The first tentative thoughts that a career as a music teacher could be for Meaghan Brady came when she forged a strong connection to her ‘amazing’ music teacher during her high school days in Ireland.
Now, a specialist music teacher role at Sydney Catholic Schools is hitting all the right notes for the expat, who has taught at St Therese Catholic Primary School Mascot since January.
“I always knew it was music that I wanted to teach,” Ms Brady said.
“I really connected with my music teacher throughout secondary school. I wanted to be as amazing as she was and to be the same inspiration that she was to me.”
The 40-minute lessons Ms Brady delivers for students from Kindergarten to Year 6 allow her to get to know and to teach every student in the school while sharing her enduring love for music.
This and a key part in music-filled school events including masses and graduations, place her at the heart of the St Therese community.
“As a music teacher you always have the opportunity to truly engage with a school and its community,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m walking down the Kindy corridor or across the school and past Year 6 students, they all know me and I know them.
“There’s a special connection. They want to talk to you about a band or a song that they really like, or a piano performance they heard on the weekend.”
“As a music teacher you always have the opportunity to truly engage with a school and its community,” – Meaghan Brady
Meaghan’s music lessons cover concepts such as beat, pitch and note duration, and have set the tone for a smooth transition to the Amadeus Music Education Program.
Amadeus in action
The Amadeus program gives students in years 3 to 8 the opportunity to learn an orchestral instrument and play in an ensemble under the guidance of expert tutors, many with professional links to orchestras around the world.
Students at St Therese learn a selection of string, brass and woodwind instruments, including violin, cello, clarinet, saxophone and trumpet. Ms Brady coordinates the lessons between teaching other elements of music.
“Ireland doesn’t have anything like the Amadeus music program,” Ms Brady said.
“The fact that it is in all Sydney Catholic schools and even bridges primary and secondary schools is fantastic.
“Even the students in Year 6 – if they go to OLSH or Corpus Christi College in Year 7 – will continue with Amadeus. They’re not going to put in all this work to have it mean nothing as soon as they leave our school.
“That has been really key to their engagement and interest.”
“An instrument … gives a sense of purpose.” – Meaghan Brady
Ms Brady said the Amadeus program gave students another way to shine, minus the often prohibitive costs associated with learning an orchestral instrument.
“To have the school give you the instrument and all the resources is amazing,” she said.
“Not all of our students are dancers, or sing or are great at sport, or academically inclined. An instrument is so different.
“It gives a sense of purpose. It’s so beautiful and rewarding to see, and to develop that, when they just fall in love with this instrument and excel at it.”
