Congratulations to all the winners in this years ACMF National Songwriting Competition.
And THANK YOU to all the students, classes and schools who entered.
Click here to listen to the winning entries.
Last week the Australian Chamber Orchestra sent a quintet out to Soldiers’ Settlement Public School.
They had a concert for years 2-6 and then years 5 and 6 had workshops with the players (involving game based around ‘Spring’ from the Four Seasons).
Year 4 performed with the players in the concert, and the string children (the 12 violin and cello players) were in a workshop too.
Thank you ACO – the kids just love what you do!
Doug Ross & Haylen Newman from the Royal Australian Navy Band with Hillston Central School band students for the ACMF connect masterclass 7th August 2013.
PRESS RELEASE
ACMF DUETS Annual Gala Charity Concert
ACMF DUETS brings together over 30 of the country’s greatest singers and musicians to perform at the Capitol Theatre Sydney on Monday October 14.
Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Timomatic, John Williamson, Damien Percival, Tex Perkins, Tom Burlinson, Emma Pask, Tim Freedman, Leo Sayer, Danielle Spencer, Richard Tognetti, John Waters, David Hobson and Rob Mills are just a few who will feature on the all-star bill.
ACMF DUETS will be co-hosted by Ian “Dicko” Dickson and Rob Mills.
All proceeds go to the Australian Children’s Music Foundation, a charity that provides music programs and instruments for disadvantaged and Indigenous children. Every ticket sold is an investment in a child’s future.
ACMF Duets is proudly presented by APN News & Media.
Monday, October 14, 2013 at 7.30pm
Capitol Theatre, Haymarket, Sydney
Bookings: Ticketmaster or telephone 136100
Tickets: From $99
For further information: contact eckfactor on (02) 8570 5555
Australia’s leading publicity agency, eckfactor, is supporting the ACMF on a pro bono basis for our Duets concert on Monday October 14 at the Capitol Theatre.
Managing director Karen Eck will spearhead the agency’s publicity on Duets. She is experienced in driving campaigns for some of the biggest names in entertainment, such as Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, Cesar Millan and countless other stars touring Australia. She has orchestrated star-studded campaigns for industry events such as the 11th ASTRA Awards and the Nickelodoen Kids’ Choice Awards. With her renowned passion and energy, she will drive greater awareness for Duets.
“Music is important in my life and in my children’s lives and I love what Don Spencer and the ACMF set out to do – providing musical instruments and programs to young people across Australia. Their work and achievements should not go unnoticed,” Ms Eck said.
“It’s a brilliant organisation and I know the concert featuring about 20 talented and diverse artists will be hugely entertaining and rewarding. Every ticket sold is a seat for a child’s future.” www.eckfactor.com
The ACMF National Songwriting Competition Launch is being held at the Martin Place Sydney Main Stage on Tuesday the 16th July at 12.30pm-1.00pm.
Hosted by media personality Dicko, come and see the children from Matraville Soldiers’ Settlement Public School perform with the Royal Australian Navy Band and Oscar Sharah (previous winner of the National Songwriting Competition).
Remember to start writing!
The Australian Children’s Music Foundation is supported by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
From left: Don Spencer OAM, Founder. Dr Michele Bruniges, NSW Director General of Education. Lieutenant Commander Paul Cottier, Director of Music RAN, David McLeod, NSW Leader-Rural and Distance Education, Tim Freedman, ACMF Board Member Wednesday May 20th, Launch of ACMF CONNECT.
ACMF CONNECT is a program designed by the Australian Children’s Music Foundation to use video conferencing technology as an educational tool to share music between urban and isolated children and their teachers.
More than 75% of public schools in Australia do not have the funds to provide a specialised music teacher, therefore, many children and youth are unable to enjoy the many benefits of music education.
The inaugural model for ACMF CONNECT is the Hillston community in regional NSW where the public school doesn’t have a specialist music teacher on staff.
ACMF CONNECT is a unique opportunity for disadvantaged and isolated children to have one-on-one lessons with professional musicians and teachers.
The alliance between the Royal Australian Navy Band (RAN Band) and the ACMF will play a pivotal role in ACMF CONNECT. Over the past 12 months The RAN Band has performed and work-shopped music sessions at urban and regional schools in NSW as part of ACMF free music education programs.
Mr David McLeod, NSW Leader of Rural and Distance Education recently commented that ACMF CONNECT “…is the first ongoing tutorial and mentoring program of its kind.”
Sponsorship opportunities of ACMF CONNECT are currently available.
ACMF CONNECT is delivered via interactive video conferencing and offers the following suite of products:
On behalf of the ACMF, professional city based musicians and music teachers conduct Master Classes with isolated students and their teachers.
