Call for funding for 'lifesaving' community music programs

For Campbell Nicholson, playing an instrument is a way to leave the world behind for a while.

"It's like you're in a zone. Everything else just goes away," he said.

"You don't worry about anything else outside of that room."

He remembers being "dragged along" to rehearsals when his mother was the conductor of his local community band at Warragul, in Victoria's east.

But one day, he decided to give an instrument a go.

"I asked her if I could play, and she said she had a spare trombone spot," he said.

"I ended up picking up trombone, and to be honest, I loved it from the beginning."

But he admits that if he had not had a family connection to the band, he might not have found his love for the instrument.

"There's not too many music programs in the community," Campbell said.

Growing up in Canada, music teacher Malcolm McCaffery said music was embedded in schools, which helped foster his passion.

Now living in Gippsland, he is trying to recapture that and pass it on to the next generation.

Mr McCaffery works in school and community settings teaching instruments, and runs bands and jam sessions to connect music makers.

He believes regional music education is fragmented, with many schools unable to devote teaching hours to the subject, and students facing high costs for private tuition.

He said there was, however, no lack of enthusiasm from young people.

Mr McCaffery said learning an instrument fostered creativity, resilience and problem-solving skills that kids could apply to other areas of life.

It also gets people off screens and could have a positive impact on mental health.

He said community groups were "filling the gap somewhat" for those young people keen to make music.

Senior lecturer in music education at Edith Cowan University Jason Goopy said community music programs, those run by local community members beyond formal institutions like schools, could connect regional young people with music in safe settings.

Earlier this year, Dr Goopy led research into the positive impact of community music programs in regional Australia for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including by promoting mental wellbeing.

He found the programs could also help vulnerable young people develop life skills such as budgeting or looking for work.

"Building confidence and competence in music is setting these young kids up that perhaps have been let down in other areas of life," he said.

Dr Goopy said his study highlighted that young people were highly interested in music and motivated by it, so it could be harnessed as a resource to make a difference.

But he cautioned that programs required funding and support to keep them going.

"The evidence is clear, not only from my research, but from across the field, that arts and cultural education is making a difference and the only way that it can continue to reach further is through funding support," he said.

Community Music Victoria program manager Nicki Johnson said it was difficult to know how many community music programs existed around Victoria.

"We know that there are many people making their music in quiet little niches and nooks around the state," she said.

The peak body connects groups with each other to help grow the sector and provides advice on funding opportunities, mostly in the form of sporadic grants.

Ms Johnson said more opportunities need to be provided for people to give music a go, and steady government funding was important to facilitate it.

"If you can break down the barrier to having a go, you get a very quick return on your investment — you can see people's eyes light up," she said.

Campbell said the power of playing an instrument and the connection it brings has helped his mental health.

The VCE student said he had noticed himself becoming more stressed in recent years as school got harder, making it more difficult to stay positive.

He said the band has acted as a buffer against the negativity.

"Having those players and playing music with them, working together, cooperating and making friendships in that group, is such an incredible thing," he said.

Headspace clinical adviser Cat McKenzie said music programs could help young people in regional areas facing mental health issues and feelings of disconnection.

She said music could act as a "vehicle for connection" when shared with others.

"Music … can help us express emotions and process experiences and sometimes communicate things that are hard to put into words," she said.

Minister for Creative Industries Vicki Ward said creative experiences benefit people of all ages.

"This year alone we're investing more than $1 billion to support our artists, from grassroots programs through to major cultural institutions," she said.

"We fund a range of organisations that support people of all ages to participate in creative activities — from music and dance to circus and theatre."