Over half a million performers were part of Australia's biggest school music gig.

Well done, everybody!

See the list of schools that took part this year

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Around Australia:

• SYDNEY: Federal Minister, Peter Garrett, joined John Foreman, Shannon Noll and 600 Sydney school students outside Sydney Town Hall as our songwriters, Courtney, Josh and Dylan, reunited to be part of half a million Australians performing their song!
• SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE: Students from Fairvale High School in Sydney (a Music: Count Us In '5 Timer' school) climbed to the top and sang with soprano, Julie Goodwin.
• MELBOURNE: Clare Bowditch led the Melbourne countdown celebrations, which also featured TJ and Jacqui (our lead vocalists on the song recording), TJ's band, 'Uprising' (as seen on Australia's Got Talent) and 'Square One'.
• CANBERRA: Robyn Archer led the countdown with the Band of the Royal Military College, Duntroon and hundreds of students, at Mount Rogers Primary School Oval, Canberra.
• DARWIN: Speaker of the House, Jane Aagard, invited 500 students to sing with MPs in the Great Hall at the NT Parliament.
• PERTH: Cricket legend Adam Gilchrist joined the stars of Wicked, the WA Police Commissioner's band, The Filth, and 1200 singers and musicians on the steps of the Perth Concert Hall.
• ADELAIDE: Wes Carr accompanied 40 singers on an Adelaide tram.
• QUEENSLAND: 1000 students at Eatons Hill State School raised the roof at 11.30am
• HOBART: Students at Glenorchy Primary sang loudly for Tasmania!

The capital city action was just a tiny fraction of the musical activity happening around Australia as part of Music: Count Us In. Students from Penrith to Pingelly, Launceston to Longreach, performed 'We've got the Music' - on their ukes, trumpets, guitars and strings for Australia's biggest-yet Music: Count Us In.

• What did YOU do?  Let us know by  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

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Resources

• The Classroom Activity Kit is available for download in PDF format. It contains lots of ideas for mainstream and special ed students, for music and across the curriculum.
• Jellybeans IWB resources are available for teaching 'We've Got The Music', at the For Teachers page.
• Kristie Fudge, Performing Arts teacher at Woodcroft Primary School, SA has provided her presentation notes from the recent Orff Schulwerk Association of SA (OSASA) conference. Kristie's workshop gave teachers various ways in which to teach and learn 'We've Got The Music'. Download the notes here. (You must be registered).

 

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Five timers!

A special mention to those schools who have taken part in Music: Count Us In every year since the program's inception in 2007. Are you on the list?

 

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Learn this year's program song, 'We've Got The Music'

Download the files: full audio version, backing track, lyrics etc from the 'For Teachers' page.

Remember - due to copyright arrangements with the new song you must register this year even if you have participated in Music: Count Us In before. This will enable you to access the song and all support materials FREE!

 

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About the song

We have a fabulous new song for this year. Its title is: 'We've got the Music'. It emerged from the songwriting workshop day which was mentored by some of Australia's best songwriters: Clare Bowditch, Rai Thistlethwayte (Thirsty Merc), Kav Temperley (Eskimo Joe) and Holly Throsby. Each worked with a small group of students and brought generosity, skill and a tiny bit of competitive spirit to the day. Read more about the songwriting process...

 

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Sound bite

“I'm overwhelmed by the way Music: Count Us In seems to tap the community’s imagination and leave such a legacy in schools. Teachers report their involvement directly leads to pro-music changes in attitudes and resources at their school and more students singing in choirs, playing in bands and orchestras, and giving music a go.” Program Ambassador, John Foreman

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Thank you

A big thanks to Peter Garrett for funding approval to run Music: Count Us In 2011.

 

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Last year...

On 2nd September across Australia at 11.30am AEST, 500,000 students, teachers and families from over 1600 school communities played their part in making Music: Count Us In a big sucess. They joined together to perform the 2010 theme song, 'Come Play Your Part' in the massive nationwide celebration of the value of school music education. Voices, drums, ukuleles, recorders, violins, rock bands and orchestras rang out over the entire country, from Campbelltown to Kalgoorlie, Katherine to Cammeray.

 

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Click on the red buttons below to watch a video of the 2010 highlights or photos of the event.

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