Thank you for helping to keep the beat in 2025

Together, we’re making sure no child misses a beat in their education.

As 2025 draws to a close, I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported The Song Room this year — students, teachers, principals, partners, donors and especially our extraordinary Teaching Artists and team, whose passion and dedication bring creativity to life in classrooms across Australia.

This year, we witnessed once again the quiet power of arts learning: the spark of confidence when a child finds their voice, the joy of collaborating with classmates, the courage to try something new, and the deep sense of belonging that comes from being seen and heard.

One student in the Northern Territory shared something that has stayed with me:

“I learnt it is OK to take a few practices to be good at new words and music. I was scared to get the words wrong when I sang at first, but then my teacher showed me that they have to practice to get better too.” — Student, NT

Moments like these remind us why this work matters and why your support is so essential.

Through Song Room programs in classrooms around Australia, over 7,000 young people explored their creativity this year, using the arts to build confidence and engage with learning. 67 Teaching Artists worked alongside and supported 300 teachers, helping them strengthen their skills and deliver rich, joyful arts and music experiences that support student wellbeing.

2025 was also a significant year for music education advocacy. I was honoured to join education leaders at the Victorian Government Ministerial Roundtable on Music Education and contribute to the new Victorian Music Education Working Group. I was also invited to participate in the NSW Music Education Roundtable as the state develops its first ten-year Music Education Plan. These conversations, grounded in educational expertise, sector collaboration and shared belief, give us real hope for a more equitable future for arts learning in schools.

As we look toward 2026, we feel energised and optimistic. We will continue championing education equity through the arts, expanding our reach and ensuring every child has the chance to thrive, express themselves, and stay connected to their learning through the arts.

If you’re able, we warmly invite you to contribute before the year ends. Your generosity helps us to reach more schools, empower more teachers, and transform more young lives through the arts.

Thank you for believing in this work. Wishing you a restful break and a bright start to 2026.

Warmest wishes,

Alice Gerlach,
Chief Executive Officer

To learn more about how The Song Room transforms learning through the arts at: songroom.org.au