Welcome to the music teachers in international schools podcast! In this podcast, experienced music educator and researcher, Chris Koelma, explores the unique world of music education in the international school context. You will hear engaging stories from music teachers working in international schools all around the world, learn tips and tricks from a global community of leading music ed experts, and be inspired to develop your capacity to be truly ‘international’ in your approach to music education.
Music Teachers In International Schools Podcast
Claim This Podcastby Chris Koelma
4.3(6 reviews)
60 episodes
Updated Bi-weekly
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇬🇧
47
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality82
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YouTube0
Engagement31
Podcast Overview
Welcome to the music teachers in international schools podcast! In this podcast, experienced music educator and researcher, Chris Koelma, explores the unique world of music education in the international school context. You will hear engaging stories from music teachers working in international schools all around the world, learn tips and tricks from a global community of leading music ed experts, and be inspired to develop your capacity to be truly ‘international’ in your approach to music education.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
7/22/2022
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47
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
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Engagement31
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Recent Episodes
November 25, 2025
EP. 56 – Shaping your primary music curriculum around cultural celebrations w/ Tomos Nicholls
<p><strong>Tomos Nicholls </strong>is a music teacher at <a href="https://www.alice-smith.edu.my/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alice Smith School</a> in Malaysia.<br>Tomos began his journey in international education as a teaching assistant in Myanmar before training as a music teacher under the mentorship of Asta Hodgson (<a href="https://mtiis.co/podcast/43/" target="_blank">who also featured on the podcast here</a>). Since 2021 he has been based in Malaysia, where he teaches primary music, leads large-scale cultural performance projects, and works within a rapidly evolving arts landscape. </p><p>Outside school, Tomos co-directs the Kuala Lumpur Men’s Chorus (KLMC), a musical theatre–focused show choir that recently premiered its first original musical.</p><p>Tomos is passionate about<strong> cultural integration </strong>in primary music, <strong>Dalcroze-inspired movement-based learning</strong>, and helping students connect meaningfully with Malaysia’s multilingual, multicultural heritage. </p><p><strong>In this episode, we explore:</strong></p><ul><li>Tomos’s journey from the <strong>UK</strong> to an international teaching assistant post in <strong>Yangon</strong>, and then music teacher in <strong>Malaysia</strong>.</li><li>The growth of Malaysia’s arts scene and Tomos’s role co-directing the <strong>Kuala Lumpur Men’s Chorus</strong>.</li><li>What <strong>deep cultural integration</strong> looks like in an international school setting</li><li><strong>How his school builds cultural understanding</strong> through 9–10 week performance projects for all Year 1–6 students</li><li>The shift from traditional cultural “events” to<strong> immersive, collaborative curriculum experiences</strong></li><li>Tomos’s commitment to learning Mandarin, Malay and Tamil to deepen cultural access and relationships</li><li>How <strong>Dalcroze Eurhythmics</strong> has transformed his teaching practice</li><li><strong>Developing sustainable cultural programmes</strong> that can outlast individual staff members</li></ul><p>Please do check out the links below for everything mentioned in the show!</p><p>Get in touch with Tomos:Links and resources from this episode:</p><ul><li>Contact Tomos via LinkedIn <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomos-nicholls-a5a443379/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</li></ul><ul><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/klmenschorus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kuala Lumpur Men’s Chorus (KLMC)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ShortSweetMalaysia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KLPAC Short & Sweet Competition</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/alice-smith.edu.my/dalcroze-malaysia/registration?fbclid=IwY2xjawOSAfdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFwbXh1TXRiNjA0c0IxY3Jrc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrpA90fOOdLVbNboApk8yXh4oxCFvp3wNJsEReJhoKjzfb8Cvnag6fjpsxSS_aem_kU8pldLyJQ9J9uH5Bc2wqQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dalcroze Workshops (Dec 27–29) with Jarrison Harper Lee & Kay Barker</a></li></ul><p><strong>EPISODE SPONSOR:</strong><br>This