Community
Community support and involvement are vital ingredients to providing more Music in schools. However, it can be difficult for schools to involve the music community beyond the gates. The links below share some creative ways in which schools are meeting the challenge of working with their wider community on music education.
Common challenges to positive community involvement include:
- School needs a pro-Music attitude change
- Waning motivation
- Lack of community support
- Lack of parent support / funds
- Small school
- Needing advocacy tools & Advice
If you require more information about any of these please contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at Music. Play for Life.
School needs a pro-Music attitude change
| Solution | Case Study & Further Reading |
|---|---|
| MUSIC. COUNT US IN with lots of positive publicity for the school | View MCUI website |
| Seek community supporters who will insist that the schools listens to advocacy | |
| Start a school + community petition | NAMM foundation petition suggestions |
| Form a community committee with a joint love of Music-making | |
| Offer lunchtime 'CLUBS' for singing, instrumental jamming, computer music, making school radio | |
| Community Outreach program (singing visits to nursing homes ….) | Ainslie Primary School, Gordon Primary School |
| Involve students in decision-making re. music lesson content and ensemble/choir repertoire | Music Education Program - ANU |
| Big ensembles (all-in) fostering peer-to-peer learning and friendships | Bellingen Youth Orchestra (after school & open to wider community) |
| Lots of small ensembles (catering for novice thru to advanced instrumentalists & singers) which are open to staff, students and community members | Cygnet Area Primary School |
| Focus on the joy of Music-making | The Hand-in-hand community music program: a case study by SJ Garber |
| Use high profile, local, successful students as role-models and inspiration | |
| Enlist parent support, help and attendance (at rehearsals and concerts), | Canberra Girls' Grammar School |
| Travel (to festivals, eistedfodds, concert tours) & do concerts in regional schools | Marryatville High School, Virginia State School, Sandgate State School |
| Ask for tutors to assist with rehearsals (and re-energise the conductor) | Bellingen High School |
| Appoint as many conductors as possible to a choir or ensemble | Melbourne High School |
| Charge a small levee for after school rehearsals and provide afternoon tea half way through rehearsal | Bellingen Youth Orchestra |
| Ask for volunteers to join a community Outreach program (with a goal of altruism) - singing hand-in-hand with elderly citizens | ANU - Ainslie Primary School, Gordon Primary School |
| Ask local Conservatorium / music school to put on a small, free concert at your school | |
| Continually modify programs, curriculum, timetable structure and content to keep students engaged | Marryatville High School |
| Focus on participation (rather than pursuit of excellence) | Canberra Girls' Grammar School |
| Students create their own 'project ensembles', writing their own musical arrangements | Blackburn High School |
| Invite local professional musicians to perform and get involved with your students | Kingaroy High School |
| Create a 2- or 3-stage ensemble / choir hierachy, where students work their way to the top | King Island District High School |
| Students receive mentoring from local professional musicians & former students are encouraged back | Lyneham High School |
| Start a Middle Years Circus program | Dalyellup Primary |
| Study a continuum of music from 19th century Art music through to today's Popular music | Marryatville High School |
| Contact MUSIC. PLAY FOR LIFE Music in Communities for guidance | Music in Communities Network |
| Offer to perform at community events (Walk for Cancer, Australia Day, Remembrance Day, citizenship ceremony, weddings …) | |
| Busk at local shops, with signs advertising "Help Wanted" | |
| Provide ensemble for Community Carols | Tatachilla Lutheran College |
| Approach Lions and Rotary clubs | |
| Ask Bendigo Bank for $500 grant | |
| Make school Hall / Music room available for community use | Barrenjoey High School |
| Perform and set up a stall at local market/fair/festival with petition signing (see lobby kit) | |
| Community Outreach program & Hand-in-Hand (ANU) | Ainslie Primary School, Gordon Primary School, Tatachilla Lutheran College, Jervis Bay School |
| Host a Community Arts Festival | Barrenjoey High School, Vermont Primary School |
| Become a musical hub for your community | King Island District High School, Walpole Primary School, Barrenjoey High School |
| Produce a community Musical (staff, students, ex-students, parents, grandparents, community …) | |
| Form a Community Orchestra (instead of Term 4 Band rehearsals) | |
| Create a Musical playground, open to the community 24/7 | Basket Range Primary School |
