Kate Goodes is a PhD student at the University of Tasmania, researching the impact playing in large music ensembles has on adolescent wellbeing. She has an extensive background as a classroom and instrumental music teacher, having taught in central London to regional South Australia (including both at Faith Lutheran College and Nuriootpa High and Primary School), but her love has always been ensemble music. She is also the musical director for the Nuriootpa Town Band and a conductor for one of the orchestras for the Primary Schools Music Festival which many of our primary public students will perform in at some point in time.
She completed her MA in Music Education at the Institute of Education UCL in London whilst working in the UK and came back to Australia just before the pandemic. Kate had been meaning to undertake a PhD but work and life got in the way. Following a car accident in 2022 Kate was unable to return to full-time teaching. In 2023, the perfect research project came up with a researcher she had followed in Tasmania in The Music and Resilience Project. Upon successfully securing an RTP Scholarship she was able to fulfill her ambition to undertake her PhD candidature. As a result, Kate is now able to balance part time work with full time study, nurturing her passion for understanding the intersection of music and adolescent wellbeing.
Kate has been a valued member of the Barossa Regional University Campus community and she shares her experience of the campus here:
"Working from home presents its challenges, which is why I am immensely grateful for the Barossa Regional University Campus. It provides a distinction for me between work and study and allows me to be far more productive than with the distractions at home. The quiet, clean, distraction-free environment fosters productivity, allowing me to delve into my research with unwavering focus. Moreover, the camaraderie among fellow mature-age learners studying post-grad adds a dimension of companionship to the sometimes-solitary world of online study.
One of the BRUC's most remarkable features is its versatility. Whether I'm in the mood for an immersive online tutorial experience enhanced by the large TVs or seeking solace in a cozy corner to pen down my thoughts, BRUC accommodates my diverse needs. Reflecting on my undergraduate days studying at the University of Adelaide whilst living at home in Nuriootpa, I can't help but wonder what impact the BRUC would have had on my study back then as a teenager. As I continue my enriching journey in research, I am so grateful for the support of spaces like the BRUC, which empowers students like myself to thrive in our academic pursuits whilst staying close to home and support networks."
