Q&A: Samantha Coates

My name is Samantha Coates and I live in the lucky country: Australia. Even better, I'm in Sydney, with that gorgeous harbour and those endless coast lines. I've been teaching for over three decades, both group and private tuition, and I'm also the author and creator of BlitzBooks, a music education series which has injected humour and fun into the areas of music theory, sight-reading and rote repertoire.

I have two grown-up children who were marinated in music when they were younger. Neither of them are pursuing careers in music, but they both still play, which is wonderful! I love it that we can all share in the fun of musical memes on Facebook.

What was your introduction to music?

When I was three, my grandmother taught me a piece that I call ‘The Black Note Thing’ but which is apparently officially named ‘Shave and a Haircut’. My rote-learning experience stopped the minute I started piano lessons, aged five, with my strict Russian teacher.

I didn't really enjoy practising piano when I was younger. When I was six my mum stopped my lessons because I refused to practice! But luckily at sixand-a-half I started tinkling again and got my lessons back. Many years later I ended up with a BMus from the Sydney Conservatorium, majoring in piano performance.

My tuition during this whole time was purely notation-based. I feel this is significant because I wasn't ever taught by rote and I wasn't ever taught how to be creative at the piano. These are things I've worked out for myself and have now developed materials to enable other ‘classically trained’ teachers like me to delve into the world of creativity.

Tell us about your Expo session?

I'll be talking about how to use rote teaching to stimulate sight-reading. This is a big deal, because until a couple of years ago, I NEVER used rote. I, like many teachers, was brought up to believe that rote was bad! But over the past 18 months, I've come to realise that it is a fantastic tool for developing sight-reading. I've composed a series of rote pieces which are written in three levels, to develop sight-reading, and to stimulate creativity in even the most reluctant student.

My new Rote Repertoire book will be available at the Expo, so in the session I'll be demonstrating pieces from the book, as well as doing some fun and very out-ofthe-ordinary activities! I'll also be giving an overview of my sight-reading series, including the new ‘prequel’ to the series, a sight-reading book especially for beginners (also newly available in the UK).

What is music education like in Australia?

Well, it's not great. Certainly in schools there's the ever-present problem of lack of funding for the arts. Music programs get cut left right and centre. I would love to see music get a higher priority in educational circles. Music really should be part of every child's education!

In terms of private tuition, it's at a very high standard, but of course the accessibility of good quality private lessons is limited to those who can afford it. In Australia, like the UK, we are all a tad obsessed with exams, which puts teachers and students under enormous pressure at times. This is also an area in which I would like to see change in the future, because exams are not the be-all and end-all of music education.

What do you see as the fundamentals of music pedagogy?

Without a doubt, an ability to create and an ability to read. I'm very passionate about music literacy (hence I'm the author of sight-reading and theory books) but I'm equally passionate about students being able to just sit down and play. If you can't play your favourite song on the piano, if you can only play a Mozart sonata you've been practising for nine months straight, what exactly is the point? We need to teach enjoyment of music, and we need to teach students in a way that always makes music accessible for them, long after lessons have ceased.

What do you do with your spare time?

I really enjoy giving volunteer piano recitals at aged care facilities. You cannot get a more appreciative audience than elderly people who want to listen for pleasure. I love tailoring my programs to enhance their memory and recall.

Some other loves of mine are long beach walks, watching Disney movies with my family, and chocolate.

Anything else to add?

I'm very much looking forward to being at the Expo. This will be my third year and it's so great to meet old and new friends.

Samantha's session ‘Hal Leonard presents From Rote to Reading: Fast-tracking the Sight-reading Process’ is taking place at 11:55am on Day Two in the Contemporary Music & Tech Studio