industry & reform
From live gigs to teaching music
A teacher speaks about the benefits and challenges of education during the age of COVID .
Jake Muir interviewed by Wade Zaglas
The devastating impacts of the pandemic have not only altered our lives , but they have also forced many Australians to re-evaluate the security of their current jobs , their long-term viability , and even the sense of purpose they provide us .
In Victoria , for instance , a recent survey concluded that nearly two-thirds ( 62 per cent ) of individuals surveyed have considered switching careers in the past year . And the good news for Victorian education minister James Merlino is that education and training tops the list of career options , with many individuals drawn to its stability , flexibility and the opportunity to make a positive impact . Research also found that more than two-fifths of Victorians have considered a career in teaching ( 43 %).
One of those individuals who changed careers before the pandemic is former musician Jake Muir , now a Music and Philosophy teacher at Preston High School in Victoria . While Muir made the decision to switch careers before the pandemic hit , he ’ s grateful he did , with many of his professional music mates now suffering from the cancellation of live shows and becoming interested in a teaching career .
Jake discusses his past as a musician , his teaching beliefs , and his dreams for the future . At the same time , however , he addresses serious challenges the pandemic has thrown up , such as ensuring equity in education for all children , gaps in student learning , and having to alter some teachers ’ in-class practice that has been refined for decades since the switch to remote learning first began en masse .
ER : Tell us about your music career . JM : I was a working musician for roughly eight years . Primarily I worked in contemporary music and jazz . I think most musicians will tell you that they ’ ll play anything that pays the bills . Whoever ’ s asking you to play music , you ’ ll play whatever they like .
I was a singer and I played piano and guitar and a few other instruments . I played in various ensembles and bands , and I wrote and recorded music . I did my Bachelor of Music and I majored in voice . That was one of the stepping stones to my career as a musician .
Did the effects of COVID-19 on live music have anything to do with making a career change , or were you already thinking about becoming a teacher ? I was already on my way to becoming a teacher when COVID-19 happened . I was in my second year of the Master of Teaching at the University of Melbourne . So I had already made the conscious decision to shift , but certainly it was one of those strange things where it was a little bit of validation of the choice I ’ d made , in a way .
A lot of my friends are still very much struggling with live music being one of the major industries hit by the pandemic . I ’ ve had this weird sense of gratitude
8 | educationreview . com . au