These real time, video conferenced Master Classes give students and their teachers a unique opportunity to interact with and learn from professionals while sharing the joy of music.
The initial Master Classes are being delivered in conjunction with the Sydney detachment of the Royal Australian Navy Band, linking them with 20 beginner band students from Hillston Central School in the Riverina District of NSW.
The tyranny of distance disappears as Royal Australian Navy Band musicians provide music lessons for ACMF CONNECT to the fledgling concert band at Hillston Central School in regional NSW.
2. Music Pals
The ACMF has developed this exchange program for country and city children to share and hone their music skills together via Skyping.
Children are matched by instrument, gender and age with their parents supervising each weekly music exchange.
The first ACMF Music Pals are Zoe Loxley Slump from Sydney Secondary College, Balmain and Sophie Currie from Hillston. Both girls play the clarinet and share each others passion for music.
Many miles apart but through ACMF CONNECT learning and sharing their passion for music, Zoe Loxley Slump from Balmain and Sophie Currie from Hillston.
3. Professional Development
The ACMF is developing a series of step-by-step audio visuals lessons to train teachers in schools where no dedicated music teacher is employed.
The series, which covers the stages of introducing and teaching percussion, has strong links to the NSW Creative Arts Curriculum.
ACMF Curriculum Developer and teacher Rachel Scott, filming a lesson for ACMF CONNECT Professional Development.
Don’t forget, every Wednesday and Saturday night get down to The Chophouse and see who’s playing to rise money on behalf of the ACMF.
The Chophouse supports the ACMF by raising funds specifically for the ACMF music program at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Primary School in Waterloo. All 130 students enrolled at this inner city Sydney school can now read music and regularly play percussion thanks to the ACMF.
Every Wednesday and Saturday evening The Chophouse provides live music so guests can “Graze & Groove”. As part of their ongoing support for ACMF, they are asking for a $1 per person donation on every table to help raise funds, and so far their guests have helped them raise over $25,000!
Thank you to Donna Marwick-O’Brien, who has sent us through the below information, about the processes her students through creation to submission of their ACMF National Songwriting Competition songs:
At Bambara Primary School, students are constantly immersed in rhythm, rhyme, and melodic activities so by the time they’ve reached years 6 and 7, song writing is the next logical step.
Steps taken in the Song Writing Course:
1. Lots of brainstorming and collecting of ideas amongst the students.
2. The children look at their own lives and what they would like to write about, for example some students write about home, family, relationships, future, peace, while others prefer to write about controversial subjects (this year one group wrote a song about the dictator, Kony). Others write fun action songs which they get to teach to the junior classes.
3. Identifying popular songs and their chord structures. Recognising that a huge number of these songs consist of only 4 chords. For example,
‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ (Green Day) – Am / C/ G/ D &
‘Scar’ (Missy Higgins) – C / G/ Am/ F
4. Look at changes in choruses and bridges.
5. Teacher plays some of these chord structures while students explore vocally or on instruments until they feel they have a melody they are happy with. This can take quite a while as it is important for the students to move out of their ‘heads’ into their feelings.
6. In groups, the students identify and work to their strengths. Some maybe writers and are in charge of the lyrics (although input is encouraged from all). Others work out instrumental parts, lead etc while singers take their role. A non-musical student is assisted by other children or the teacher to play a simple musical pattern or chords to fit with the song.
7. Approximately one term is spent getting these songs to a performance level.
8. Students create their own power point which is played while they perform.
9. Once they have learnt their own songs, many students assist other groups in their performance.
10. Several rehearsals take place in front of other classes.
11. A final concert is held for parents and guests.
12. Songs are recorded and sent to ACMF.
“Broadmeadows Special Developmental School is a school in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, which caters for students aged 5-18 with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. Students come from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and bring with them unique and varied strengths, abilities and personalities. The school encourages each student to access and utilise their own individual voice and to express themselves in clear, meaningful and positive ways.
The music program at the school provides students opportunities to communicate in alternative and creative ways: music allows students to interact with and without words, and enables them to be heard in a safe and supported environment.
The song “I’m wonderful”, originally came out of a song-writing process with students in the school choir earlier this year. The song quickly became a hit through the school and was chosen to be performed as the whole-school finale at the annual school concert in September. Students from the early to senior years were dedicated to learning and rehearsing the song-words and key-word signs with teachers and staff in the weeks leading up to the concert. As the clip shows, everyone came together beautifully, stood tall and delivered a wonderful performance to friends and families from the school community.”
Thank you to Imogen V. Rees, for sending the ACMF this information, as well as the video below.
Video filmed and produced by BluePrint.
