Music moves students for achievement, connection, resilience
Want to help kids improve their confidence, friendships, and academic efforts?
Experienced educator and CQUniversity research graduate Kim Lamb says trading tech devices for musical instruments will also tune up students’ performance at school, and in life.
And the determined New South Wales band leader and musician is proof that playing music drives resilience, even in the toughest circumstances.
Ms Lamb recently completed her Master of Education, researching the social and educational impacts for primary school students who play in concert bands.
Based on interviews and surveys with band and classroom teachers in Australian public schools, she showed that playing in a band has a positive relationship with academic achievement, and helps with confidence and friendships, particularly for marginalised students.
“I also found music programs also help drive a positive culture across the whole school, and that’s absolutely been my experience in four decades of teaching,” she said.
“Learning an instrument and persisting and improving, can really drive a sense of accomplishment – and then being part of a band, and working together to make something big and beautiful, that unlocks incredible talents, and friendships, and abilities.
“But those opportunities are being lost if we don’t get instruments into the hands of kids – and get devices out of their hands first!
“I’ve heard from students years later, who tap me on the shoulder, and tell me how band shaped their future careers, and relationships – it really does change lives.”
The accomplished woodwind musician regularly performs in concert bands internationally, and drives a comprehensive music program at Eden Public School on the NSW south coast.
That includes leading the school concert band, and the Ukelele Project, which has seen every teacher and student learn to play the handy instrument.
“Music is meant to be a mandatory part of the NSW curriculum, but so often it’s seen as a ‘nice to have’ or a special interest, and is prioritised lower than sport,” she explained.
“Specialist music teachers rarely exist in NSW public primary schools, unless the principal chooses to prioritise music.
“So music education often falls to classroom teachers, and relies on them having musical ability – or it’s neglected, because teachers lack the knowledge or confidence or ability.
“It’s important that we’re giving teachers these skills and opportunities to learn music, as well as students.”
Ms Lamb began her CQU research in 2017, and faced huge obstacles to complete it – including the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, which saw 2,476 homes destroyed across NSW.
“I still haven’t been able to return to my home, so there’s been a lot of emotional challenges, and logistical ones,” she explained.
“But my love of music, and being able to continue playing, after the fires and even through COVID lockdowns and remote teaching, was so important to my sense of self and staying connected to my communities.”
Ms Lamb hopes to share her findings at a global music teachers conference in Europe in 2024, and in the meantime she’s applying her findings at her own school, and with educators across her network.
“The research was a great opportunity to connect with other music teachers, and it’s always inspiring to hear what’s being achieved in other schools and other projects,” she said.
Ms Lamb’s research was supervised by CQU’s Director of the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Professor Judith Brown AM, as well as education academics in CQU’s Centre for Research in Equity & Advancement of Teaching & Education (CREATE) Professor Alison Elliot and Dr Miriam Ham.
To explore CQUniversity’s research higher degree opportunities, visit cqu.edu.au/RHD.
