WEEK 12 (YEAR 1 Semester 2) -- Theory Meets Reality: Navigating the Praxis Shock

Homework task (canon):

We were given a chord progression based on the "Un Poquito Cantas" exercise and asked to choose a key, then add passing notes, creating a stacked series of melodies. These were then used to compose a canon. The idea was to do the exercise so that we could teach it to middle years learners.

Example Stage 4 assessment task:

Topic - Introduction to the Classical Style (Performance/Composition)

"You are required to compose two original canons for three voices. Canons should be written using a harmonic progression approved by the teacher."

We went through the homework in class, each person talking about their approach to the process. 'Do you think the outcome was successful?'

It was a new way of working for me but non-the-less rewarding, compared to other compositional approaches.

Canon in G minor

"When there are gaps between theory and practice, how do you function? Who gets priority?"

This week's question surfaced during PEx. I experienced praxis shock twice -- once through pedagogical failure, once through watching a talented student walk away from music as an elective. Students don't need us to share their exact musical tastes, but they need us to respect that their musical knowledge matters.

Music education should be enjoyable, evidence-informed, culturally responsive, and student-centred. When institutional pressures create metrics-focused, repertoire-restricted, teacher-centred models, I will remember that Year 10 student and ask: Am I creating space for students' musical lives, or am I mythologising my own?

When there are gaps between theory and practice, students should get priority. Not just their engagement, but their genuine musical development, their sense of agency, and their right to see their musical worlds reflected in the curriculum.

This requires:

-- Sound professional knowledge to navigate institutional pressures (like teachers and principals who think rock-focused programs build student agency)

-- Reliable support networks to sustain me through challenges

-- Clear pedagogical vision to make principled decisions (not just replicate my own music education or adhere to set standards)

-- Humble stance to keep learning from students, teachers and communities

-- One extra-ordinary thing per class per week. Not perfectly executed university techniques, not transformations of established programs -- just one genuinely rewarding musical experience that honours students' intelligence, respects their musical worlds, and helps them feel a sense of accomplishment.