At Beachlands Primary School in Geraldton, WA, a borrowed violin sparked a week-long journey.

In the lead-up to a Musica Viva Australia In Schools Game Day! performance, a student’s grandfather lent his instrument to the school. Every student from Years 1 to 6 got to see it, hold it, and draw it.

Staff surprised themselves, too: a couple of them could still play (sort of), and one Education Assistant revealed they could play very beautifully. The violin took on a kind of mythical status for a week.

Then the Game Day! quartet arrived. The performance landed on ears that were ready.

And that performance wasn’t just the start. It was the culmination. Students had already encountered the musicians virtually, through the digital resources provided to their teachers. They’d explored the instruments, themes, and sound world ahead of time, and came prepared to listen, connect.

Students of Morphett Vale East Primary School make shapes with David Dai from MVA’s Life is an Echo. Photo © Musica Viva Australia

Musica Viva Australia’s Education Program delivers live performance, curriculum-aligned digital resources, and free professional development to more than 8,500 teachers, reaching 200,000 students across the country...