Teaching music doesn’t need to be costly or complicated | Jess Adamson

It was simple stuff, but it brought the community together. And it taught us a few life lessons, writes Jessica Adamson.

Some of my brightest childhood memories involve belting out the songs from the Hallett Primary School’s Singing and Listening books.

It was the early 1980s and you could bank on a few things at school back then – raising the Australian flag every morning, running two laps of the tennis court before the horn sounded and a rousing whole school singing session, at least once a week.

When I say, “whole school”, there were only about 70 of us at the best of times but you could have heard us from Brisbane.

The brightly coloured books “Let’s have Music!”, “All Together Sing!” and “Everybody Sing!” still hold a special place in my heart.

If you weren’t word perfect on The Purple People Eater, Camp Granada, Jake the Peg, Wild Colonial Boy and Brumby Jack, you weren’t a South Aussie kid in the ‘80s.

And so, I’m left wondering, exactly when the music died.

Our children are not singing enough at school. The once weekly ritual in our primary schools is now completely non-existent in many cases.

Kids are rushing off to private instrument lessons, armed with expensive violins, saxophones and trombones, but missing out on a good, old-fashioned team croon.

Those who can’t afford lessons are missing out altogether.

Students from the state's South East at The Song Room's Big Day of Learning at Kangaroo Inn Area School. Picture: Christy Radford

We used to perform song after song at an annual school concert.

We’d practice for weeks to get things just right for the big night on the town hall stage.

I remember the butterflies, the uncontrollable giggling when things went wrong, the applause and exhilaration when the curtain closed.

It was simple stuff, but it brought the community together. And it taught us a few life lessons.

Setting the Tempo, a national report which surveyed 115 South Australian Primary Schools, was released last week.

It was commissioned by Music Education, Right from the Start, a collaboration led by Alberts - The Tony Foundation.

The survey revealed that most of our teachers recognised how valuable music is: 97 per cent said music was important to students’ educational experience, 94 per cent agreed that music education supports reading and numeracy skills and 94 per cent agreed that music education decreases stress and anxiety.

But alarmingly, the report also found our teachers don’t know how to teach basic music and many don’t have the resources to do it.

So 75 per cent said there wasn’t enough training in their degrees, 47 per cent said their school lacked musical equipment and 34 per cent don’t teach music regularly. What a sad state of affairs.

In some good news, Education Minister Blair Boyer has just committed $7.5m over the next three years to expanding our children’s music education.

The money will go towards musical instruments, extra training, upskilling generalist teachers to become step in music teachers and new music spaces.

It’s a move that’s hit the right note with our teachers who know music improves attention span, persistence and resilience.

Music also boosts emotional and social wellbeing and in the wild world our kids are living in right now, that’s critical.

Something pretty magical has been unfolding in the State’s Southeast in the past five years that shows just how powerful music can be.

The Song Room, a national not for profit organisation, is working in 12 kindies, preschools and primary schools, teaching students and teachers the benefits of embedding music into their learning.

Lead teaching artist Scott Maxwell says in a sport-mad community, it’s giving kids who don’t want to kick or bounce a ball, a whole new opportunity to shine.

“There’s a lot of kids who find their confidence through things like sport but that doesn’t suit every child,” Scott says. “We’re teaching really fun, engaging activities that are accessible to everyone and a lot of kids are coming to the forefront, we’re seeing their level of confidence soar.

“If I had my way music would be at the centre of the curriculum because everything else branches from our awareness of musical elements and rhythm.”

Education Minister Blair Boyer’s Music Education: Right from the Start launch at The Pines School in Parafield Gardens. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Students from the state's South East at The Song Room's Big Day of Learning at Kangaroo Inn Area School. Picture: Christy Radford

Some Southeast school principals are now scheduling music at the beginning of the day to increase attendance, and it’s working.

Children from different classes and different schools are getting to know each other, working and performing together as a team.

Students and teachers are learning new skills they feel proud of and that’s increasing the connections between the wider community and its children.

“Belonging is one of the most important parts of the program, the kids feel like they’re part of something,” Scott says.

“And the activities we run in classrooms each week are being shared in the community, at assemblies, concerts and the day-to-day communication with parents.

“Music is a fantastic way to reach the community.”

The former high school teacher says teaching the teachers is key to sustainable success.

“None of the schools I work at have a designated music teacher so we’re providing ongoing training and support for them to take on the type of activities that we run.”

Music makes us all feel good, that’s why we sing in the shower, the car, in karaoke bars and when no one’s watching. It’s comforting, soothing and uplifting.

Teaching it to our children, especially in their early years, doesn’t need to be costly or complicated.

Just like my Singing and Listening books, the Song Room is showing us how something so simple can bring joy and change lives.

And just like I did, the students and teachers are saying “Thank you for the Music”.