Music in Me
4 May 2026
Music in Me launches 2026 in Sydney
Music in Me launches 2026 in Sydney with mentors, teachers and a shared vision
There is nothing quite like starting the year with singing. On Sunday 8 March, Music in Me brought mentors and participating teachers together at the NSW Department of Education’s Arts Unit in Sydney for a vibrant day of professional learning, co-designed with the NSW Department of Education to launch the 2026 program.
The day reflected a deep and evolving partnership, since the program’s pilot 11 years ago. NSW Music in Me Advisor Jacqui Shaw welcomed the room alongside Lisa Van den Dolder, also from The Arts Unit, with Music in Me Director Bernie Heard and Senior Advisor Louise Barkl reflecting on a relationship that to date has supported 492 teachers across 255 NSW schools.
As Bernie noted, this is “a really exciting time for music education in Australia” – underscored by recent music education advocacy and policy engagement at a state and federal level, and the news that Music in Me is now a NESA-recognised program contributing to Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) accreditation.
The day was also a coming-together of jurisdictions, with mentors from our new pilot programs in the ACT and Queensland joining their NSW colleagues – a meaningful first Music in Me training for these trailblazers, and a great opportunity for them to connect with other music specialists and experienced mentors.
The morning opened with Dr Robyn Staveley, whose movement and neuroscience session set the room alive with shared rhythm and song, and reminded us that “the body is engaged with the world, and the brain gets no engagement with the world except through the body.”
Mentors then spent the day with Bronwyn Ryrie Jones, exploring the craft of coaching teachers. As Bron put it,
“Richard’s vision for this program was that every child in Australia would have access to a quality music education. When we think about that, there’s really two sides of that coin. The first is what he has said -that every child will have access to great music education. But the flip side of that is that every music teacher needs access to quality professional learning. You can’t have one without the other. So that’s really the brilliance of this program.”
Meanwhile, participating teachers explored syllabus and practical music-making with Dr Sue Lane and Jacqui Shaw, before joining mentors for an unforgettable session with Professor Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO on singing First Nations songs in the classroom with respect, authenticity and integrity.
Our heartfelt thanks to The Arts Unit for hosting this event and our ongoing partnership. The 2026 NSW program is in wonderful hands.
Interested in joining the program in NSW? Learn more here.