Initiative unites nation through music

TUART Forest Primary School’s 500-strong student body will join half a million others in singing the same song on the same day at the same time on November 2.

Music: Count Us In is Australia’s biggest schools initiative which brings together every corner of the country through song.

The event aims to advocate for and celebrate music in Australian schools, with this year’s chosen song Shine Together written by Sadie Mustoe, Makayla Forbes and Elliena Escott.

The school’s ensemble will include 25 band members, 10 instrumental students and a 25-member choir. School music specialist Keryn Hastie said it was essential to promote the learning area of music.

“Most schools do not have a music specialist, only a keen class teacher,” she said.

“Some schools do not even cover music as a subject, they only get to do singing – not reading music, writing music, creating music and playing instruments.

“Music: Count Us In makes it accessible to anyone, no matter what experience – or lack of – they may have.”

The school started the count down from 180 days out and began learning the lyrics, while the band has spent months practising.

Ms Hastie was proud of the band’s hard work in getting a range of abilities to create an amazing sound together. “The students are eagerly anticipating the big celebration day, the little ones can hardly contain themselves.”

Ms Hastie said she was disappointed with the lack of participation in the greater Bunbury region and encouraged other schools to get on board.

“It’s such an easy and fun thing to do for your school,” she said.

“Our next generation of workers needs people to be creative, work cooperatively and collaboratively – music has all that.”