Meryl Van Noie

As Lecturer in Jazz Studies, I am responsible for teaching and developing a variety of courses. These fields include Jazz Theory, Ear Training, Ensemble and History and Context. I have an extensive background in teaching and lecturing general music, jazz and music technology. As a long-standing educator, a key focus of mine is on innovative curriculum design and implementing a variety of learning modalities and strategies. For nearly fourteen years I managed a not-for-profit educational institution focused on music technology education using innovative teaching strategies called the SoundHouse. Beyond this, I'm also a pianist, composer and technologist with approximately twenty years of professional writing and performing experience. Over the years I have provided training and teaching workshops in partnership with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), Cape Town Science Centre (CTSC), The Baxter Theatre, Sci-Bono Science Centre in Johannesburg, Gateway Science Centre in KZN as well as the Cape Town Music Academy (CTMA). I am currently a board member of the Kula Cape Foundation.

In this position, I was responsible for managing, maintaining and strategically developing the UCT South African College of Music (SACM) music technology facilities. The key responsibility of the MTO was to provide support, training, consultation and research advice to students and staff, about new music technology developments. During this time I also taught three undergraduate music technology course modules for a number of years. This position is a strategic link between the SACM, and the Faculty of Humanities IT Management ensuring that the music department’s requirements for music technology integration are met, whilst managing budgets provided by the Faculty of Humanities and greater UCT Finance structures.

Between 2007 and 2013, most of my energy went into the development of innovative music curricula and content delivery unique to the SoundHouse. These included courses for every school-going age group from ages 5-18, music teachers and university-level students. High school and Primary school courses were developed to link into and supplement the gaps within the National High School Curriculum.

The Western Cape Education Department approached SH to develop and deliver a teacher training programme for technology, which was designed and implemented between 2003 and 2007. The teacher’s training programme included, freeware teaching tools, a teaching reference guide, lesson plans, and hands-on vocational training sessions and workshops. As a result of the WCED project, during this period I also assisted managers of the Gateway Science Centre and Sci-Bono Science Centre in Johannesburg with developing educational programmes for those facilities.

Individual Jazz piano lectures and practical tuition.