Our Philosophy is that Music Teachers will all do a better job if we help each other, share ideas and network. We believe that the more you give the more you receive. In order to provide the best support for as many music educators as possible, we have developed our membership site to be the amazingly rich resource that it is. This resource continues to grow as new downloads are added for our members.
Every Music Teacher is on their own unique professional journey. We all have our own philosophical beliefs, our own strengths and our own experiences. By creating a range of resources and professional development experiences, Crescendo hopes to offer something for everyone, helping you to create fabulous lessons for your students while helping you to create more time in your busy lives.
No matter what you need to inspire and support your music-teaching journey, Crescendo has something to offer. Through Crescendo you will find ideas and inspiration aplenty, resource ready to print and use in your classroom, workbooks to use as is, or alter for your particular teaching situation, teaching ideas and a network of amazing music teachers all keen to be there for each other. In other words, being part of the Crescendo Community is designed to make your life easier! We are focused on providing what music teachers need, and as such we are completely open to suggestions and customer feedback.
Most Crescendo workshops are in Brisbane, however, through the innovative Crescendo Repeat Workshops, music teachers from all over the world can access recordings of the day, as well as download all the notes. The best practitioners are invited to present at Crescendo Workshops and we all benefit from these wonderful presenters.
Do you need help to give your music lessons more pisaz, a bit of pedagogical direction, a little support planning and assessing, a little more time for yourself? Well, Crescendo is ready to help you.
Contact us with any questions, or jump right into the Standard Membership to see what is on offer.
If you are looking for music education resources, then here is why you should become a Crescendo Member:
- Hundreds of tried and tested downloads
- Accessing teaching ideas
- Planning and assessment masters, samples and ideas
- Joining a likeminded community of Music Educators
- A responsive community that works to fulfil your needs
- I make myself available through Social media to help whenever I can
Meet Debbie
Hi! I’m Debbie O’Shea, the Music Teacher behind Crescendo Music Education. I am lucky enough to live in the outskirts of Brisbane, Queensland (one of the best places in the world!) with my husband, two young adult sons, Border Collie Lara and a couple of chooks.
My passion for Music Education started at Teacher’s College (which it was then – not a university) when I met an inspirational Music Educator, Pam Burton. This led me to a path – a never-ending journey – to become the best music teacher that I could be. So far, I have been treading this road, sometimes skipping along, sometimes dragging my exhausted feet, for over thirty-seven years. There is one thing that I have learnt, and it has been reinforced, hammer home year after year, and that is, “the more you learn, the more you know that there is more to learn”.
My personal philosophy, and this carries through to all of the work of Crescendo Music Education, is that you never stop learning. You never stop trying to be a better version of the teacher you are at this point in time.
From all of my study and experience, I do my best to give back to the profession. There is no way you will ever hear from me that I have the ‘answers’, I will confess here that people like that really irritate me. However, you will hear me say things like: “I will do my best to help with that”, or “Here are some files that might help when teaching that rhythmic concept”, or “Check out my YouTube channel, there are some videos in there that you might find useful”…you get the idea.
Awards
KMEIA Honorary Life Membership awarded in 2018.
Honorary Life Membership is KMEIA’s highest accolade and is given in recognition of an individual’s ongoing and highly significant contribution to the organisation. http://www.kodaly.org.au/about/honorary-life-members/
Queensland Flame Award Winner (ABC Radio) – 2009.
Sandgate State School (culmination of 10 years!)
“This is a wonderfully student-centred program. Kids are encouraged to compose and perform their own songs from very early on; there’s a highly successful boys-only singing group, BOSS; the school makes regular music tours across the State and it forges close musical ties with its local high school to help ensure its students continue their musical involvement once they hit secondary school. This is an energetic and comprehensive music program which the students so obviously love being part of!”
https://musicaustralia.org.au/participate/past-programs/the-flame-award-winners/
One of three featured Teachers on the KMEIA DVD, Middle Years Music Education, Music for the Heart, Body, Spirit and Mind.
This DVD has materials to support teachers of Years 5 – 9 in the Music Classroom, including Video footage.