episode is brought to you by <strong>Trinity College, London</strong>. Trinity works worldwide to support the music education of hundreds of thousands of students with assessments across a wide spectrum of styles, including in Classical, Jazz, Rock & Pop and theory of music. If you’re looking for music exams that are super flexible, learner-centred and come with plenty of local on-the-ground support, then Trinity College London could be the perfect option for your international school setting. </p><p><strong>To help get you started, Trinity is offering a $250 voucher for all new centres, simply register your interest here: </strong><a href="https://tinyurl.com/Trinity-MFI-offer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://tinyurl.com/Trinity-MFI-offer</a><strong></strong></p>
November 6, 2025
EP. 55 - Living & working in St. Gilgen, Austria: where Mozart is a local legend w/ Lindsey Stirrat
<p><strong>Lindsey Stirrat</strong> t is an international school music educator who was, until recently, based at <a href="https://www.stgis.at/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">St. Gilgen International School</a> in Austria.</p><p>Her journey spans the UK (performer and peripatetic teacher) and roles across Oman, Dubai, Austria (Vienna), Switzerland and Singapore before moving to the Austrian Alps. She taught within the IB (PYP/MYP/DP) framework and helped shape a highly community-embedded arts programme in St. Gilgen, a village that itself functions as the campus.</p><p>The school’s arts culture is tightly woven into the local context: music classrooms sit beside the boathouse on Lake Wolfgang, performances take place in the former home of Mozart’s mother and a restored 1950s cinema, and students regularly perform around town. A student-led “24-Hour Jam” now anchors the calendar as a Red Cross fundraiser, and a cross-disciplinary <strong>Industry Arts</strong> course (media, events, music tech, gaming/3D/AI, branding) connects learners with partners such as Red Bull, TEDx and Take Two Studios.</p><p>In this episode, we explore:</p><ul><li>Lindsey’s path from UK performer/teacher to Oman, Dubai, Switzerland, Singapore and Austria</li><li>What it’s like to teach in <strong>St. Gilgen</strong> where the village doubles as the school campus (yes, students eat lunch in local restaurants)</li><li>Turning a town into an arts hub: boathouse classrooms, <strong>Mozart’s mother’s house</strong> as a performance space, a <strong>1950s cinema</strong>, and even a <strong>floating stage</strong> on the lake</li><li>The <strong>24-Hour Jam</strong>: a student-led DP CAS fundraiser with continuous music, multiple creative “zones,” and deep community involvement</li><li>Balancing Austria’s classical heritage (Mozart, opera, orchestras) with contemporary, global and student-driven music in line with IB’s personal/local/global aims</li><li>The <strong>Industry Arts</strong> programme (Gr 9–10): leadership, event production, short-form media, music tech, gaming/3D/AI, and how it pipelines into IBDP Arts</li><li>Eco-school priorities and how climate awareness shows up in arts learning and community projects</li></ul><p><br /></p><p>Please do check out the links below for everything mentioned in the show!</p><p><strong>Get in touch with Lindsey:</strong></p><ul><li>Contact Lindsey via email at her new school in Singapore: <a href="mailto:%20lindsey.stirrat@gess.edu.sg" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">lindsey.stirrat@gess.edu.sg</a></li></ul><p><br /></p><p><strong>Links and resources from this episode:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Industry Arts Course</strong> (Gr 9–10): media, events, music tech, gaming/3D/AI - download Lindsey's unit outline here:</li><ul><li><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/13DFRK43rX3VrwUHMjVb98x2GkR6PeKza/view" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">PDF Download Here</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/130mgHYm_BjEfQnrl4Hs44sEn2oJZeXD6/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104511027420226091118&rtpof=true&sd=true" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">PPTX Download Here</a></li></ul><li><a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/WHhXBsH4FWZ5fJkG6" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Salzkammergut / Lake Wolfgangsee (St. Gilgen)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/MoHA+-+Mozarthaus+St.+Gilgen/@47.7670409,13.3537107,15z/data=!4m10!1m2!2m1!1zTW96YXJ04oCZcyBNb3RoZXLigJlzIEhvdXNl!3m6!1s0x4776badaa0086983:0xa80a9fcc6adb306b!8m2!3d47.7666289!4d13.3678755!15sChtNb3phcnTigJlzIE1vdGhlcuKAmXMgSG91c2VaGSIXbW96YXJ0J3MgbW90aGVyJ3MgaG91c2WSAQ9jdWx0dXJhbF9jZW50ZXKaASRDaGREU1VoTk1HOW5TMFZKUTBGblNVUmxYeTF0ZVRCblJSQULgAQD6AQQIKxAi!16s%2Fg%2F122qx_bp?