Inspiring Learning and Wellbeing Through Music and the Arts
Inspiring Learning and Wellbeing Through Music and the Arts
For six years, students in South Australia have been sharpening their music skills with The Song Room and in the process have boosted learning, wellbeing and school connection.
“When I was performing I was nervous, but when we started the song I felt happy and proud. I was amazed by how we all worked together.” – Student reflects on The Song Room program.
On a warm Friday afternoon toward the end of 2025, the Millicent North School Hall pulsed with sound. Drums echoed. Feet shuffled and stamped in time. Voices – some confident, some tentative-rose together in song. This was Millipalooza, and it was anything but an ordinary school event.
More than 250 children, from pre-schoolers to Year 6 students, travelled from nine schools and early learning sites in the Mount Gambier region to celebrate a year of music and arts learning. For many, it was the first time performing as part of such a large ensemble. For others, it was the joy of mentoring younger children – helping them keep the beat, showing them when to come in, reassuring and guiding them.
What unfolded was not just a performance. Students took part in listening games, rhythm activities, and group singing – building focus, trust and confidence with every shared beat. It was a powerful demonstration of how arts learning supports children’s wellbeing and engagement in learning.
“It really allows all the students to shine in their own way,” — Principal, Millicent North Primary School
Whether it’s drumming, drama, dance or storytelling, the arts give young people a safe space to explore emotions, grow confidence, and discover their strengths. But for many schools, access to specialist arts educators can be limited. That’s where The Song Room steps in.
Since 2020, arts learning experts The Song Room, have been working alongside South Australian public schools, using music education to support student wellbeing and learning in regional communities.
In partnership with the SA Department for Education and the South East Coast and Vines Regional Office, The Song Room delivers high-quality, sequential music programs that do more than teach skills — they connect children to each other, to their teachers and to their communities.
Teaching Artists work in classrooms alongside teachers, building their confidence and capability so the impact continues long after the program ends. Community events like Millipalooza bring families and schools together, strengthening local connections and shared pride.
Arts learning plays a powerful role in schools. It creates structured, joyful opportunities for children to regulate their emotions, work collaboratively, listen to one another and express themselves safely. It helps anxious children find calm, gives quieter students a voice, and channels energy in positive ways.
The confidence children build through music doesn’t stay in the hall. It travels back into classrooms.
Teachers taking part in The Song Room program report calmer classrooms (across subjects), reduced negative behaviours, and improved attendance on music days. Students who once struggled to speak up begin contributing. Children who found learning overwhelming show greater persistence.
As one school leader explains:
“When students feel good about themselves, they’re more open to learning. Music helps them get there.”
Today’s children are navigating increasing levels of anxiety, disruption and pressure. Schools are being asked to support not just academic outcomes, but the whole child.
Arts learning meets this challenge head-on. By prioritising the arts, schools create the conditions children need to engage deeply in their learning. They foster resilience, communication, collaboration and confidence — the foundations for lifelong learning and mental health.
Millipalooza is a reminder of what’s possible when the arts are placed at the centre of learning. As the final song ended and applause filled the hall, one thing was clear – high quality music education shouldn’t be seen as an extra. All children deserve the benefits of arts learning.
The new year brings a new opportunity to create a space where every student feels safe, engaged and ready to learn. The Song Room’s evidence-based arts learning programs are designed to do exactly that.
Schools interested in getting a program at their school in 2026 can contact The Song Room at songroom.org.au.
This article was featured in the February 2026 edition of Parents Say (Vol. 49, No. 1), the official publication of the South Australian Association of School Parent Communities Inc. (SAASPC). Reproduced with permission.
