THOMAS FIENBERG
Thomas Fienberg's research focuses primarily on community-driven, collaborative approaches to teaching and learning (through and from) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music. In 2021 he joined the Music Education division at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, having worked previously as a secondary teacher in NSW Government schools. Thomas has presented papers and workshops for the Australian Society for Music Education, Musicological Society of Australia, Music in Schools and Teacher Education Commission and Cultural Diversity in Music Education conferences. In 2017 he was awarded the Barbara Mettam Award for Excellence in Music Education and was a nominee for the Australian Recording Industry Association Music Teacher Award in 2020.
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Reaching Out: Decolonising, Sharing, and Learning with First Nations Musicians through Social Media in Australian School and University Contexts.
This paper reflects on the non-Indigenous presenter’s promotion of social media as a medium to connect students with Australian First Nations popular musicians. Following a narrative account of early attempts to embed the practice in high school contexts, the paper then explores how the process was refined for an initial teacher education course under the guidance of Noongar scholar Clint Bracknell. In addition to these autoethnographic reflections, interviews with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists will be analysed to help question the benefits and limitations of social media as a decolonial tool to support the inclusion of First Nations music in education.