The Australian Children’s Music Foundation believes in the power of music to reach all children, no matter their circumstances. Our work with the School of Alternative Learning Settings (SALS) in Western Australia is a powerful example of this mission. SALS provides a supportive and flexible learning environment for young people who have become disengaged from mainstream education due to a range of challenges.
Thanks to the Channel 7 Telethon, who’ve funded our SALS work for the last 3 years, we’ve provided a consistent presence and opportunity for young people experiencing challenges.
We sat down with ACMF music teacher Joseph to learn how a single guitar lesson or beat-making session can be a first step towards hope and a new path.
1. Joseph, having been with ACMF in SALS for a number of years, what initially drew you to teach music in these unique learning settings, and what continues to be your driving motivation?
As a WAAPA-qualified Music Producer with previous experience working with at-risk youth through homelessness and mental health services, I’ve long felt passionate about the work ACMF does to provide access to music education. I was excited to see how I could help the students at the School of Alternative Learning Settings explore their creativity, build confidence, and learn new skills through music production sessions. It has been truly rewarding to work with so many fantastic students. Ultimately, my driving motivation is to use music as a means for young people to express what cannot always be expressed in just words.
2. The students in SALS often face significant challenges. What is it about music, specifically, that allows you to connect with these young people (and create breakthroughs)?
Music is a powerful equaliser. I believe you can learn a lot about a person based on the music they listen to. It can provide insight into what young people are feeling or the challenges they’re experiencing. Music has a huge impact on the nervous system and can help young people regulate their emotions. While students who face significant challenges might feel uncomfortable expressing themselves in more therapeutic settings, music sessions foster a safe, creative space for students to explore their inner thoughts and interests. For some students, it can lead them to become engaged in an entirely new hobby, learning pathway, or to discover a natural talent they didn’t even know they had!
3. Can you share a particularly memorable moment or a specific student’s journey where you witnessed the transformative impact of music within the SALS program? What change did you see in them?”
Moment 1:
There have been many memorable moments with SALS students, so it is difficult to draw on just one. However, one student’s journey that stands out was a Year 9 student who was initially apprehensive and struggled to express himself. However, I could tell he had a keen interest in an American rapper, so I suggested that we recreate similar beats to the rapper’s songs on the beat pad. After a few sessions, he gained the confidence to learn how to play his favourite songs on the keyboard. I discovered that he was very skilled at learning melodies on the keyboard by ear. Eventually, he was able to learn songs without my assistance – and we fully recreated, from scratch, one of his favourite songs, along with original beats. Throughout the process, the student’s ability to communicate and confidence significantly improved, and music became his favourite class each week.
Moment 2:
Another memorable journey has been a Year 7 student that had previously recorded vocals but was hesitant to let me in the room to hear them. Later on, during the Term, she asked me to teach her some songs on the guitar. I taught her how to play Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, which she picked up quickly. The following week, she told me that she’d requested a music lesson and wanted to learn more songs on the guitar – picking up two more songs in just one lesson. During her session, she received a surprise message that her mum had kindly bought her a guitar. She was ecstatic and keen to practice during the school holidays. This student’s journey is one example of how music lessons at SALS can help students become engaged in a new hobby and learn new skills.
4. Beyond learning notes or rhythms, what broader life skills or personal growth do you observe in students during their time in the ACMF music program at SALS?”
The skills students at SALS learn through music sessions go well beyond the classroom. Through music activities such as song writing, rapping, beat making or learning an instrument, students learn how to think creatively and innovatively. Students develop resilience and tolerance through slowly picking up new musical skills or working on long-term projects that require determination and focus. I’ve also observed them becoming more confident, developing a greater sense of agency in their decision-making, and becoming more socially engaged. These are important skills that students can take with them after they leave SALS and transition to other learning settings.
5. From your perspective on the ground, what message would you share about the value of continuing this work for these young people?
While the impact of working with students through music may not be easily quantifiable, the benefits are undeniable. There is simply nothing better than witnessing a student go from being disengaged to excited about coming to a lesson – eager to develop their own creativity and share it with others. By meeting students where they are at through music, they have a safe space to experiment with voice, identity and emotion while genuinely being heard in a judgment-free zone. The agency, problem-solving, communication, and self-regulation skills they develop through lessons they can take with them wherever they go – whether it’s school, everyday life, or their own relationships. For many students, music can be transformative and give them a sense of hope, and that’s why ACMF’s work is so important.
