Musica Viva Australia

Musica Viva In Schools concerts are designed for school-aged learners and, for the programs hosted at TRCM, are suitable for students up to Year 8. Schools can book for a single year group or multiple classes, provided the total numbers meet the minimum attendance requirement (or an exemption is approved). If your school has mixed-age classes (common in smaller settings), indicate this in the booking form so the program can be confirmed as age-appropriate.

Concerts take place at the Tamworth Regional Conservatorium of Music, giving students a genuine live-performance experience in a specialist music venue. Schools should plan for supervised arrival and seating, and should allow time for settling students before the performance begins. Accessibility needs (mobility, hearing, learning support) should be noted in the booking form so arrangements can be discussed early.

Schools request a performance by completing TRCM’s Musica Viva In Schools booking form. The form collects key information (school details, contact person, proposed attendance numbers, and year levels) so Musica Viva can confirm eligibility, allocate tour availability, and organise invoicing. After submission, the booking is reviewed and the Musica Viva education team will contact the school to finalise details.

Schools participating in a MVIS concert hosted at the Conservatorium get access to a special discounted ticket price of $5 per student (normal price is $10.50 per student), which covers the live performance and access to the associated education resources. Pricing is calculated based on confirmed student numbers and the booking details submitted. Invoicing arrangements are coordinated once the booking is confirmed. Ensure the correct finance contact and any purchase-order requirements are included in the form to avoid delays.

For many small schools, attending a shared concert at the Conservatorium with other schools is the primary way to access these performances. By banding together into a combined audience, schools can participate in Musica Viva In Schools even when individual enrolments are small. This collaborative model helps offset costs for both Musica Viva and participating schools, while ensuring equitable access to high-quality live performance experiences.

Each booking includes at least a term’s worth of curriculum-aligned digital resources, designed to prepare students for the performance and extend learning afterwards. Resources commonly include up to 12 weeks of lesson activities, student-facing materials for independent learning, and interactive content featuring the musicians (e.g., instructional videos). These materials support classroom teachers, including non-specialist teachers, by providing structured, ready-to-use activities aligned to state and national curricula.

Musica Viva In Schools programs are designed to align with The Arts curriculum while strengthening broader learning. For example, Rhythm Works explicitly connects to English, HASS, Mathematics, Technology, and The Arts, and supports General Capabilities such as ICT capability, literacy, numeracy, and critical and creative thinking. The performances also reinforce skills central to Creative Arts learning—listening, responding, composing, performing, and reflecting—through active participation, vocabulary building, pattern recognition, and structured creative tasks.

Every booking includes a free Professional Development Webinar to help staff maximise the educational value of the performance and resources. Registration is essential, but attendance is included. The webinars are designed to be practical and accessible for both specialist and generalist teachers, providing strategies for classroom preparation, suggested lesson sequences, and ways to use the digital materials.

These are live, highly engaging performances, typically running around 50–60 minutes. Students are expected to attend as an audience in a performance space, but the format is intentionally interactive: performers may use call-and-response, body percussion, movement, guided listening tasks, and group improvisation—often with no instruments required from students. Schools should provide active supervision and set expectations for respectful audience behaviour while recognising that participation is a core feature of the program.