There was a time when singing in class at primary school was a given.
Most teachers could strum a few chords on the guitar, and for more elaborate singing at assembly someone was bound to be proficient at the piano.
But in the 2020s, many primary school teachers lack the skills and - more importantly - the confidence to lead their class in song.
The New Zealand Choral Federation is trying to fill the breach with a new programme for primary and intermediate school teachers.
Let's Get Singing is an online video resource of songs, warm-ups, and voice exercises, for use in the classroom. The project is funded by Manatū Taonga | Ministry for Culture & Heritage.
Speaking to RNZ Concert host Bryan Crump, the Artistic Advisor for the NZCF's Children's Outreach project, Megan Flint, says the programme addresses the loss over time of a "set of skills" within primary and intermediate schools around singing education.
"That's been a sort of perfect storm of a whole lot of things. There's been a reduction of preparation for the teaching of music in initial teacher education, but I also think that a lot of our teachers in the practising workforce now, have come through schools with less and less music as well, which means they're feeling less confident about teaching music in the classroom."
So if a teacher isn't confident with a guitar, they can play a video which shows the class how to warm up, and then sing what will eventually be 12 songs.
Backing up the videos are a series of workshops the Choral Federation is running around Aotearoa, presented by experienced music teachers.
One Three to Seven listener texts to ask what advice the programme offers teachers dealing with children with too much enthusiasm. They remember the teacher stopped them from participating - an experience which put them off singing for years.
Flint responds by saying Let's get Singing is about enabling teachers to get the classroom singing, not how well they sing.
Don't worry about the sound. Just sing! Photo: 123RF
"The best way to learn how to sing is sing."
Isn't it a shame, asks Crump, that we don't have the teachers in every primary school - like we did once - who have the confidence with a guitar or piano to play along with their pupils?
Wouldn't a live instrument be better than a video? Should the new government make the guitar an instrument of national significance?
Flint agrees teachers who can play along have the advantage of being able to respond musically to how a classroom is singing.
But if it comes down to no singing, or singing in class along to a video, she'll take the video every day.
