Music at Work is a contemporary music industry pathways program for high schools. The program employs industry expertise to mentor students in tailored learning. Activity could be as simple as one-to-one song writing sessions or an intensely integrated, semester long, cross-curricular learning project, culminating in a student-led live music event.
Music at Work facilitates professional connections between industry and education and is a best practice case study in the SA Quality Music Education Framework: Student Pathways publication.
Music at Work has five guiding aims, they are:
Education
We are working in collaboration with the state government’s Music Education Strategy, the Music Education Roundtable and SACE to ensure the development of the program is viable and realistic for students and educators.
Career pathways
We are delivering workshops that are tailored to the specific needs of students seeking pathways into contemporary music industries in areas such as sound technologies, music event management, song writing, performance skills, artist brand development and all the bits in between.
Industry development
We are developing a wide-ranging industry specialist database to serve as a recruitment tool for high schools seeking expert mentors from music related industries and provide an avenue for freelance music industry professionals to connect with schools and the education sector. You can check out the Music at Work web page here!
Showcase
A real-world, multi-stage, all-ages, live music event had to be postponed due to COVID-19. We will be celebrating MAW students and mentor outcomes at an invite only showcase event at Carclew; HOUSEPARTY, in early December, 2021.
First Nations Development
Music at Work seeded a First Nations project called BLKMPIRE that became independent in 2022.
Music at Work is supported by the Department for Innovation and Skills through its Music Development Office.
Industry Development database is also supported by the South Australian government through the Department for Education Music Education Strategy
First Nations Music Industry Development program is also supported by the South Australian government through Arts SA
Banner image: Lil Cue (Lochlan McCue) performing in the recording studio – Photo by Morgan Sette