Stephanie Eaton

Nominated by Alexandra Dalman

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

Stephanie holds two Bachelors of Music (UA) in conducting and performance, her Graduate Diploma of Education (QUT) and her Australian Kodály Certificate (Secondary Education). Stephanie currently serves as the Vice-President of the Kodály National Council and is a member of Kodály SA. In 2021, she was recognized for her contributions to Kodály inspired music education with an Outstanding Service award from Educators SA. Stephanie is a regular presenter at conferences and workshops around the country and is an accredited Australian Kodaly Certificate lecturer. 

She has extensive experience in music education, working at Brisbane Girls Grammar School and most recently as Head of Music at Seymour College in Adelaide. Amongst other projects, Stephanie is currently working as the Development Coordinator and Musicianship Leader at Young Adelaide Voices, Adelaide’s premier choral organisation. Stephanie continues to sing in choirs, performing with Fusion and Aurora. 

Stephanie is passionate about music education and believes music is an integral part of being human. She focusses on motivating and engaging students through a Kodály-inspired approach, which sees singing as a joy for human expression and a tool for learning. 

Stephanie Eaton is a highly innovative and dynamic Music Educator who has made a significant impact having engaged with hundreds of teachers and preservice educators in South Australia. Stephanie has led two major innovations in music education over recent years – developing and instructing on the Musical Foundations course of study and establishing the Educators Choir.

Musical Foundations

In 2022, the Department for Education (SA) engaged Stephanie to co-design and deliver a curriculum to build capacity and confidence in generalist educators to deliver quality Music Education. Stephanie’s commitment to high quality music education led to the innovative course of study, Musical Foundations – Kodály-inspired Music Education, which she developed along with Jason Boron. Stephanie’s courses on Musical Leadership and Musical Immersion were the first of their kind in Australia.

While implementing this new course, Stephanie helped redefine the pathway to the Australian Kodály Certificate, once reserved for music specialists only. This preparatory course of study, specifically designed to bridge the musical gap for generalist teachers, allowed generalist educators who completed Musical Foundations to successfully progress through all three levels of AKC. Participant feedback has been positive and planted the seed for further innovation, including the Educators Choir.

Educators Choir

Participants in Musical Foundations expressed a desire to “connect regularly with this group of talented educators to share success stories and develop further in pedagogical approaches”. To address this desire, Stephanie established the Educators Choir to further development and embed new learning. Supported by Kodály SA, Stephanie headed the Educators Choir project, where any teacher could come, unite through song while building musicianship skills. In the current climate, Stephanie knew the importance of building connection between teachers to improving their wellbeing.

Stephanie’s outcomes for the choir were explicit – to unite and connect educators in a safe place, for teachers to increase their music skills and literacy, and for educators to feel a sense of renewal and improved wellbeing. Stephanie’s scaffolding was prepared and ensured development and journey was almost invisible for choristers, moving from the simplest to the most complex seamlessly. Stephanie modeled Kodály-inspired music education in every session, advocating to teachers the importance of music excellence.

This choir was a first in South Australia, meeting together consistently over Terms 2 and 3 of 2023, culminating in a public performance. Participants included preschool, primary and secondary educators from independent, Catholic and Departmental schools, with only a few being music teachers. Educators Choir is unique in South Australia as a place for teachers could come together, be united through voice and break down the barriers of school or context.

The Educators Choir is a huge success with two sites hosting the choir and over 75 participants. In 2024, Educator Choir will see a more refined experience for participants in a more central location.

Through Stephanie’s innovative thinking and efforts a new course of study was created and continues to be delivered each year, and a most needed Educators Choir was born, uniting voices, improving wellbeing and ultimately facilitated human connection, building one of the greatest experiences for teachers last year in South Australia.