ISP Newsletter - Staff Feature: Sarah Hill


How did your career in the expressive arts start?

As I look back over my eighteen year teaching career, my journey into the expressive arts began long before I started my first job as a Music Coordinator in a small school in Hertfordshire, UK. It goes all the way back to a rainy afternoon in Devon with my granny when I was about seven years old. Back to the day when she gave me her half size violin and I will always remember my excitement when she opened the case and I took out the instrument.
There were times as I was growing up when I nearly gave up playing. My mum had to bribe me with stickers and chocolate mice to help me get over that depressing plateau we all experience when learning a new skill. However, I did persevere, helped enormously by my supportive parents and some really inspiring Music and Drama teachers throughout my school years. From school productions, concerts and performances at the Albert Hall, to simply jamming with friends in the piano room at break times, my happiest memories from my school days are those which involved music and drama.
Following a degree in Music with Education from Cambridge University, my teaching career has taken me from the UK, to India, Nepal, South Korea and now here, in Borneo, Malaysia. I have loved experiencing different cultures while sharing my passion for teaching the Performing Arts. As I look back on my journey, it has been the experiences that I had as a student which shaped the teacher I am now.

As a Music and Drama teacher, how do you think creative subjects inspire learning in students?

It is a common misconception that Music and Drama are ‘easy’ subjects because you ‘don’t do much writing’, but any IGCSE student working on their performance coursework portfolio will certainly tell you otherwise!  The expressive arts develop life skills which are hugely valuable: communication, collaboration, empathy, concentration, motivation, public speaking… to name just a few!
I think one of the biggest things I see as a Music and Drama teacher is the confidence and resilience which students develop through these subjects. Stepping out in a supportive environment and just having a go is an important way of overcoming the fear of making mistakes and building confidence. Performances inspire resilience, perseverance and personal reflection and having the strength of character to get back on the stage when things have not gone as well as you had hoped is an important accomplishment that can take a lot of courage.
Music and Drama are great subjects for encouraging independent learners who take responsibility, meet deadlines and manage stress. The practical nature of these subjects develops good discipline and organisational skills. Planning a rehearsal schedule in preparation for a performance is vital, but having the discipline to stick to the schedule is often the biggest challenge.
I find that for those who have put in that extra effort and pushed themselves out of their comfort zone, the sense of achievement is fantastic. I find this ‘buzz’ then inspires new dreams, new challenges, higher goals and leads to greater personal achievements.

We have heard about the musical futures programme, what have been some of your personal highlights at Campus Miri?

One of the joys of the Musical Futures approach is that it is student driven. It is a programme of informal, self-directed learning, which draws on the real-life learning practices of popular musicians. Students want to get together with their friends, learn from each other and just play instruments, so motivation is high and progress is fast.

Since embracing the Musical Futures approach in my classroom, I have seen an enormous increase in student’s motivation and progress in music. This is not just in class lessons, but during lunch breaks and after school. On many occasions I have been hounded out of the Staffroom by enthusiastic students who want to use the music rooms in their spare time.

Another highlight was at the start of this academic year when our class set of ukuleles arrived. They were a winner from day one and, within a couple of weeks, a ukulele craze had hit the entire school. Students went out and bought their own instruments and the sound of ukuleles could be heard across the campus between lessons.
I think that the Musical Futures approach has shown me just how powerful peer tutoring can be. Earlier this term, the musical progress prize in our Awards Evening went to a boy who taught his friends to play the guitar. Teaching them from scratch, he differentiated the parts and directed the five piece ensemble. It really was exciting to see this much motivation, engagement and independence in a group of 14 year old boys.

You have been heavily involved in the The Tutti Project at Tenby Schools, can you tell us a bit about it?

The Tutti Project was started five years ago by a passionate young musician from Miri called Linley Chai. Miri is a small oil town in Borneo Malaysia and it can feel like a bit of a musical desert with very few experiences or opportunities locally, the nearest being a two and a half hour flight to Kuala Lumpur. The Tutti Project brings world class practitioners to Miri!
For the last few years, Tenby Schools Miri has hosted the event, providing the facilities and resources vital to its smooth running. This year, we welcomed seven musicians from the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and two top practitioners from Brisbane, Australia. There were workshops for strings, woodwind and brass and two new initiatives for this year: the beginner strings ensemble and a choir. Nearly 100 young musicians descended upon our campus, including participants from our sister school Tenby Echo Hill.
There really were so many highlights it is difficult to know where to start. There was the training programme for local string teachers led by Loreta Fin, an extremely experienced string practitioner from Brisbane; the Faculty Concert where Tutti participants had the opportunity to watch a performance from the MPO, and of course, the Showcase Concert where all participants were able to share the amazing progress they had made.
However, I think for me, the main highlight was seeing the enthusiasm and energy from our Tenby students who participated in the Tutti Choir. This choral element, exclusive to our Tenby Schools, was led by Gordon Hamilton, director of The Australian Voices. In just five days we metamorphosed from a fairly random group of individuals who liked to sing, to a polished three part choir. I was so proud of the way all our Tenby students conducted themselves during the whole event. They were a credit to our school group: their enthusiasm, energy, responsiveness and willingness to participate really stood out. We were all very upset to say goodbye and are already making plans for further collaboration for next year.

In your opinion, what is the best instrument to pick up when learning to play an instrument for the first time?


I’m often asked this as a music teacher and my response is “Which instrument would you like to play?”. Interest, motivation and progress are all linked, so there is little point in learning to play an instrument you have no interest in. All instruments have their own unique set of challenges and it does take years to become fully proficient. Success in the early stages of the learning process is vital, so making the right choice for the individual is very important: if you can’t make a sound out of it, it is probably not the best instrument for you!

I try to encourage learners of all ages to have a go on a range of different instruments before making a decision. At Tenby Schools Miri, our students have the opportunity to learn the violin, ukulele, guitar, drums and keyboard during their curriculum music lessons. We have a special string programme in place for all our Primary Students from Year 3 to Year 6 and this is run in collaboration with a local music school who also provide a private instrumental programme. I have been very impressed by our students’ progress after just two years of the string programme, and we now have a well-established ensemble of enthusiastic violinists.

Who is your favourite artist/group? (This can be of all time and also some local/national favourites too).

It’s difficult to know where to begin with this question as if I’m honest, I don’t really have one, all-time favourite artist or group. I tend to find that my ‘favourite’ is whatever I am absorbed in at ‘this’ moment in time. Last week, during the Tutti Project, Cohen’s Hallelujah was my top choice, along with the haunting Aboriginal choral music by Australian composer Steven Leek. This week, I’m rehearsing with two school bands for a gig on Friday, so have some classic rock favourites filling my dreams at night.

I have found my tastes in music continually change and develop and are influenced by my surroundings and experiences. During my time in Kathmandu, I was really inspired by the Nepali band Kutumba, with the unique sound of the madal drum. In India, Anoushka Shankar’s playing inspired me to buy my own sitar. Here in Borneo, I have grown to really appreciate the sound of the Sape and tunes made famous by the local artist Jerry Kamit. With so many great musicians playing so many different styles and genres, it is exciting to wonder who my favourite band will be in six months time.

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