We were fortunate to catch up with Dan Betts, Principal at Woy Woy Public School, who shared his personal experience and opinion on the impact and benefit of the ACMF music program, both for the students and the school.
For how long have you been the recipient of the music programs from the Australian Children’s Music Foundation and where?
Woy Woy Public School has been fortunate enough to work with the Australian Children’s Music Foundation since the end of 2022. We have had almost two years of quality music education being delivered in the school, and we are incredibly appreciative of the opportunity to continue to work with the ACMF.
From your experience how has the ACMF music program impacted the students in your school/s?
Two years in, I can already see significant increases in engagement and participation on the part of our students during music lessons, and in the knowledge and understanding of musical concepts and the ability to apply the skills they’ve learnt when performing or playing music. I would go as far as saying that for students, certainly in our K – 2 and Support Unit classes, music lessons bring an incredible amount of joy and are a definite highlight of the week. I feel there are great benefits for the self-esteem of students in both Support Unit and mainstream classes, who might not be the best athletes, readers, or mathematicians, but who, in music, have found a subject they love and experience success with. The other very positive impact the program has had in our school has been in bringing the school community together to celebrate the achievements of our students and their growth as musicians. A large and very appreciative crowd attended last year’s Christmas Concert, and we have K – 2 and 3 – 6 performances scheduled for the end of the 2024 school year, which are already eagerly anticipated by parents.
Do you think that regular music education benefits a child’s educational and emotional development? What has been your first-hand experience?
I am convinced that access to regular music education benefits children’s educational and emotional development. In the music lessons I have observed and participated in, I have seen high levels of engagement and participation. At the most basic level, I have observed benefits for improving students’ fine and gross motor skills and coordination as they clap along or play instruments while keeping time with their peers and the music they’re listening to. At a deeper level, I have seen children encouraged to take risks and to be creative when contributing to lessons, demonstrating to their peers or producing their own musical pieces. It is exactly the sort of critical and creative thinking that is promoted during quality music lessons that prepares young learners for the challenges of high school and higher education, and to respond effectively to the sort of environmental, social and economic challenges that they will face as members of the society we live in.
In terms of emotional development, I have seen first-hand the way music can help individuals come to terms with challenges they encounter as they come of age. I have observed people in very dark places use songwriting and musical performance to feel better about themselves and to become stronger, more resilient individuals for their experiences. In primary school students I simply see the joy on their faces as they perform and participate in music lessons. Without this initiation and exposure in primary school, I fear that many individuals will not be able to use experiences with music to bolster their emotional development, improve their self-confidence, and strengthen their resolve, when they most need it.
Why do you think music education is important in education and society today?
I believe that children need to experience diverse learning experiences when they are at school so that they can make up their own minds about what educational pursuits are interesting and of value to them as they grow older. (I’ve spent my adults years buying records and going to see bands, but as a sporty kid with sporty – not musical – parents, I didn’t have the exposure to music that might have inspired me to embark on my own journey with music). I believe that if our goal is to produce well-rounded individuals who are capable of solving problems and thinking in ways which are critical and creative, music education is absolutely essential. With young people (and adults) today spending so much time on screens mindlessly digesting content being fed to them by algorithms, the ability to critically evaluate art, produce and perform art, and even just to switch off a device and experience the joy of immersing oneself in music, is more important than ever. Given what we know about the benefits for adolescent mental health that music education and appreciation of music can bring, instilling a love of music at an early age is absolutely vital for the wellbeing of future generations.
If your school were to stop providing music education every week what would happen?
My worry is that if music education were to cease at Woy Woy Public School at this juncture, we might go back to a situation where only the most basic musical experiences are delivered in classrooms by classroom teachers who lack confidence in teaching music, and that these experiences won’t be anywhere near as engaging for students as they are at present. I worry as well that all of those students for whom music has been a revelation over the past two years – something they had no idea they’d love so much, something that has clicked for them and broadened their educational horizons more than any other subject has – won’t have had enough ongoing exposure to quality music instruction to inspire them to stick with music for the long haul. I think that’d be a terrible shame. I worry that all of those students who experienced elevated self-esteem in music lessons because it’s something they can do well, will no longer get to experience these feelings each week. I worry that if we don’t continue to inspire a love of music in our students, we might be missing a trick in equipping our teenagers with tools to support their mental health.
Dan Betts
Principal
Woy Woy Public School, NSW