Recording Industry Award (Sunny Award) for Music is for Everyone
Qualifications
1981 – Diploma of Teaching – Primary (Music major), Kelvin Grove Teachers College
1985 - Graduate Diploma of Music Education, Brisbane College of Advanced Education
1987 – Summer Certificate, Holy Names College, Oaklands California (held in Brisbane)
1988 – Bachelor of Education, Brisbane College of Advanced Education
1997 – Master of Music Studies, University of Queensland
Employment Timeline
1981 – 1982 Classroom Teacher (years 1 – 3) Ferny Grove State School – Education Queensland
1983 – 1987 – Music Teacher, Education Queensland (Craigslea SS, Eagle Junction State School, Norris Road State School)
1987 – 1990 – Music and Classroom teacher at Anglican Church Grammar School
1990 – 1991 – Classroom Teacher Education Queensland (years 5-7) Yorkies Knob State School
1992 – 1993 – Curriculum Development and In-Service for music for Primary Classroom Teacher in Catholic School in Far North Queensland
1993 – 1995 – Part-time Education Queensland Music Teacher – Cairns (Woree State School)
1995 – 1996 - Full Time Masters Student – University of Queensland, Brisbane
1999 – 2009 – Education Queensland Music Teacher (Geebung SS, Sandgate SS, Brighton SS, Samford SS)
1999 – 2002 - Part-Time Early Childhood Teacher – Conservatorium of Music
QSCC - Manager of the Outsourced Writing Team for the Music Outcomes, Years 1 to 10 The Arts Syllabus , Queensland’s Syllabus Document.
Casual Lecturer Music Education – Griffith University
1993 – 2007 Summer School Lecturer – Methodology, Practicum and Musicianship
2002 & 2003 Lecturer - Australian Kodaly Certificate in Music Education, Autumn and Spring Schools - Sydney
2004 – 2006 - Teaching Musicianship to several Choirs with Brisbane Birralee Voices
2003 – 2011 - Presenter and writer of professional Development materials - Musica Viva in Schools
2000 Crescendo Music Education – Director (www.crescendo.com.au )
2010 - 2011 Music Teacher Eatons Hill State School
2012 – 2014 Music Teacher Eatons Hill State School and Zillmere State School
2015-2016 Music Teacher at Sandgate District State High School
2017 Music Teacher at The Gap State School
Professional Experience
Presented at the Georgia Music Educators Association Conference February 2015
Presented at the Organization American Kodaly Educators National Conference in Minneapolis, March 2015.
Manager of the Outsourced Writing Team for the Music Outcomes, Years 1 to 10 The Arts Syllabus
Writer of Two Modules within the suite of support materials for Years 1 to 10 The Arts Syllabus
Assisted with the writing of the Elaborations (part of the support materials for the Arts Syllabus)
Queensland Flame Award Winner (ABC Radio) – 2009 – Sandgate State School (culmination of 10 years!)
Music teacher and classroom teacher for Education Queensland in Brisbane and Cairns
Music / classroom teacher at Anglican Church Grammar School
Curriculum Development – Cairns Catholic Education – developed core curriculum document and ran in-service for classroom teachers
Do re mi Early Childhood Music Teacher
Early Childhood group classes - Conservatorium, Griffith University.
Co-writer of Young Conservatorium Early Childhood Curriculum
President of the Kodaly Music Education Institute of Australia, Queensland Branch
Vice-President of the Kodaly Music Education Institute of Australia, National Council
Lecturer in Kodaly Education Courses – Brisbane and Sydney
Lecturer in Summer Music Program – University of Queensland
Lecturer in Pre-service teachers programs Griffith University
Presenter in workshops across Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, ACT, Cairns, Maryborough, Townsville and other regional centres) topics such as Literacy and Numeracy through Music, Choral Work, Repertoire, Planning and Assessing, teaching ideas and methodology.
Work Shadow, Mentor and Observations of classroom music teaching
Director of Crescendo music Education – Business to support and train music teachers.
Composer of choral works for children
Self-published support materials for music teachers (through Crescendo Music Education)
Guest Conductor at Brisbane and Regional Queensland Choral Festivals (Ringbalin, Rockhampton, Beaudesert)
Musicianship Teacher – choirs (Birralee and as guest conductor with other choirs)
KMEIA Honorary Life Membership awarded in 2018. Honorary Life Membership is KMEIA’s highest accolade and is given in recognition of an individual’s ongoing and highly significant contribution to the organisation.
http://www.kodaly.org.au/about/honorary-life-members/
