The 2009 FLAME Awards

Welcome to The Flame Awards 2009, the nationwide competition to highlight and reward schools with great music programs.  This year the judges were looking for schools that Sing!

The winners of the 2009 Flame Awards have been announced - congratulations to the following schools:

National winner and Victorian State winner:

MELBOURNE HIGH SCHOOL, VIC

“Here is a selective State secondary school where all 1358 students – boys – sing. The school shows that communal singing can be at the heart of important rituals and ceremonies for young men – all the more potent in that this is a secular school. Melbourne High deserves reward and recognition for the ways in which it provides such a rich and varied program to engage and stimulate its students. We were impressed by so many things at this school, including the student-run ensembles which help develop students’ sense of responsibility, the broad range of musical styles on offer, from Barbershop to pop, and the fact that singing is such an integral part of school culture. Over many decades, Melbourne High has made a decision to harness the power of music and let it infuse the lives of these young men, for their lifelong benefit."

State and Territory winners:

AINSLIE SCHOOL, ACT

“This school covers a lot of bases with its singing program! There are weekly outreach sessions to local nursing homes which help create powerful connections across the generations. There is a high level of involvement in the program by students with special needs and there are mentoring programs which encourage children to be self-directed and develop responsibility for themselves and their learning. We like the way in which this school focuses as much on musical intent as musical skill. There’s a caring and compassionate musical heart beating at this school.”

MLC, NSW

“Students are closely involved in commissioning, writing, performing and recording new works and there is a commitment to reaching out beyond the school gates with the singing program - most recently, for example, in collaboration with a government primary school in Broken Hill on a new Opera. There are boundless opportunities for all students at this school, whatever their musical inclinations or abilities. It would be easy to say that MLC can do all this because it is an extraordinarily well-resourced private school. But that’s only part of their story. We chose MLC as the State winner because this is a school where the commitment to the musical education of its students is palpable. As the school says; singing is the second language at MLC, with a music program designed to enrich girls and empower them to take control of their own learning.”

BEES CREEK SCHOOL, NT

“We like the way singing is integrated into the daily learning program as an activity in its own right as well as a tool for learning in other subjects across the curriculum. The students’ own testimony revealed a real joy of learning and a sense that singing helped build confidence and helped kids apply themselves to their school work.”

SANDGATE STATE SCHOOL, QLD

“This is a wonderfully student-centred program. Kids are encouraged to compose and perform their own songs from very early on; there’s a highly successful boys-only singing group, BOSS; the school makes regular music tours across the State and it forges close musical ties with its local high school to help ensure its students continue their musical involvement once they hit secondary school. This is an energetic and comprehensive music program which the students so obviously love being part of!”

PORT LINCOLN PRIMARY SCHOOL, SA

“There’s a philosophy at Port Lincoln Primary to ignore disadvantage and make the most of what it has. Consequently music permeates the entire school. There are lots of creative strategies used to get kids singing, such as Idol-style contests, come-and-try singing sessions that let students explore group singing without the pressure of having to commit to ongoing choir involvement straight away and songwriting projects for senior students. Port Lincoln Primary impressed us because it clearly recognises the flow-on benefits to students when music is integrated into school life.”

SOUTH HOBART PRIMARY, TAS

“We are impressed by the strategies used at this school which see students encouraged to develop many important life skills via the singing program. For example rehearsals are run by year 6 leaders, student initiative, creativity and team skills are nurtured in the development of new school song and generally there is a real sense that this school uses musical involvement to empower kids to step up and grow.”

WALPOLE PRIMARY SCHOOL, WA

“This rural primary school clearly has a big commitment to enriching its students’ lives with singing. It is the hub for a local community choir, the Circle of Song, it helps get more boys singing by providing ‘safe’ voluntary rehearsals for those having difficulty and by providing plenty of percussion activities to go along with the singing! We were also pleased to see a recognition at this school that active music involvement impacts positively on students’ academic achievements and behaviour.”

For the first time this, year judges have also made special awards for excellence to the following schools:

BELLINGEN PUBLIC SCHOOL, NSW

THE CRESCENT SCHOOL, NSW

FERNY GROVE STATE HIGH SCHOOL, QLD

COOBER PEDY AREA SCHOOL, SA

SMITHTON PRIMARY SCHOOL, TAS

ELTHAM EAST PRIMARY SCHOOL, VIC

The 38 shortlisted finalists for 2009 were:

The Awards are run by Music. Play for Life in partnership with ABC Classic FM. The Australian Society for Music Education works with us to develop entry criteria and manages the shortlisting of entries.

This year the $15,000 prize pool was made possible by the generous support of philanthropists Robert and Elizabeth Albert.