Governor-General Hosts Celebration of Music Education: Right from the Start
Where does music take us and what role does it play in life? If you’re the Governor-General of Australia, it may well be a tool for diplomacy, as the Governor-General herself recounted recently as she welcomed around 100 guests to Admiralty House for an event in partnership with Alberts’ Music Education: Right from the Start initiative on 11 May.
Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC was recalling two recent state visits in which music proved a touchpoint, first with the Singaporean Prime Minister and later the Japanese Prime Minister, both of whom revealed a longstanding passion for music and musicianship. A guitar player, Japanese Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has AC/DC on high rotation; while Sanae Takaichi is a fan of heavy metal and an enthusiastic drum player.
“Music just keeps turning up in all our lives in unexpected ways,” Her Excellency says, recounting her own pinch me moment sitting next to John Paul Young during AC/DC’s recent Sydney concert.
As the Patron of Music Education: Right from the Start, the Governor-General knows well the vital role music plays in all our lives, and how crucial it is that quality music education be introduced early in children’s lives.
The Australian Children’s Music Foundation’s Don Spencer OAM with Binowee Bayles of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council.
“In school, music can be one of the fastest ways to create belonging: singing together, keeping time together, learning to listen and respond. These are the lessons in kindness, empathy, respect and connection. They’re also the practical lessons in attention, discipline, teamwork and confidence,” she says.
“We know, though, that music education remains inconsistent and inequitable … that too many children, particularly in regional and remote communities are still not getting the benefits of instruments and teaching. And that’s just not fair. That’s why the phrase ‘right from the start’ matters: music learning is most powerful when it starts early, it goes on consistently and when every child has a chance to build skills over time.”
Dr Anita Collins, co-founder and senior advisor of the Music Education: Right from the Start initiative.
Commemorating a significant milestone, the event at Admiralty House – which was opened with a vibrant and generous Welcome to Country delivered by Binowee Bayles on behalf of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council – celebrated five years since the launch of Music Education: Right from the Start’s first three-year strategy. It also coincided with the launch of Music Education: A (Re)Sounding Investment, a six-year update to the initiative’s 2020 foundational research report, Music Education: A Sound Investment, authored by the initiative’s senior advisor Dr Anita Collins and advisory group member Dr Rachael Dwyer.
The Governor-General with members of Music Education: Right from the Start’s working groups and project team, reflecting the collective collaboration working towards equitable access to quality music education for all Australian primary school students.
The assembled guests reflected the broad coalition of stakeholders and supporters whose tireless work has been instrumental in the success of Music Education: Right from the Start’s work to-date – from the initiative’s Advisory, Advocacy and Knowledge Base working groups, to leaders from departments of education, principal associations and teachers unions, music educators, researchers, philanthropy, musicians and the music industry. Together, these groups represent the collaborative spirit that underpins the initiative’s momentum and impact.
Emily Albert, executive director at Alberts and head of Music Education: Right from the Start.
Since the initiative began, Music Education: Right from the Start has become a powerful vehicle making real inroads to achieving its vision: that every Australian primary school student receives a quality, sequential and ongoing music education.
“Tonight is both a reflection and a celebration, a recognition of the work that been done, the partnerships that have made it possible and the momentum we continue to build together. Because meaningful change, especially systems change, never happens in isolation,” says Alberts’ executive director Emily Albert, who co-founded Music Education: Right from the Start with Anita Collins.
Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General, pictured with Murat Dizdar, Secretary of the NSW Department of Education, Emily Albert, and Martin Graham, Deputy Secretary.
“It requires educators, researchers, school leaders, artists, industry, philanthropy, teacher representatives and governments all working together… And that breadth of collaboration is truly what we are here to celebrate.”
Pat Murphy, a former principal himself who spoke on behalf of the 5300 government primary schools his association represents, recalls seeing firsthand the profound positive impact quality music education has on primary school children, an impact that continues well into later life.
Australian Government Primary Principals Association president, Pat Murphy, spoke about the vital role principals play in leading systems change to ensure equitable access and opportunity for all students.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to discover where they belong, and where they can excel. For many students, particularly in primary schools, music is not an extra, it is that hook that gets them to school every day. It keeps them engaged, it builds belonging, confidence, discipline and finally it brings them joy … music transcends difference. It brings harmony, it brings joy, it brings us into community,” he says.
Homebush West Primary School students, joined by members of the local Symphonia Jubilate, gave a rousing performance that brought the evening’s celebration of music education to life.
His point was brought to life by a performance from the Homebush West Public School and young musicians from their local music network, Symphonia Jubilate. Together, they performed a lively adaptation of Coldplay’s La Vida Loca before a packed drawing room.
After pointing out the positive and measurable physiological growth such a performance would trigger for the ensemble, Dr Collins acknowledged the profound shift that has taken place over the last five years since she and Emily first met over a coffee in Surry Hills – united by a shared belief in the transformative power of music.
Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO, soprano and founder of Short Black Opera, with Homebush West Public School Principal Estelle Southall and student performers following the evening’s showcase.
“We’ve seen governments begin to commit to long-term music education strategies; we’ve seen strong collaborations between educators, researchers, philanthropists, industry, unions, teachers – who all knew about each other, but weren’t collaborating on a day-to-day basis,” she says.
The Governor-General with Music Education: Right from the Start Advisory Group member Dr Jason Goopy, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of Secondary and Instrumental Music Education at Edith Cowan University, and colleague Jason Boron.
“Importantly, the conversation has started to shift from solely just defending music education to asking: what needs to change to ensure that every child can access a quality, sequential and ongoing music education? And while these shifts are happening at leadership and policy levels, they have not yet reached every child. And that’s why this work is going to continue.”
Both Music Education: Right from the Start co-founders acknowledge there is a long way to go, but that momentum is building.
“Music in all its forms brings me joy each day,” said the Governor-General, pictured with the Homebush West Public School cohort. “It’s a powerful gift to give our young people.”
“There is real opportunity at a state and national level to recognise music and creative arts education not as an optional extra, but as foundational to a world class education, a flourishing cultural sector and a flourishing society,” Emily says. “And that is why we are here tonight. To ask not whether something should be done – but how we do it together.”
