Certificate of Music Teaching – 40 Credits
Course Outline
This information is intended as a guide for persons seeking admission to the LSMD programmes.
The School reserves the right to change any of these details.
Course Modules
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Module 1: Pedagogy and Music Teaching Placement (20 credits)
Module 03: Professional Practice (5 Credits)
Module 04: Performance Education 2 (5 Credits)
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Module 06: Composition and Musicianship Skills (10 Credits)
Module Descriptors
Module 1: Pedagogy and Music Teaching Placement (20 credits)
This module consists of two parts. The first part deals with Instrumental Pedagogy, and the
practical issues relating to individual and group teaching; the second part is Teaching Placement,
during which the learner puts into practice the methods and concepts which they encounter in the
various modules. The module aims to give the student a thorough knowledge of the pedagogical
aspects of teaching their principal instrument whilst providing a structured, guided and supportive
environment for reflective teaching placement.
Module Content
Part 1: Instrumental Pedagogy (10 credits)
Unit 1: Current Issues in Music Teaching and Instrumental Pedagogy
 Contextualising Instrumental teaching in Ireland ( MEND).
 Technical aspects of instrumental teaching; posture, intonation, scales, technique, tone
production, articulation and phrasing
Unit 2: Models for Instrumental Teaching and Curriculum and Assessment for a diverse student
population
 Suzuki, Kodaly, US Band and orchestral model, group piano teaching, El Sistema, Sistema
Scotland, Music Generation
 The role of assessment in music education. Caterning for diversity in the classroom.
Part 2: Teaching Placement (10 credits)
Unit 3: Teaching Placement
 Teaching Practice, Teaching observation/supervision
Unit 4: Teaching Placement
 Portfolio of schemes, lesson plans and reflections
Module 03: Professional Practice (5 Credits)
This module aims to enable the learner to implement codes of best practice in relation to child
protection and health and safety. It also provides the learner with a practical framework for
managing the administrative, business and financial aspects of running a music school /drama
school or practice
Module content:
Unit 1: Child Protection
Legal obligations of educational organisations and youth workers. Recruitment and selection of
staff. Induction and training-developing safe practices. Forming and implementing child protection
policy for the organisation. Recording and reporting procedures; confidentiality.
Unit 2: Health and Safety
Safety in the educational environment. The legal position. Assessing risk and remedial action.
Insurance. Formulating and implementing a health and safety policy for the organisation. First aid,
fire precautions. Reporting and recording incidents. Assessing risks specific to the music. The
physical health of the teacher and the student in the music education environment.
Unit 3: Budgeting, Tax, Accounting & Admin.
Formulating a business plan. Preparing budget projections for grant applications or financial
institutions. Invoicing and receipting. Registering the business, income tax, PRSI/PAYE. Keeping
books and records for tax purposes. Creating awareness of norms for services as specified by the
professional bodies regulating music education. Event management. Marketing and PR.
Module 04: Performance Education 2 (5 Credits)
This module aims to enhance the learner’s own practical, musicianship and improvisational skills;
and to develop the learner’s knowledge of style, form and historical context of the standard
repertoire for their principal instrument. It aims to develop the learner’s keyboards skills to enable
them to function effectively as an instrumental or vocal teacher, and to explore models for teaching
jazz and popular music.
Module Content:
Unit 1: Repertoire in Context
Performing and contextualising repertoire in relation to style, form and historical period
Unit 2: Generic Keyboard skills
Keyboard skills focusing on the active use of modal system, cycle of fifths, scales, chord notation.
Developing accompaniment skills
Unit 3: Keyboard Skills-Jazz, Blues and Popular Music
Exploring models for teaching Jazz, Blues and Popular music; Developing improvisational skills.
Module 06: Composition and Musicianship Skills (10 Credits)
This module aims to enhance the compositional skills of the learner through developing their
understanding of harmonic writing (SATB) and orchestration for a variety of ensembles or vocal
groups. It also seeks to advance the aural skills of the learner and to equip the learner with the
necessary conducting skills for rehearsal and performance.
Module Content:
Unit 1: Fundamentals of Harmony
SATB, Applications of Modal composition and modulation, Harmonic writing using guitar
symbols.
Unit 2: Compositional Techniques
Principles of arranging, adapting or orchestrating a piece of music, Ranges of voices and
instruments, Transposing instrument, Creating instrumental parts, Analysis of Letmotif in Opera,
Film and Games, Analysis of ‘Theme & Variations’ compositional techniques.
Unit 3: Aural Skills
Aural pitching skills with a tuning fork, Aural exploration of pulse, rhythm, melody and harmony
using various genres. Sight-singing and Dictation skills. Safe vocal teaching.
Unit 4: Conducting
General conducting techniques, Conducting with and without a baton, Patterns for time-signatures,
upbeats, finishing, pausing, expression, Preparing and interpreting works for rehearsal and
performance., Rehearsal techniques: room layout, preparation etc.