| Create an after-school ensemble, open to ALL local instrumentalists or singers (regardless of school) | Marryatville High School, Dulwich Hill Public |
| Kingaroy High School musicians are community builders | |
| Invite community members to attend group instrumental lessons (with students) | |
| Parent education thru school newsletter on the benefits of music (see lobby kits) | |
| Invite parents to choir/band rehearsals - as audience or partipants | |
| Ask parents to provide transport to (and thus attend) nursing home concerts | |
| See MUSIC. PLAY FOR LIFE Lobby kit | Lobby Kit |
| Parents learn instruments along with their children, in the same lesson time | |
| Invite parents to help back-stage at concerts | Canberra Girls' Grammar School |
| Run a Marimba-making workshop for the wider community | Jon Madin |
| Seek parent/extended family/community assistance with instrument making and repairs | Murrumburrah Public School |
| Invite ex-students (now at High School) to tutor Primary School students | Dulwich Hill Public School |
| Invite community members to join in ensembles | King Island District High School |
| Access instrumental tuition and jam sessions via the internet and video-conferencing | |
| Approach local unemployment agency for unemployed musicians who might volunteer in your school music department | |
| Small Schools Marimba Ensemble: bring a cluster of schools together to make percussion music - parents make marimbas and echocellos | |
| Small schools which cluster together and make music promote larger peer groups and social networks | Deepwater Public School |
| Use Music education as a draw-card to new families at the school | Dominican School |
| Schools with a culture of 'active music making' offer a musical hub for their whole community | |
| "To all of those schools out there that have something special happening in the music world, we strongly suggest that you share your practises with Australia, and show the world of education that music is vitally important and that kids today can really enjoy music" | Virginia State School |
| Listen to student and parent feedback, observe student outcomes and be aware of trends in pedagogy | Marryatville High School |
Waning Motivation
| Solution | Case Study & Further Reading |
|---|---|
| Big ensembles (all-in) fostering peer-to-peer learning and friendships | Bellingen Youth Orchestra (after school & open to wider community) |
| Lots of small ensembles (catering for novice thru to advanced instrumentalists & singers), | |
| Focus on the joy of Music-making | The Hand-in-hand community music program: a case study by SJ Garber |
| Use high profile, local, successful students as role-models and inspiration | |
| Enlist parent support, help and attendance (at rehearsals and concerts), | Canberra Girls' Grammar School |
| Travel (to festivals, eistedfodds, concert tours) & do concerts in regional schools | Marryatville High School, Virginia State School, Sandgate State School |
| Ask for tutors to assist with rehearsals (and re-energise the conductor) | Bellingen High School |
| Appoint as many conductors as possible to a choir or ensemble | Melbourne High School |
| Charge a small levee for after school rehearsals and provide afternoon tea half way through rehearsal | Bellingen Youth Orchestra |
| Ask for volunteers to join a community Outreach program (with a goal of altruism) - singing hand-in-hand with elderly citizens | ANU - Ainslie Primary School, Gordon Primary School |
| Ask local Conservatorium / music school to put on a small, free concert at your school | |
| Continually modify programs, curriculum, timetable structure and content to keep students engaged | Marryatville High School |
| Focus on participation (rather than pursuit of excellence) | Canberra Girls' Grammar School |
| Students create their own 'project ensembles', writing their own musical arrangements | Blackburn High School |
| Invite local professional musicians to perform and get involved with your students | Kingaroy High School |
| Create a 2- or 3-stage ensemble / choir hierachy, where students work their way to the top | King Island District High School |
| "Students receive mentoring from local professional musicians & former students are encouraged back …" | Lyneham High School |
| Start a Middle Years Circus program | Dalyellup Primary |
| Start up a Parent Concert Band, with parents learning the same instrument as their child | Guardian Angels Primary School |
| Study a continuum of music from 19th century Art music through to today's Popular music | Marryatville High School |
| Ask a roster of parents to make afternoon tea for after-school rehearsals (a half-time break) | |
| Organise busking trips/camps to the nearest large shopping district (in December) to encourage small groups to practise |
Lack of Community Support
| Solution | Case Study & Further Reading |
|---|---|
