Article Supplied By: Sydney Catholic Schools

Sydney Catholic Schools is changing the landscape of music education in Australia with its groundbreaking Amadeus Music Education Program.

The Amadeus program will place 52,000 orchestral instruments in the hands of Year 3 to 8 students, who will be taught by 80 school classroom music teachers and 270 specialist music tutors.

It represents one of the biggest, most comprehensive and ambitious investments in quality music education ever undertaken in Sydney’s schools.

The program has already seen successful launches at more than 98 Sydney Catholic Schools, and its availability will expand to all 147 schools by 2024.

Sydney Catholic Schools believes music education should be accessible for all students and not just for the privileged.

The benefits of a quality music education are immense for all students, contributing to enhanced brain function, personal wellbeing and overall development.

“Music is an important part of life through which we express ourselves as human beings – it brings communities together, creates joy and stimulates the brain and the senses,” Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools, Tony Farley, said.

“We decided that music education should not be a privilege just for those who can afford it.

“The introduction of Amadeus is a great example of how we are applying the scale and collaboration of our network to deliver innovative educational programs.

“We are committed to putting our students at the centre of everything we do and with Amadeus, we are not only putting more than 50,000 instruments into the hands of every Year 3 to 8 student, and classroom music lessons from kindergarten, but providing the teaching and support they need to learn and thrive.”

Decades of research shows that learning an instrument and playing in a musical ensemble strengthens neural pathways in the brain and can significantly improve student academic success in areas including language and mathematical development.

Access to a musical instrument also improves engagement, attention, self-discipline and promotes wellbeing in students.

Amadeus students undertake instrumental tuition in small groups of five to eight students for 30 minutes per week learning to play on a string, woodwind, or brass instrument. Students will also play their instrument in a string ensemble, orchestra, or concert band (whole of class) for up to one hour per week.

Professional musicians will tutor students and nurture their passion and skills to meet musical outcomes for the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and Quality Music Instruction and support students to complete standard graded music exams.

These music tutors will bring professional experience from orchestras and ensembles around Australia and the world.

The program has the support of renowned stakeholders within the music industry including Opera Australia, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Sydney Youth Orchestras.

Students will have the chance to perform at school and parish level, at larger inter school events and at Sydney Catholic Schools’ competitions and showcases, including Sydney Catholic Schools’ Performing Arts Festival and Eisteddfod.

The scope of the program means there is a continuum of music education from a student’s primary school to their secondary school. Students can also choose to continue Music as an elective into Year 9 and beyond.

Sydney Catholic Schools is the system of 147 Catholic primary and secondary schools operating across the Archdiocese of Sydney providing more than 70,000 students with a high-quality, affordable Catholic education. Their dedicated and hard-working educators deliver a strong faith-based education, catering for students with all interests and abilities.