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The SongRoom - News and Events

Memphis’ famed Stax Music Academy and The Song Room rev up Melbourne!

In June 2008, the renowned Stax Music Academy from Memphis, USA teamed with The Song Room to give some migrant children and youth recently arrived in Australia the sort of opportunity every child deserves.

Over 300 children from the Western English Language School (WELS) joined with Stax at Melbourne’s iconic arts and cultural hub, the Abbotsford Convent’s Rosina Theatre. This was the first public performance by the Stax Music Academy group who played a full session of soul music to the children from to WELS, most of whom had only arrived in Australia in the previous six months. For many of the WELS students it was the first time they had seen or heard soul music played live.

Following the Stax concert, the WELS children and the members of Stax joined together in massed percussion workshop.

Stax also travelled to the Noble Park English Language School in South East Melbourne where over 400 children recently arrived as migrants in Australia, watched them perform before again everyone joining in a massed percussion workshop.

The collaboration with Stax Music Academy was part of the school’s Summer Soul Tour in Australia.  The Stax Music Academy, formed out of the famous Stax Records, mentors potentially at risk young people in Memphis, Tennessee, through amazing music education and performance opportunities to enhance their leadership and academic performance.  Similarly, in Australia, The Song Room works with at-risk children in over 200 schools and communities by providing long-term music and creative arts programs.

“We are absolutely delighted to be working with the Stax Music Academy as we have similar aims and we both use music and the arts to deliver positive social outcomes for children,”

The Song Room’s CEO, Caroline Aebersold.


 

Upon their return to Memphis, Stax sent a thank you note to The Song Room to say that the joint performances with The Song Room were the highlight of their tour in Australia! This wonderful collaboration also received national media coverage where the ABC’s 7.30 Report ran an extended piece on Stax and The Song Room on 7 July.

Click here to go to our Media Centre to view The 7.30 Report’s story on The Song Room and the Stax Music Academy.


The members of the famed Stax Music Academy from Memphis, Tennessee join in with the children from WELS during their recent tour Down Under.

“The work that The Song Room does is so important. Like Stax, The Song Room music and arts programs make a real difference to children’s lives.”

Aric Schwan, US Consulate Director of Cultural and Media Affairs


 

 

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