New Zealand violin teaching contexts and their impact on teacher practice in private studios and out-of-hours music centres.

Abstract

The out-of-hours music programme provides free instrumental music lessons to primary school aged children and has a long-standing history in New Zealand, dating back to 1929. While this government-funded programme has been part of the primary school sector for more than fifty years, there is little to no research about its teaching or how it functions. Out of hours music centres are unique to New Zealand and while being attached to the primary school sector are run independently outside school hours. Many of these centres offer violin lessons and generally, their teachers also work as private violin teachers. Are violin teacher’s pedagogical practices different depending on whether they teach in a centre, or in their own studios? This sociocultural study presents a critical analysis into beginner violin pedagogies and the similarities and differences between the out-of-hours music context and the private studio.