Suriya Umapathysivam

Nominated by Gaby Freer

2024 Award Recipient for Excellence in Australian Kodály-inspired Music Education: Early Career Teacher

Suriya’s Music Education started from a young age, being a member of a choir since she was 7 years old.  Suriya was lucky enough to be taught by educators using Kodály inspired pedagogy both in school and  when she joined Young Adelaide Voices. This learning and exposure inspired her to seek out performing opportunities and upon deciding to become a teacher, further learning opportunities. After finishing school, she studied a Bachelor of Music with a major in education and minor in classical voice at the Elder Conservatorium. This was followed by a Masters of Teaching (Secondary) at Adelaide University. Since graduating, Suriya spent 5 years in rural South Australia as the Performing Arts Faculty Leader at Balaklava High School building up their Music program. During this time, she connected with Kodály SA through some initial professional development and then joined the committee in 2019. In the proceeding years, she has completed her Australian Kodály Certificate Secondary (AKC) Level 1 & 2. Suriya is currently the Vice-President of Kodaly SA and works behind the scenes to support the South Australian Branch, specifically the AKCSA in 2023/24. She is buying her time until it she can complete her Secondary Level 3.  Currently she is Head of Music at Kildare College.   

Suriya has been working at Balaklava High School (BHS) as Performing Arts Faculty Leader the last five years. She has recently moved into the position of Head of Music at Kildare College. During her time at BHS, she worked to build their Music program. In 2019 she started with a small program with a few ensembles and no senior year 12 Music. During her time, Suriya implemented a Kodály inspired approach, placing value on authentic music experiences, inclusive opportunities and students singing in the classroom. This cultivated a busy thriving Music/Performing Arts department, seeing growth in consistent year 12 classes with strong achievement, busy performance schedule and large student involvement. Suriya has drawn on her Kodály inspired training to build up the choral program, more than doubling the number of students involved and the quadrupling the number of performance opportunities all during COVID. Seeing both growth in participation and ability, this saw the BHS general choir (open to all) come third in the Balaklava Eisteddfod in 2023, where they competed again several different student ensembles, including those from independent schools. Suriya changed the culture of her department through singing and finding authentic music making opportunities. Working with the broader community and sharing her knowledge too throughout the Mid-North of South Australia, she has certainly left her mark and is now sorely missed! Moving to Kildare College in 2024, she has already got stuck into building up their Music Department, starting with a choral program and future planning towards bringing a Kodály inspired approach to Kildare College. Suriya is mentoring an Early Career teacher in her team in helping and upskilling her to embrace a Kodály inspired approach. This is also a fruit of the passion of already passing on what she has learnt to other new teachers as Suri held the position of Lead Mentor for Early Career Teachers for the Lower-Mid North in the Gawler 2 Portfolio. Since joining the Kodaly SA committee, Suriya has supported Kodály SA to bring numerous professional learning experiences to the Music teachers in South Australia. She has helped with administrative tasks in the delivery of the Australian Kodaly Certificate (AKC) in South Australia in 2023 and again is stepping up to being the cocordinator for AKC SA in 2024. After completing two levels herself in 2021 and 2022, she is now just waiting for the right time to complete her AKC Secondary Level 3. Suriya has held several positions within the committee, including Newsletter Editor, social media, admin support and now Vice-President. in 2022, Suriya was nominated for and received South Australian ‘Credit Union SA Early Career Educator of the Year Award’ by Educators SA on World Teachers Day, put forward by Kodaly SA. Suriya is a passionate Music educator who is dedicated to Music excellence both in her practice and promoting it within her students. It is with pride and joy that I am putting Suriya forward for this award.