ACO Foundations provides students at St Marys North Public School with free instrumental and classroom music lessons, aiming to improve cognitive, emotional and behavioural development by giving children access to quality music education.
“The research has shown that access to a quality music education through programs such as the ACO Foundations Program has far-reaching benefits in children’s lives,” Artistic Director Richard Tognetti says. “We in the ACO have a national platform and it is our civic duty to provide children, particularly those from disadvantaged circumstances, with access to music and learning an instrument. As we have seen, the results can be life-changing.”
In 2018, 20 Year 1 students at St Marys North Public School were provided with a violin or cello alongside weekly lessons with a specialist instrumental teacher, daily classroom practice sessions supported by digital resources made by the ACO, and regular visits from ACO musicians, who practice with the children and inspire their development. As the years have progressed, so have these students on their instruments, making inspiring progress in music and learning.
“The students are thinking faster, taking more risks in their learning and managing themselves so much better. I can see the enormous results in the students, and in me,” a Year 1 teacher at St Marys North Public School shares.
“The research has shown that access to a quality music education through programs such as the ACO Foundations Program has far-reaching benefits in children’s lives.”
Artistic Director, Richard Tognetti.
“The benefits from the ACO Foundations music program cannot be overstated,” St Marys Primary School Principal Lisa Parrello agrees. “Music has an extraordinary ability to unlock all sorts of creative possibilities and through the ACO Foundations Program, we have been able to provide our children access to a world that they would likely have never otherwise taken part in.
“As a direct result of the ACO Foundations Program, we’ve seen improvement in our students’ ability to learn, to speak and articulate, through being exposed to the vocabulary of classical music, as well as a marked improvement in behaviour, attendance and even working memory. It also provides so much joy and passion in our classrooms on a daily basis.
“Thanks to the ACO, our students do not see their level of disadvantage. They see themselves as little musicians who have the world at their feet and can dream of being just like the ACO when they grow up. For this alone, we are deeply appreciative.”
Programs like ACO Foundations rely on the generous support from people like you, who donate to our Learning and Engagement Fund.
Without your support, none of what we do, both on and off the stage, is possible. Click here to donate to the ACO this financial year to share that unforgettable feeling with others and create a lasting impact.
