Australian Society for Music Education

Australian Society for Music Education
Name	Australian Society for Music Education
Type	Non-profit
Founded	1967
Headquarters	Australia
Region served	Australia
Fields	Music education

Australian Society for Music Education is a national professional association that represents music teachers, researchers, performers, and community musicians across Australia. It connects educators from primary, secondary, tertiary, and community settings with policymakers, cultural institutions, and international organizations to promote music pedagogy, curriculum development, and performance practice. The society engages with schools, conservatories, orchestras, choirs, and community ensembles to support professional development and public appreciation of music.

History

The society traces its origins to postwar developments in Australian cultural life influenced by figures such as Dame Myra Hess, Sir Bernard Heinze, Percy Grainger, John Antill, and Peter Sculthorpe, and to institutional growth at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Elder Conservatorium of Music, and Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Early conferences attracted delegates from Australian Broadcasting Commission, ABC Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Festival, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and arts educators connected with University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, Monash University, University of Queensland, and University of Western Australia. Influences included international bodies such as International Society for Music Education, UNESCO, International Baccalaureate, NAfME, and European Association for Music in Schools. Over decades the society interacted with festival organizers like Woodford Folk Festival, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Byron Bay Bluesfest, and institutions such as Australian National University, Flinders University, Griffith University, Curtin University, La Trobe University, and conservatories in Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, and Canberra.

Organization and Governance

Governance has historically involved representatives from state and territory branches including New South Wales Department of Education, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, Queensland Conservatorium, South Australian Department for Education, Tasmanian Department of Education, Western Australian Department of Education, and Australian Capital Territory Education Directorate. Executive committees have included university academics, school principals, and representatives from professional bodies such as Music Council of Australia, Australian Music Examinations Board, Australian National Commission for UNESCO, Australasian Piano Pedagogy Association, and industry partners like Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Recital Centre, and the National Library of Australia. The society adopts constitutions, standing orders, and ethics codes similar to those of Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Trinity College London.

Activities and Programs

Programs span classroom resources, ensemble initiatives, and teacher training in collaboration with institutions such as Australian Youth Orchestra, Sydney Youth Orchestra, Brisbane Youth Orchestra, Victorian Youth Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, and community choirs like Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and Melbourne Chorale. Workshops and mentoring programs have involved composers and performers including Carl Vine, Elena Kats-Chernin, Ross Edwards, Nigel Westlake, Brett Dean, Richard Gill, Don Burrows, and Lotte Betts-Dean. Partnerships extend to festivals and museums including National Gallery of Victoria, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Adelaide Festival Centre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, and regional arts organisations such as Country Arts SA and Regional Arts Victoria.

Conferences and Events

National conferences rotate between cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, and Canberra and attract delegates from tertiary institutions including VCA, Conservatorium of Music at the University of Tasmania, ANU School of Music, and colleagues from international conferences like ISME World Conference, AMEB forums, NAfME National Conference, and European Music Council meetings. Events often feature keynote speakers drawn from prominent performers and educators associated with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Bangarra Dance Theatre, and arts administrators from Australia Council for the Arts.

Publications and Resources

The society publishes journals, teaching guides, and resource packs for teachers and ensembles, often developed with contributors from universities such as University of Western Sydney, Deakin University, University of Newcastle, University of Adelaide, and University of Tasmania. Publications include peer-reviewed journals featuring research by scholars linked to Australian Journal of Music Education, doctoral work from Australian Catholic University, and curriculum materials aligned with state frameworks like the Victorian Curriculum and national initiatives such as the Australian Curriculum: The Arts. Resource development has involved collaboration with exam boards and publishers including AMEB, Hal Leonard Australia, Boosey & Hawkes, Oxford University Press Australia, and Schott Music.

Advocacy and Policy Influence

The society has engaged with cultural policy through submissions and consultations with bodies such as Australia Council for the Arts, Department of Communications and the Arts, National Cultural Policy initiatives, and state arts offices like Creative Victoria and Create NSW. It has advocated on behalf of members to funding agencies including Australia Council, Arts SA, Arts Queensland, and educational authorities like ACARA and state curriculum authorities. Campaigns have connected with national initiatives such as Music Count Us In, collaborations with Australian Chamber Orchestra education programs, and broader arts advocacy networks including Music: Count Us In, Live Music Office, and Music Australia.

Membership and Affiliations

Membership comprises classroom teachers, tertiary academics, conservatorium staff, school music specialists, community music leaders, and student members from institutions such as Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Queensland Conservatorium, Elder Conservatorium, Curtin University, Monash University, University of Newcastle, and Griffith University. Affiliated organizations include professional and advocacy groups such as Music Council of Australia, International Society for Music Education, Australian Music Examinations Board, Association of Independent Schools of Australia, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (for community initiatives), and state music teachers associations across New South Wales Music Teachers Association, Music Teachers Association of Victoria, Queensland Music Teachers Association, and equivalent bodies in other states and territories.

Category:Music education organizations in Australia