The school approached musician, instrument maker and artist Steve Langdon to build a percussion musical playground out of recycled material. These innovative and extraordinary instruments include a metalaphone from scrap aluminum, two types of thongaphones from agricultural pipe, bells made from wrecked MAG wheels and drums from chemical bins. The teachers have incorporated more rhythm work and music into the classroom and are using the instruments for science as well as maths and literacy. The program is accessible 24 hours a day to everyone in the school and community regardless of their income level. The impact on the school’s teaching, the student’s learning and the community has been fundamental and everywhere in the school, students are sharing the pleasure of making, sharing, performing and simply enjoying music.

Boneo Primary School does much to ensure music is accessible to everyone at the school and a large part of this is done through the support of the Peninsula community.  The Shire Band, local service clubs, organisations and businesses have provided many of the instruments played by the children and the Magistrate’s Court Poor Box has funded student music lessons. Students can rent instruments and lessons are held both during and after class. There is a concert band which all students, from grade 2 up, are able to join and every year they have a music camp.  They perform regularly and the highlight of the program is the yearly band tour which has toured Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart, Brisbane, Toowoomba and this year travelled to the Gold Coast and performed at Dream World. They have attended rehearsals of the Sydney Symphony, the Adelaide Symphony, the Royal Hobart Naval Band and this year the Gold Coast Orchestra. In each city they play at landmarks including the Sydney Cricket Ground and the Adelaide Oval. The student costs for the tour are kept to a minimum due to sponsorship from their Rotary Club and community donations.  Finally, the school participates annually in ‘Music Count Us In’ and run a web conference series for music educators on how to engage students in learning.

Of Campsie Public’s 700 students 98% are from language backgrounds other than English and the school’s music program draws heavily on this rich cultural heritage. All students are given access to the program, with recorders and percussion instruments provided at no cost to the students and tuition provided by outside tutors or by staff members with musical expertise. The school takes a flexible approach to timetabling to enable the music program to reach as many students as possible. “There are teaching and learning benefits, as students with English as a second language and those with lower skills in literacy are able to achieve on a par with other students,” says teacher, Carolyn Lee.

“Most of our children come from families of low socio economic status. They have had very limited exposure to music before attending school and the transformation in them is quite astounding,” says teacher, Melissa Philp. It may be tiny, but this 25 student school near Grafton in regional NSW provides its students rich music learning and performance opportunities which would be the envy of bigger urban schools. Cowper’s recorder ensemble has played annually at the Sydney Opera House;  all the dads and grandfathers banded together to make marimbas from ag pipe and the school is about to present ‘Opera with the Cows’ in the school playground, where children will sing alongside professional opera singers.

“We balance a combination of teaching students new musical skills with student innovation and composition,” says teacher, Elizabeth Scott. Located in the Macquarie Fields Public Housing area of Sydney, Curran Public has body percussion and drumming ensembles for students at risk of disengaging from classroom programs. The program involves staff, students and the community and has enabled strong partnerships to develop with several parents who provide workshops in traditional percussion and dance with a Samoan focus. "Our truancy rates have significantly decreased since the introduction of the drumming program and student anger issues have also been positively affected.”

The main strengths of the music program at Cygnet Primary are its’ flexible and inclusive nature and the innovative manner in which it engages the local community. The parents and friends committee of Cygnet Primary purchased most of the instruments, and many others were donated by members of the wider community. Woodworkers from the local community have held workshops and created marimbas and xylophones with the help of the students.

Dundula Primary School is a small school on the outskirts of Mackay in Central Queensland. The school is in a low socio-economic area and many are from disadvantaged backgrounds with around 40% of students coming from Aboriginal families.  At the beginning of 2010 a young teacher, Daniel Bromiley, noticed that the boys were often at a loose end during breaks.  He discovered five wooden guitars which had been sitting in a storeroom for many years, and made the instruments functional.  Students in years 4 to 7 were welcome to get involved and many of them did.  They could borrow the guitars and at lunchtimes, Mr Bromiley showed them the fingering and chords to help them understand rhythm.  A few of the Year 6 and 7 boys have now started a band and Mr Bromiley has accessed some electric guitars and loaned his own drum set, keyboard and amplifier.  He also provides trumpet accompaniment.  All music and band practice takes place in the students’ own time, after school and during lunchtimes.  The visiting special needs teacher also helps with keyboard accompaniment when needed.  The teachers say that the band has made a tremendous difference in these boys’ lives and that they are more enthusiastic about learning in general.  Absenteeism has also dropped.  The students are not as disruptive and music is improving their ability to listen and stay focused.