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTEwMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">“Mozart’s Mother’s House” (St. Gilgen)</a> – performance space</li><li><a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/McX2DUNFCkEdBJSTA" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">St. Gilgen Old Cinema (1950s “Kino”)</a> – performance venue</li><li><a href="https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/curriculum/the-arts/music/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">IB Music (MYP/DP)</a> – personal, local and global contexts</li></ul><p><br /></p><p><strong>EPISODE SPONSOR:</strong><br />This episode is brought to you by <strong>Trinity College, London</strong>. Trinity works worldwide to support the music education of hundreds of thousands of students with assessments across a wide spectrum of styles, including in Classical, Jazz, Rock & Pop and theory of music. If you’re looking for music exams that are super flexible, learner-centred and come with plenty of local on-the-ground support, then Trinity College London could be the perfect option for your international school setting. </p><p><strong>To help get you started, Trinity is offering a $250 voucher for all new centres, simply register your interest here: </strong><a href="https://tinyurl.com/Trinity-MFI-offer" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://tinyurl.com/Trinity-MFI-offer</a></p><p><br /></p>
October 9, 2025
EP. 54 – Why you should start your own regional international school music educator group w/ Jaime Wilkin
<p><strong>Jaime Wilkin</strong> is a music teacher and professional learning coordinator at the <a href="https://academy.isf.edu.hk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Independent Schools Foundation Academy in Hong Kong</a>.</p><p>Jaime’s journey into international music education began in the UK before a volunteer opportunity in Thailand opened the door to a series of roles across South Korea and Hong Kong. He now teaches MYP and DP Music at ISF Academy, leads the school’s concert band, and supports teacher development across departments in a whole-school professional learning role.</p><p>Jaime is also a founding member of the <strong>Hong Kong International Music Educators (HKIME) </strong>group - a growing network that brings together international school music teachers and students across Hong Kong through festivals, pop-up ensembles, and professional learning events.</p><p>In this episode, we explore:</p><ul><li>Jaime’s <strong>teaching journey from the UK to Thailand, South Korea, and now Hong Kong</strong></li><li>His dual role teaching <strong>IB Music and leading school-wide professional learning</strong></li><li>The <strong>origin and growth</strong> of the Hong Kong International Music Educators (HKIME) group.</li><li>What it takes to <strong>build a collaborative music education network</strong> from the ground up</li><li>How HKIME runs events like pop-up choirs, student festivals, and PL days <strong>with no budget</strong></li><li>How regional networks are <strong>key in helping connect international school music educators</strong></li><li><strong>Practical tips</strong> for starting your own music teacher group in any location</li></ul><p>Please do check out the links below for everything mentioned in the show!</p><p><br></p><p>Get in touch with Jaime:</p><ul><li>Contact Jaime via Linkedin - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-wilkin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-wilkin/</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p>Links and resources from this episode:</p><ul><li>HKIME WhatsApp Group - <a href="https://mtiis.co/regional-networks/" target="_blank">access via the MTIIS website here</a></li></ul><ul><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOwzHJ0EtN3/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ISME Associate Partnership</a><br>(HKIME is an Associate Partner of the International Society for Music Education)</li><li><a href="https://music.uwo.ca/graduate/dma.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doctorate of Musical Arts – Western University</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>EPISODE SPONSOR:</strong><br>This episode is brought to you by <strong>Trinity College, London</strong>. Trinity works worldwide to support the music education of hundreds of thousands of students with assessments across a wide spectrum of styles, including in Classical, Jazz, Rock & Pop and theory of music. If you’re looking for music exams that are super flexible, learner-centred and come with plenty of local on-the-ground support, then Trinity College London could be the perfect option for your international school setting. </p><p><strong>To help get you started, Trinity is offering a $250 voucher for all new centres, simply register your interest here: </strong><a href="https://tinyurl.com/Trinity-MFI-offer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://tinyurl.com/Trinity-MFI-offer</a><strong></strong></p>
60 total episodes available
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