Arts and Music Education and Training Music Education: Creating opportunities right from the start.

Submissions to a parliamentary inquiry on arts and music education and training in NSW called on the state government to mandate hours of music instruction and introduce music accreditation for primary music teachers. Sydney Youth Orchestras were invited to present a submission. Mia Patoulios, CEO of Sydney Youth Orchestras didn’t hesitate, and shared the below submission:

Thank you Chair and to the Committee for this opportunity to contribute to your work.

For more than 50 years, Sydney Youth Orchestras has been and continues to be the place for young people to connect and create through orchestral music. We represent young musicians aged 5 to 25 from 300 schools and universities and 200 different communities across greater Sydney and regional NSW. We are one of the largest weekly orchestral training providers in Australia with 15 Orchestras and one of the few with a structured pathway from beginner to pre-professional.

We strongly believe in the power of music to change the lives and educational outcomes for ALL young people regardless of gender, ethnicity or socio-economic background.

As one of the oldest youth arts organisations in NSW we can testify to the impact on the individual, and the vital role youth arts plays in the sustainability of the arts and music industries.

The infinite possibilities created when young people are given the opportunity to participate in the creative arts, can and often does change lives. This universal capacity for music to create impact is evident from Broken Hill to Lismore, Bega to Granville.

Active participation in music and arts provides young people with the building blocks to:

– Understand the world around them

– Connect with others from different cultural and economic backgrounds

– Listen and work in teams

– Develop the essential skills of creative thinking and problem solving, critical for success in the 21st century.

With well documented research into the cognitive benefits music has on the developing brain, it is clear why the world’s leading education systems have music as a cornerstone. As highly skilled migration increases into Australia, so will the demands on an education system, which offers music at its foundation.

We are already seeing challenges with the model and delivery of music education in NSW. Youth arts and community organisations are increasingly required to meet demand, without a secure funding model to match. These organisations need to work together with education systems and industry, to put the young person at the centre of what they do.

We believe government can play a crucial role. In our submission, we made four 4 recommendations. Each of these are fiscally modest and can help government achieve greater return on its investment, these are:

– Establish a bipartisan Arts and Music Education Policy

– Expand structured and subsidised music education across the state via Music Hubs

– Recognise Key Youth Arts Organisations to drive sector development

– Establish an Innovation Task Force to examine new delivery models

We are here to answer your questions and welcome the opportunity to be part of this important inquiry.

You can read SYO’s full submission via the Parliamentary site here.

or watch on Youtube at 5:46:00