At Guardian Angels (GA), all students are involved in the music program throughout their schooling, ensuring each student has access from Year 3 onwards. The instrumental program is the focus for music teaching and learning. A compulsory part of the curriculum, now in its third year, every child in Year 3 (94 children) learns a concert band instrument – totally free of charge. An important feature of the music program is the inclusion of staff and parents.  Twelve members of the 27 teaching staff learn an instrument with the children, and perform alongside them in the various GA bands. GA’s instrumental music program enjoys great success, measured by the 80% of students who continue with their instrument beyond the compulsory year.  Due to the great success, enjoyed since the music program’s inception, the school now offers a musical scholarship to assist with fees into year 7.

Two years ago Islington Public School introduced the Izo beat, a drumming program based on the playing and understanding of Djembe drums and percussion instruments.  The whole school has access to this innovative program which allows the students to learn and play a musical instrument in a fun, non-threatening, easy-to-learn environment. The students have performed at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, Star Struck, local street fairs and shopping centres.  They have been featured on ABC local radio and regularly perform at school functions. Through the social and emotional learning that is involved with drumming, this program has helped to improve the tone and culture of the school - dramatically lowering the instance of violence and poor behaviour.

Ivanhoe Primary School buzzes with musical activity all day, every day. Bands rehearse, choirs sing, orchestras play and harmonies ring out across the school. Their vibrant music program has developed over fourteen years, thanks to a very dedicated team of musicians and is still exciting, inviting and fresh. Parents participate in the bands, choirs and orchestras and also contribute to provision of resources. Band rehearsals occur before school and at lunchtimes every day.  There are two large choirs and once a week nearly seventy students volunteer to come and sing in harmony.

Jasper Road P.S., situated in the north west of Sydney, has both mainstream classes and four support classes (three for physically disabled students and one for students with an intellectual disability and/or autism).  All students are actively encouraged to join and participate in the various music groups offered by the school. The school offers 3 concert bands, a Djembe drumming group, recorder classes and an untuned percussion band. Approximately 40% of the students are learning an instrument at the school.

The school’s approach to learning music is central to its success. Their core values for music education are engagement and embedding music culture. They want to not only give students an opportunity to participate by learning music, but to believe music is an integral part of their identity. Music is woven into the culture of the school community through four aspects: a parent run instrumental music program; a classroom music program focusing on experimentation and composition; a supportive school environment which provides opportunities for students to collaborate and perform; and through fun, interesting projects such as recording original compositions, being in bands and touring.

This 220 student school is in a low socio-economic area of the NSW Riverina Region. 50% of the students are indigenous. “Students do not need to purchase resources as this would disadvantage a significant number of children at the school," says parent, Melanie Beer. "Instead, the school and staff have transformed the music program so that it is totally school-based and funded. There is a vast array of different groups at the school: some have three or four students, some are class groups, some are much larger groups. A number of staff take lessons outside of school in a range of instruments and their skills are in turn passed on to students. While a handful of students undertake private lessons outside of school time, the vast majority would have little or no access to music if it were not for the school program.”

Ngunnawal Primary School, a P-6 school in the ACT with an enrolment of 540 students, provides an exciting, innovative instrumental music education program to all students from early entry 3 year old preschool students up to their talented Year 6 students. The school has an inclusive program which extends to the teachers. Fifteen staff members have formed a staff rock band, performing alongside students at concerts. They share instruments, resources - fostering and celebrating a love of music throughout the school. This year seven students were successful in highly competitive auditions for the ACT Primary Concert Band.  The Year 6 Band competed very successfully in the National Eisteddfod.

Music has always been a part of the local children’s life in the Torres Strait. From a very young age they are exposed to traditional instruments including the warup, bamboo drum and kulaps.   Their local percussion sounds are unique with the instruments made from local materials including trees chosen for shape and sound, reptile skins, seed pods, bamboo and bees wax. The students have access to local instruments through the school and are taught both individually and in small groups. The children use these instruments during impromptu and formal class lessons, whether they are doing music, drama or maths.  The school holds public performances combing the band and choir and more formal lessons have been introduced over the last three years to include the keyboard, guitar and flute.  Isolation can often mean a lack of consistency with teachers in the Torres Strait, however with a supportive community they’ve received finance for instruments from Parents & Friends and from the Principal applying for funds.  In the future they aim to expand the number of instruments into the school and hope to send their children south next year, as they have did with their choir for the first time this year.

