Developed in 5th century BCE Athens, the Socratic Method harnesses dialogue and probing questions to unlock deep understanding.

Your students spend most of their practice time alone and so developing independent thinking in your students will help them navigate challenges when you’re not there, ensuring good progress and deep understanding. 

In this session you will learn how to transform your teaching using your current materials and incorporate Socratic tools with prompts that spark insight, ownership, and curiosity. The question and dialogue process result in fun, active and engaged lessons, developing learners who take ownership of their musical journey. 

In this session you’ll discover: 

* Questioning techniques that deepen musical comprehension and cement key concepts;
* Strategies for student‑led discovery, empowering learners to diagnose and solve challenges independently;
* Techniques for creative exploration, turning every lesson into an interactive “lab” of artistic inquiry; as well as 
* Strategies for solving technical and musical issues 

About the Presenter

Anthony van den Broek 
BMus, LRSM, LMusA, DipABRSM, AMusA (Piano), AMusA (Harmony and Counterpoint)

Anthony van den Broek is a passionate pianist and teacher. He learnt the piano and organ from the age of 5 and majored in piano and harpsichord performance at UNSW. Anthony's musicological research focussed on historical performance practices of the baroque, classical and romantic repertoire, analysis and interpretation, as well as the keyboard and organ works of Bach and Messiaen.

Anthony is an examiner with the AMEB and has taught piano, theory and pedagogy to students of all ages and levels for the past 25 years. He is a Certified Instructor of the Taubman Approach for Piano (Golandsky Institute, USA), a groundbreaking approach that helps pianists overcome technical limitations as well as cure playing-related injuries. He spends considerable time teaching, mentoring and preparing current and future piano teachers for success in Teaching Diplomas, has lectured at Australian and international universities, and adjudicated piano competitions in the UK, USA and Australia.

First Thursdays

These regular professional development sessions were originally the brainchild of MTA Member Annette Allerding, who wanted music teachers to be able to meet and share ideas. Originally named Keys, Cakes and Conversation (KCC) the group went online during Covid, and eventually reached numbers often in excess of 50 teachers, meeting each month on Zoom. The Music Teachers' Association of NSW is delighted to bring these sessions into our fold. We want the sessions to continue to be free to our members, but we also believe it is important to pay presenters for their valuable time. So we ask you to consider a giving a donation towards the costs if you are able. You will be given the option to donate when you book your place.