A TOWN WITHOUT MUSIC

Access to music education in Australia is at an all-time low. It’s estimated 70% of primary students don’t have access to music education. Australian universities have cut music education training for primary teachers in half over the past 13 years, some with just 8 hours of training over the course of their degree. Similarly, arts curriculum teachers in high schools are often allocated to teachers out of subject who are not confident to teach in that area. 80% of schools in NSW have no music education classes at all. Music is scientifically proven to improve the brain and skills in other subject areas such as reading, writing and maths. It’s not a coincidence that national literacy is at an all-time low. Mental health is also improved by music: when the world was struck by the pandemic, the first images of the lockdown were people singing together from their balconies. It has creative, academic, physical and emotional benefits, not just for individuals but society at large.

The purpose of making this film is to show how vital music is in life. Music creates meaning, community connection, better health and overall opportunities. Therefore, it cannot be an elite activity for those who can afford it. The goal is to create accessibility for all, which at a government level means ensuring there is a trained music teacher in every school, and at a community level to be an example and inspiration for people, no matter where they live, to build their own band.

I hope to achieve several things by making this film. I hope to pull back the curtain on the band’s stage and show what went into making this community band tick and achieve what it has. I want to reveal the person (my father) who started the band including his struggles and sacrifices (many even in the band are unaware of). I also want to show what I believe is an ultimate underdog story of a small-town community band at the bottom of the world and what huge accomplishments they have had globally. I want to show others what is possible in a community, that everyone deserves access to music education – it is not an optional extra but a human right.

My relationship to this community is a very deep and personal one. My father is Layton Hodgetts – the film’s protagonist and founder of the Derwent Valley Concert Band. I have long-standing and respected relationships with everyone in the film. I was 9 when the band began and I joined as a clarinet player when I was 13. I have grown up with these people, travelled overseas with them on 4 trips, and am currently leading the coordination of the Learner Program for new musicians due to the current lack of music education in the town’s schools. I see these people at least once a week and am on two of their subcommittees. My access to this community is very natural and easy – I am committed to them as an organisation, clear of their mission statement, have seen and experienced first-hand what music has done for my community (not to mention myself, particularly since my Dad passed away) and am excited and honoured to be sharing the story of my Dad’s significant legacy with the wider world.

1. We hope viewers will sign our online petition to be sent to federal politicians to express the importance of equality for all schools, no matter where they are in rural, regional, or inner-city Australia to have access to a qualified music teacher.
2. We hope people will tell their family, friends, and followers about the film. The more people who voice this opinion and show support for the cause the better and so we hope the film will be played broadly enough, whether on television or a streaming service, to reach people and get more and more onboard.
3. We hope viewers will go to the Derwent Valley Concert Band’s website to support the band and film on its ongoing plight. A funding portal will be set up to help the band travel around the country with screenings of the film in regional communities all over to directly encourage and support locals to build their own band.