340 students attend this school in Sydney's South Western suburbs and every single one gets a plethora of musical experiences using an enormous variety of musical instruments - conventional, environmental and self-made. The program involves everyone regardless of age, culture, background, intellectual disability, special needs. “Some students who hardly interact in the classroom are animated in music,” says classroom teacher, Kelly Lister.

Penrith Valley Learning Centre (PVLC) is a school that caters for students between year 5 and 8 who have exhibited a pattern of behavioural issues in mainstream schools that have persisted, despite the implementation of a variety of interventions. When students first arrive at PVLC, they are disengaged from learning, have low self esteem and feelings of failure. The music program at PVLC is integral to re-engaging students with school, building their self-belief and giving them an experience of success. The program increases engagement, offers something that students can be inspired by, develops functional skills for students to use when they return to their mainstream schools and also creates a pastime that can last a lifetime.

Poynter Primary School offers an extensive instrumental program, augmented by classroom opportunities and private tutors, to enable the students to play and perform on a wide range of instruments.  Their instruments are generally available for loan for a period 1 to 2 years and more than half the students learn instruments this way.  By the time the students reach their final year at primary school, every person in the year level is involved.  The school has also piloted a new program which offers students in Years 6 and 7 the opportunity to be selected to learn specialist instruments such as the French Horn.  Performance opportunities exist in the form of regular and special school assemblies, end of semester concerts, and in the  participation of  state-wide ABODA Band and Orchestra Festivals.  The students have been invited to perform for community and education events and their instrumental program is supplemented by an interactive classroom music program offering students the opportunity to learn and perform using a variety of instruments.  This year the school employed internationally recognised David Pye as a Composer-In-Residence.  David comes in once a week and works with senior students to create their own music and lyrics for the production using their own instruments as well as percussion and contrived instruments.

Redland Bay State School is a rapidly expanding school in the southern Brisbane Bayside area. The school population has more than doubled since 2004 to over 930 students in 2010. At Redland Bay State school every student from PREP to YEAR 7 gets to learn how to play the ukulele! The program started in 2006 and was a way to reignite the student’s interest in Music. It has been a huge success and other schools in the area have followed suit.

The children of Saint Helena’s Primary School learn to play the ukulele instead of the recorder. A new music teacher in the school played the ukulele for the children during a lesson and they all voted to learn to play it instead of the recorder. The school also introduced Djembe drums which along with the ukulele have brought a real sense of passion and excitement to the school and the music program. Parents have been very thankful that they do not have to listen to the recorders.

Scotch Oakburn College believes that every student should have the opportunity to learn an instrument.  At the Junior Campus, the skills necessary for instrumental playing are built up sequentially, starting in Early Learning and continuing into the Instrumental Program offered in Years 4 and 5.  Aspects of their approach include creating a ‘Karate Recorder’ program which builds fine motor skills, private music tuition for a range of instruments, scholarships and assistance for students with disabilities.  Traditional teaching approaches are also enhanced by involving students with local composers and ensembles.   Equally important, their Instrumental Program supports and engages with the local community wherever possible by participating in such events as the Community Carol Service and performing at Aged Care Centres.

At St Peter’s Anglican PS the music program is organised and taught by specialist music teachers. The program is deliberately designed to engage all students. In the middle and senior program the curricula is differentiated so all students feel like they are musically successful. The two specialist music teachers are Orff trained and are very flexible in the way they teach students from a culturally and socially diverse background. The various bands and groups offered include percussion, Boys Only Percussion (STOMP), strings, junior and senior bands and vocal groups. St Peter’s has a very strong relationship with the parent and wider community.  The Samoan, Aboriginal, Greek Dance and percussion items have been taught by people in the community who have a particular expertise in a cultural area.

Stanley primary has 43 children and though a small school, the music program is important and the school has continued to employ a teacher for one day a week. Brass instruments were introduced on loan from the defunct Circular Head Municipal Band, which bring diversity by showing the children that there are other ways of producing music than the more fashionable stringed instruments (guitars, ukuleles, violins and pianos) and percussion. They also have an ensemble band with electric bass, guitar, keyboard, half drum kit, ($60 from garage sale) drum kit, (paid with money earned from running the Milo cricket program), 2 flutes, 16 acoustic guitars of a variety of sizes, plus brass instruments.

For many years the music program at Ulladulla Public School had only 20 – 30 children involved. When a percussion group was set up in 2000, whose aim was to involve greater numbers of students in actively playing music, the numbers steadily grew and the group now involves 153 students.   This year the group includes special needs students with behaviour issues, Autism Spectrum Disorder, illiteracy and specific physical needs such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy. The aim of the program is to give every student an experience of success in collaboratively making music.