without trying to turn one into a professional musician, can increase our enjoyment and stimulate our cognitive capacity by focussing on two critical areas of music learning: Music Literacy and Voice and Instrument Learning. UC Music at the University of Canberra offers both as group study foundation courses and as individual tuition.

Music Transforms what we take for granted

The course helps people of any age learn to read music in easy, sequential stages. You will learn how music is written and structured and develop a higher level of aural perception, the mental imaging of music sounds. The course holds the key to understanding the language of music. Making music remains difficult and emotional and cognitive development is slight without understanding. To make the best use of piano and voice tuition and choral singing one should learn the language of music first. The realisation of this ideal is not common and, therefore, the number of people who find music difficult is large. This course helps to realise the ideal.

Singing
There are four vocal entry points that cater for people of differing music experiences in singing. You join at the appropriate level.
1.    The Tone Deaf Society, where anyone who is unable to sing (or has been told not to sing) learns how to use the voice and sing in tune. The continuation course is called The Choir of Limited Expectations.
2.    The Rich Healthy Voice class where those who want to learn to sing better can increase their ability by learning correct technique.
3.    A singing group, either the Camerata or the Chorale, where one learns good choral singing and a repertoire of substantial music.
4.    Individual voice lessons as an extension to any of the above or as a separate in-depth study to develop a solo potential.

Piano
Those who want to start to learn the piano and those who learned as a child are strongly advised to join the Piano with 10 Fingers class prior to individual piano lessons.
It is possible to learn and practise in a group those aspects of piano playing that all pianists must learn. Posture, hand positions, the use of arm weight, finger movement and exercises, basic piano pieces, chords, keys, scales and fluent music reading are among the techniques presented in the course. When the basic piano playing techniques have been mastered there will be an opportunity to continue on a one to one basis with one of the University’s professional tutors.

Adults who have already made significant progress on the piano should apply for individual lessons with one of the University’s professional tutors.

David W Tattersall, MEd, LRAM, ARCM, ARCO
Senior Lecturer and Director of UC Music
Phone: 62015298 and 62015388 and Email: David.Tattersall@canberra.edu.au
Location: Building 5, Room B58 (Tutorial Office)
Location: Building 1, Room C106 (Administration Office)