Alexandra Dalman

Nominated by Gaby Freer

2024 Award Recipient for Excellence in Australian Kodály-inspired Music Education: Mentoring

Alexandra is a Kodály and Orff Schulwerk Music Educator who is passionate about music education and the role it plays in the development of the whole child.  As a primary and early years music educator, Alexandra has taught in some of Sydney’s most esteemed schools including , Newington College and SCEGGS Darlinghurst. Currently she is working for the Music Education Strategy, inspiring teachers all over South Australia to use Music in their classrooms. Prior to becoming an educator, Alexandra studied and sang opera, working with some of Australia’s finest coaches and directors. She loves teaching and enjoys the rigour and excitement of a Kodály based classroom, where singing is at the core. 

Alexandra joined Kodály SA in 2020 after moving from Sydney. She quickly proved to be a fabulous asset, not just as committee member, but also as a presenter for our organisation. She blew us all away with her deeply musical, fun and energetic first presentation… while eight months pregnant with her fourth child! After Alex’s maternity leave I encouraged her to apply as a Network Field Officer in the Music Education Strategy, and have had the pleasure of working alongside her since 2022.

I have seen Alexandra grow from a well-established and well-loved teacher into a wonderful mentor for the many educators with whom she now collaborates through the Department for Education’s Music Education Strategy. Alex is passionate and touches educators’ lives deeply, with imaginative and kindly ways of guiding educator towards singing, movement and music-making. She draws on an extensive knowledge, having completed four ORFF levels as well as the Austalian Kodaly Certificate in Primary, as well as Early Years 2 and Secondary 1 levels.

Alexandra tailors her engagements to those she is mentoring: ‘Music for all’! Much thought and effort goes into engaging teachers at best-practice level. An example is her work with upper primary classes at her base site a couple of years ago. She engaged with all teachers and all 5/6 students to create a ‘basketball piece’, with students bouncing the balls to the beat in different ways. Alex had noticed a  general lack of student motivation and high absenteeism, but that the children loved basketball. She procured 80 new balls, and worked for a term on ‘bouncing rhythm configurations, culuminating in a performance in front of professional basketball players! Those teachers still use music in their daily teaching, and one of them has moved on to incorporate music into tertiary literacy education, while staying in communication with Alex – a great widening of passion and skill!

Alexandra has successfully worked with and inspired all the performing arts teachers in her patch. She has encouraged and upskilled them to incorporate music in a sequential and developmental way, not explicitly labelling this as ‘Kodály practice’, but modelling it in simple and approachable ways.

Alexandra employs Kodaly-inspired practice especially with educators of young children. A trained opera singer, she beautifully incorporates vocal modelling. Her adaptibility in learning new material through levels courses, then immediately passing this on, has been inspiring to watch. Her passion and love of working with children shine through whenever I watch her presenting a demonstration session: the children are engaged, and teachers learn so much from Alex.

Alexandra also has a thirst for educating herself and ensures that she has the latest research at hand for every presentation or engagement. Over the two years in her role as a network field officer, Alex has touched the lives of well over 600 educators and teachers in South Australia, and has helped to foster their skills and love for music with her passionate and wholehearted approach.

Alex has served on the Kodály SA Committee for the last four years, and for one year as vice president. With a young family of four boys to look after, she helps whenever she can, taking photos at all our events and following up with people, as well as being available as a great presenter and mentor for our members here in SA.

I am very honoured to put Alexandra forward for this award. It is an absolute pleasure to work alongside her and see her  inspire teachers as she does.