| Contact MUSIC. PLAY FOR LIFE Music in Communities for guidance | Music in Communities Network |
| Offer to perform at community events (Walk for Cancer, Australia Day, Remembrance Day, citizenship ceremony, weddings …) | Kingaroy High School |
| Busk at local shops, with signs advertising "Help Wanted" | |
| Provide ensemble for Community Carols | |
| Approach Lions and Rotary clubs | |
| Ask Bendigo Bank for $500 grant | |
| Make school Hall / Music room available for community use | Barrenjoey High School |
| Perform and set up a stall at local market/fair/festival with petition signing (see lobby kit) | |
| Community Outreach program & Hand-in-Hand (ANU) | Ainslie Primary School, Gordon Primary School, Tatachilla Lutheran College, Jervis Bay School |
| Host a Community Arts Festival | Barrenjoey High School, Vermont Primary School |
| Become a musical hub for your community | King Island District High, Walpole Primary School, Barrenjoey High School |
| Use studies in music to bridge the gap between school and community | |
| Produce a community Musical (staff, students, ex-students, parents, grandparents, community …) | |
| Form a Community Orchestra (instead of Term 4 Band rehearsals) | |
| Create a Musical playground, open to the community 24/7 | Basket Range Primary School |
| Create an after-school ensemble, open to ALL local instrumentalists or singers (regardless of school) | Marryatville High School, Dulwich Hill Public School |
| "Kingaroy High School musicians are community builders" | Kingaroy High School |
| Invite community members to attend group instrumental lessons (with students) | Virginia State School |
Lack of Parental Support or Funds
| Solution | Case Study |
|---|---|
|
Seek parent/extended family/community assistance with instrument making, fundraising and repairs |
|
|
Ask a Community Friends of Music Group to fundraise for visiting musical artists / composers |
|
|
Offer a weekly jam session combining parents and students |
Parents cannot afford instrumental tuition
| Solution | Case Study & Further Reading |
|---|---|
| Access instrumental tuition and jam sessions via the internet and video-conferencing | Dulwich Hill Public School |
| Charge $10 per instrumental lesson, and subsidise through community fundraising |
Small School
| Solution | Case Study & Further Reading |
|---|---|
| Invite community members to join in ensembles | King Island District High School |
| Access instrumental tuition and jam sessions via the internet and video-conferencing | |
| Approach local unemployment agency for unemployed musicians who might volunteer in your school music department | |
| Small Schools Marimba Ensemble: bring a cluster of schools together to make percussion music - parents make marimbas and echocellos | Deepwater Public School |
| Use a Marimba Ensemble to teach musical concepts, note reading and improvisation | |
| Small schools which cluster together and make music promote larger peer groups and social networks | Deepwater Public School |
| Use Music education as a draw-card to new families at the school | Dominican School |
| Create full-school ensembles (choir and/or Marimba Ensemble) and foster cross-age learning | |
| Approach near-by school/s and ask if students may join their music classes or after-school rehearsals |
Advocacy Tools & Advice
| Solution | Case Study & Further Reading |
|---|---|
| Free School Lobby Kit (Music advocacy) | |
| Pro-Music PowerPoint presentation to show P&C Committees and School Executive | Music: Play for Life Advocacy PowerPoint |
|
Find out what prominent Australians say about the importance of music in their lives, and use their testimony in your advocacy |
|
| Schools with a culture of 'active music making' offer a musical hub for their whole community | |
| "To all of those schools out there that have something special happening in the music world, we strongly suggest that you share your practises with Australia, and show the world of education that music is vitally important and that kids today can really enjoy music" | Virginia State School |
| Listen to student and parent feedback, observe student outcomes and be aware of trends in pedagogy | Marryatville High School |
| Run projects which can include near-by schools - sharing resources, good-will and expertise with others | |
|
The musical life of the school is enriched can be fed by interaction with experts in other art forms from the community - such as design, visual arts, storytelling, dance and drama. |
|
|
Once students feel like they belong, and are confident enough to be expressive, they’re prepared to explore broader artistic experiences. |
|
|
If possible, share your specialist Music staff or resources with local, less-priveleged schools. |
Music: Play for Life is the Music Council of Australia's grassroots campaign to get more Australians making music: in schools, communities, everywhere.
The More Music Toolkit was produced with the kind assistance of the Ian Potter Foundation.