SongMakers seeking Expressions of Interest for 2024

High school students learn songwriting from the pros at two-day workshops.

Call for Expressions of Interest from high schools across Australia.

Get SongMakers at your school in 2024! Watch what happens at a SongMakers.

High schools around the country are encouraged to submit an Expression of Interest for hosting the SongMakers program in 2024.

This two-day program gives students in years 10-12 with a passion for music the chance to write songs collaboratively in small groups and produce demo recordings with highly-acclaimed artist and producer mentors.

Participants gain an insight into the workings of the music business, while being mentored by industry heavyweights including KLP, Ninajirachi, Taka Perry, Chelsea Warner and more.

Songwriting programs in schools are gaining support with the new Music Australia body committing to songwriting education in schools, and the Victorian Government also committing funds to songwriting in high schools in its 2023 budget.

Since the first SongMakers workshops in 2013, the program has connected with close to 4,000 young people and their teachers at more than 300 high schools nationally and created more than 1,200 original songs at workshops. Learn more about the impacts of SongMakers.

Katie Wighton, SongMakers National Program Manager:
"We are absolutely thrilled to be calling for Expressions of Interest for our 2024 SongMakers program. Our renewed and increased funding from APRA AMCOS will allow us visit more schools and write more songs with more young people Australia-wide."

Educators from schools that hosted SongMakers in 2023 sang the praises of the program's impact and benefits.

Blair Hanna, Principal, Kedron SHS, QLD:
"SongMakers emphasises to me the significance of creating learning opportunities that nurture creativity, collaboration, and the joy of acquiring new skills. It was great having the industry professionals working in such a lovely way to develop the talents of Kedron students - I cannot recommend SongMakers highly enough."

Barry Davies, St Joseph's Flexible Learning Centre, Geelong VIC:
“The mentors worked tirelessly to tailor a program to our flexible learning setting, which engaged, challenged and resonated with our young people."

A 2020 study by the University of Tasmania asked for teacher evaulation of the SongMakers program. The study found that:

• 100% teachers strongly agreed that the workshop provided students with learning opportunities that are not otherwise available to them.
• 100% teachers strongly agreed that the mentors were effective in sharing knowledge about the music industry and in motivating students to create their own music.
• 75% teachers strongly agreed that they had observed positive differences in students’ attitudes towards their learning since the SongMakers workshop.