Singing a song for music

By Lia Bichel
ON THE SAME day, at the same time, students across Australia sang the same song to celebrate and demonstrate the importance of music in schools.
About 650 students at Brentwood Park Primary School were among the 350,000 students that participated in ‘Music-Count Us In’ on October 23, Australia’s largest simultaneous school music event.
The National Review of School Music Education formed the event after their research showed that attention to and participation in music has significantly decreased. ‘Music-Count Us Is’ was the solution, created in hopes that the status and value placed on school music education would be raised much higher in Australian schools.
The attempt is on the road to success, with more students lending their voices to the event each year. Last year, more than 200,000 kids from about 850 schools participated. This year, those numbers almost doubled.
“The students couldn’t believe that over 350,000 children sang the song,” said Brentwood Park Primary School’s performing arts teacher Ms Danielle Ackland.
The song, appropriately titled ‘Sing,’ was written by four Victorian students in a workshop led by Australian Idol music director John Foreman, and recorded by him and popular songstress Kate Ceberano. It was composed so a variety of music groups such as choirs, orchestras, and even ukulele groups could participate in the event, while primary school teachers with little musical training could confidently teach the song to the students.
“It was a catchy song. The Year 2 students would like to incorporate the song into our end of year Christmas concert in December,” Ms Ackland said.
“We definitely will participate next year! It encouraged children to think about the value of music in their daily lives and school life. In addition, children felt special taking part in a national event. Singing makes the children feel happy!”