Garma 2004

Music Performance Workshop Report
Northern Territory Music School and Yothu Yindi Foundation

In conjunction with the Yothu Yindi Foundation (Garma Festival), Yirrkala Community Education Centre and the NT Music School, a secondary based indigenous instrumental music workshop/evening performance program for remote community schools were established. This program was based on a four day specialist music teacher visitation from the NTMS staff including leading industry performers in a rotational workshop program throughout the festival. 

The inspiration for this joint project came from the inability for young indigenous musicians to engage professionally with a significant Indigenous festival, the opportunity to showcase their individual talents and to inspire a collective vision for remote community artists to develop pathways and high level industry based workshops to address the issue of the lack of performance opportunities in remote indigenous settings.

The necessity for music provision in remote community settings was based on continued reinforcement that performing arts programs were fundamental in the most basic aspect of community life, getting children engaged and into the classroom.

Remote community schools, mostly under their own initiative would try any number of options to improve school attendance, to address social, health and juvenile crime issues, especially for students in their senior school years. The opportunity to engage with the Garma festival is a significant opening and supports community and school engagement initiatives in a positive historical indigenous learning environment. 

The inclusion of youth music workshops in the ‘Garma’ festival has proven to be highly successful in addressing continued links in VET achievement, improved self esteem and student engagement in a cross community environment.

This program specifically brings sustainable music education to students in a remote community school setting (Yirrkala CEC) to develop musical performance skills with pathways to computer technology learning through the use of industry based computer music programs, performance opportunities both locally and nationally.

Project Funding

Considerable funds have been derived through the NTMS and the Yirrkala CEC-DEET agency network. The in kind support from DEET agencies is a key to the success of the four day workshop.

A sharing of teaching staff, instrument resources and workshop accommodation through the Yirrkala CEC reduced the requirement for considerable man power and associated resources.

The overall success of the Garma Music Workshop project is due its facilitation co existing within the NT Music School and Yirrkala CEC managerial, administrative, teacher and resource sources currently in existence. Such logistics from outside provision would necessitate thousands of dollars just to establish a workshop infrastructure. The NT Music School/ Yirrkala model assures all funds facilitate the Garma Workshop project.

Project Objectives

The Garma Indigenous Music Workshop specifically delivers:

• Specialist music tuition to remote locality students
• Literacy outcomes.
• Improved social, health and youth justice issues 
• Student engagement
• Increased employment pathways
• Ensemble performance activities  
• IT development (Computer music/recording software)

The 2004 Garma Workshop project exceeded expectations in performance and music workshop outcomes.

Project Scope, 2002-current

Arnhem Region

• Milingimbi School, Sheperdson College (Galiwinku), Gapuwiyak CEC, Yirrkala CEC, Maningrida Homelands

Groote Eylandt and Surrounds

• Angurugu CEC, Umbakumba School, Numbulwar, Ngukurr

The joint ‘Garma’ Indigenous Music Workshop Program is a successful project; it meets key Indigenous outcomes and improves performance objectives and has demonstrated that the Northern Territory through the work of a range of key committed individuals, agencies, community schools, is on the edge of a creative collaborative change that could place the Northern Territory at the forefront of remote music facilitation.

Testament to this is the collective support from the twelve participating community schools, and the increased musical performance standard demonstrated by their respective ensembles. The Yirrkala/NTMS workshop co ordination changes made in 2004   proved to be successful, including the increased support with specialist musical tuition and recording opportunities. This project is a model of excellence for remote indigenous music delivery.

Community Partnerships 

The success of this project has led to several local partnerships:

• 12 remote community schools
• Garma Festival
• Music NT
• Yothu Yindi Foundation
• Arts NS
• DEET - agency sponsorship

In the past three years, the NTMS and Yirrkala CEC have supported the Garma music workshop program with increased remote school participation and success each year. 

Project indicators have identified that the remote community music workshop program has an instant effect on the dynamics of remote community students, their self esteem and confidence improve.  Testament to this is the increasing participation of female students in the workshop program and the increased desire of students to participate in public performances.

Graham Chadwick
Assistant Principal
NTMS/Indigenous Music Project Co-ordinator