Strong Bala Wei | Music at the Heart of Community in Bulman

In the heart of central Arnhem Land, the small community of Bulman is singing a powerful story. It’s a story of culture, language, learning and community connection through music education.

The Song Room’s Teaching Artist Nathaniel Miller with students from Bulman School recording the video for Bamirrakurlu.

This is a story of music education truly embedded in the community. Old songs are being taught to young people; new songs reflect the pride young people have in their land, home, and community. It’s a story of the renewal of local languages and cultural practices, and of local elders, teachers and young people working together. Most importantly, it’s the story of a passionate, creative and strong community, Bala Wei.

A Music Program Designed by Community

As a non-Indigenous led organisation, The Song Room’s approach to working alongside First Nations communities’ stresses that first and foremost we enable work which is designed and led by local First Nations people. The Song Room began working with Bulman School in 2018 to provide opportunities for learning and community connection through music. Built on trust, patience and deep community engagement, the program has grown into a vibrant music program with real community ownership.

There are critical factors which must come together at the right time and place for educational initiatives like music education to be successful in remote communities.  Among them; community permission and participation, consistent school leadership, and a place-based approach that reflects local strengths. Over the years the school’s relationship with community has developed significantly due to strong leadership from local Elders, Mimal Land Management, and the school principal Adam Cox and his team.

The strong relationship currently experienced between community and school leaders enables The Song Room to plan for long term impact with the support of these groups.

The Program in Action

The Song Room’s Teaching Artist, Steve, travels into the community to teach in weeklong sessions, building music skills and engaging students and staff in music practice by producing and recording songs. Instructional videos are left behind for continued learning when the team are away.

When he first started, students were too shy to sing in the classroom. With the help of local school staff and support from the community, Steve created a safe space for self-expression by starting slowly with rap backing tracks. He helped the students compose simple lyrics about their Country and community.

Now students are more confident, and both the lyrics and instrument playing have become more sophisticated. There is less reliance on backing tracks and more individual players are taking part. Together they have produced around seven tracks over the last three years, including Nidjarra and Mimal Daworro and Proud in my Heart.

Connecting Learning to Culture and Community

Crucially, over the years, community involvement has grown. Nathaniel Miller, a proud Gulin Gulin man, is the dedicated community artist engaged by The Song Room who plays and teaches at the school on a regular basis. Nathaniel works with students, community Elders and Mimal Land Management to compose songs in Language.

In 2024, Nathaniel was awarded the ARIA Music Teacher Award for his work reviving endangered First Nations languages Dalabon and Rembarrnga through music. By writing, singing and recording in these languages for the first time, he and his students are not only preserving their heritage but also building resources that will educate future generations.

In early 2024, during the writing, recording and filming of All Us Mob, Elder Vivian Lawrence started singing a lullaby that she used to sing to her own children when they were young. Vivian sang the song in Kriol and Dalabon. She invited Steve to record her singing and write down the lyrics. He returned to Bulman in September to work with Vivian and the Bulman students to compose ‘Strong Bala Wei’. Local countryman Randall also took part, translating and singing a Rembarrnga version.

To bring the lyrics to life, Mimal Land Management and their Learning on Country team gathered the local rangers and students to film real-life scenes of caring for Country. The rangers taught the students about managing feral animals, controlling pests, and protecting sacred lands. The result? A song and video that radiate pride, connection and cultural strength. It won the School Category at the Northern Territory Caring for Country Music Competition.

A Year of National Recognition

2024 was a landmark year for the Bulman community, winning multiple awards:

• National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA) – Community Clip of the Year: Nidjarra, Bulman School
• ARIA Music Teacher Award – Nathaniel Miller
• APRA AMCOS Art Music Award – Excellence in Music Education: The Song Room
• Caring for Country Music Competition – School category: Strong Bala Wei, Bulman School

The Impact Beyond Awards

These awards shine a light on the work but the true impact is less visible. The real rewards are happening every day in the classroom, on Country, and in the voices of young people who sing, speak and stand with confidence.

The music program has provided opportunities to create a more connected school and community. Music has brought elders and students together and provided moments for endangered languages to be shared and celebrated. Local families enthusiastically attend school performances and take part in learning projects. From shy beginnings to now, where performances are the norm and students teach each other parts of songs during lunch breaks, the transformation is undeniable.

Challenges and Commitment

Delivering a program like this in remote Australia isn’t easy. Roads flood. Cars break down. School attendance fluctuates. With many students often living away from Bulman, attendance can be a challenge. However, in recent years the school has seen an improvement in attendance, thanks to a strengthening partnership between the school and community.

Through it all, what keeps the program strong is the deep commitment of everyone involved — local teaching artists, Elders, school leaders, families, and of course, the students themselves.

The Song Room’s work in Bulman is made possible through the support of The Smith Family, Katherine, as part of the Communities for Children Initiative, funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services. We thank our partners, our teaching artists, the school, and the Bulman community for allowing us to share in this journey.

Learn about The Song Room programs here.