Welcome and Overview
We hope you find the contents of this site helpful, thought-provoking, inspirational as well as reassuring. The Music DP programme is never static, but constantly evolving organically, meeting the changing needs of the programme.
An illustration of the various components of the course for both standard-level and higher-level students.
About this Course
The course is not only intended to challenge the "high rollers", those who wish to continue a post-secondary education in music with the potential for a music career, but to satisfy those amongst you who have an interest in music. Further, we hope you find the course accessible no matter what your musical abilities, yet with a passion for making and producing your own music. For many of you, this might be your only chance to experience music on a personal level.
Creating a curriculum to meet the needs of the high achievers, yet also address the interests of the novice musician/creator/researcher is a daunting task. Yet, we hope the contents of this site offer ample opportunities for you to address the needs across the spectrum.
Our world is becoming more complex by the day. Our task as musicians has never been more vital than it is at this very moment. Pablo Picasso said,
"We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realise the truth at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies.” (goodreads.com)
As musicians, we must encourage and enable you to seek global understanding. Music is an essential tool with which to seek this truth.
Photo by Johnell Pannell on Unsplash
We all need to realize that our needs are constantly in flux. There will undoubtedly be countless modifications, edits, and appendixes added to this site as we continue to address the changing needs of the community.
We hope this site helps you along your journey.
Please remember that learning music is not a destination, but a never-ending process.
Dr. Anton D. Luiten
Dr. Luiten is an educator with more than 30 years of experience working in both local and international schools in Japan, Hong Kong, and Saigon, as well as serving on the academic team at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (Australia). He prides himself on offering interactive, personalized and discussion-based lessons that are always meticulously prepared to ensure that students are not only challenged but reaching their personal goals.
He completed his Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Sydney in 2009 on Bartók's last string quartet, speculating primarily on the reasons why the closure to the last movement was changed so significantly from the initial sketches. Interestingly, Bartók did not cross out any of these earliest thoughts, but instead simply left the material incomplete before replacing it with an inward, melancholic reflection. He also holds a Master's degree in Linguistics from Macquarie University (2006) and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (English Literature) with distinction from the University of Hong Kong.
Dr. Luiten has served as the Head of Music and Extended Essay Coordinator at the renowned St. Paul's Co-Educational College in Hong Kong (2015-2021), which boasts some of the highest IB averages globally (this gradually rose to eventually peak in 2021 at 43.3; see HERE).
More recently, he relocated to Vietnam to take up the roles of Diploma Programme Coordinator, Year 13 Subject Welfare Co-ordinator, and IBDP Music Teacher at the Australian International School Saigon. He is, however, well versed in a number of other subjects, including English, English Literature, Theory of Knowledge, Academic and Creative Writing, Drama, Film, and other skills-based classes.
He has held a number of posts throughout his career, most notably Curriculum Development Contributor to the new IBDP music course (first assessment 2022) as well as a Lead Educator in the Asia Pacific region, training the next batch of IB Workshop Leaders in the Primary Years (PYP), Middle Years (MYP) and Diploma programmes (DP). He also works as a site visitor for schools completing their five-year reviews for the IB, and he is an active contributor to IBDP Music assessment.
He is experienced in curriculum design, teacher training, classroom management, and educational leadership. He also acts as a music critic for concerts in Hong Kong (returning regularly) and runs professional development workshops for teachers. He is also the Manager of the IBDP Music Teachers Worldwide Facebook page, which has over 2000 members from all corners of the globe. He is currently completing another Master's degree in Educational Leadership through Edith Cowan University.
Mr. Jim Yarnell
Jim has more than 40 years of experience with international schools worldwide as an arts consultant and educator. Originally from the Chicagoland Area in the United States, he has made The Netherlands his adopted home. He has both American and Dutch nationalities.
Jim served as the Arts Director at The American School of The Hague where he led and developed one of the most diverse and integrated performing and visual arts programmes on the international school circuit. Further, he served as the music chair for the ECIS Music Committee and was one of the co-founders of The Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) having been the association’s first board president.
Jim served on the faculty of Harvard’s Project Zero Summer Institute and has led countless workshops for arts integration in international schools. Currently, he works as a consultant and workshop leader for the International Baccalaureate Music DP Programme. He has been a teacher of IB DP Music for more than 25 years.
He believes a comprehensive arts education is essential in developing cross-disciplinary understanding, enhancing critical thinking skills, fostering inquiry-based learning, respecting international mindedness and promoting student agency for all students regardless of artistic abilities.
His career as a music educator has had many highlights. His music ensembles have performed for four US Presidents including the second Inauguration of President Bill Clinton in Washington D.C., the first international school to receive such an honor.
Jim received his Bachelor of Science degree in Education at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and his Master of Arts in Education at Vandercook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois. Additionally, Jim has a post-graduate teaching degree from Utrecht Music Conservatory in The Netherlands.
This video offers you a quick overview of the site and a summary of what each of the chapters contains.
It provides support for both teachers and students with chapters devoted to (click on any one of the chapters to be re-directed):
1. For Teachers
2. For Students
5. IB in the Performing Ensemble
We welcome feedback in the hope that the materials on offer are shaped by the needs of the community.
We are:
- dynamic in the approach that we adopt,
- creative in the originality voiced in our materials, AND
- personal in our quick individualised responses to any questions posed.
We welcome you to join our ever-expanding community.