ANBOC 2026

TBA

TBA

“What is new finds power in what is old as a base upon which to innovate.
Weaving the future means revisiting the past, reinterpreting the fabric of what once was.” - author unknown.
"Miriam [Hyde]'s legacy is like an exquisitely rare 'lighthouse.' Anytime she and her peers are discussed and celebrated is a comfort and a guide to composers like me." - Sally Greenaway.
 
If we are to continue to grow a varied and inclusive wind band repertoire into the future, it's wise to pause and reflect on our past before taking the next steps. During the late twentieth century, the realisation dawned that women musicians and composers had not really been missing from music history - they had just been left out of the music history books, and were still being under-represented in concert and educational programs. Now that Australian women regularly contribute high quality music to the existing repertoire for wind bands, it is important to ensure this is not seen as merely an 'emerging trend' - that emerges, and passes. Raising awareness that women have made valuable contributions to the repertoire for 200 years helps ground the music of today's composers in established tradition, and can provide wonderful musical experiences for musicians and audiences to enjoy - and learn from.
 
This clinic digs into the musical legacy of Australia’s women composers and how it can be included in today’s band programs; exploring how previously unrecognized composers are identified, and their works made accessible for twenty-first century performance. The clinic will include musical examples. If your interest is in women composers or heritage Australian band music, join the discussion!

When young musicians first encounter the concept of dynamics, it’s usually presented in very simple terms: piano means quiet, and forte means loud. While that definition is technically correct, it barely scratches the surface of what dynamics are actually for. If we stop there, we’re missing an opportunity to help students discover one of the most expressive elements in music.


Dynamics aren’t just about volume. They’re about energy, character, atmosphere, and emotion. They help shape the music’s message—its personality—and they’re essential to building meaningful performances. The earlier we shift away from a black-and-white view of dynamics and explore their expressive possibilities, the more confident and artistic our students will become.

Teaching beginner band is one of the most rewarding—and most crucial—parts of building a thriving school music program. This clinic explores innovative, practical, and highly adaptable strategies for engaging young musicians in their first year of ensemble playing. As well as establishing traditional method-book routines, this session also introduces creative approaches that promote musical curiosity, build foundational skills, and foster a strong sense of ensemble identity from day one.


Rather than relying solely on traditional routines, the session explores a range of flexible, imaginative ways to introduce core concepts in tone production, rhythm, ensemble awareness, and musical expression. The aim is to equip teachers with adaptable frameworks that can be shaped to suit different school settings, student cohorts, and resource levels.


Participants will consider how to create learning environments that feel supportive, joyful, and musically rich, even for absolute beginners. The clinic emphasises the value of student agency, playful exploration, and collaborative music-making as powerful motivators that enhance technical development. Approaches for scaffolding early success, encouraging creative and independent  thinking, and building a strong ensemble identity will be discussed, with attention to how these ideas can be woven into existing programs without requiring major structural changes.


The session also highlights the importance of developing a sustainable sequence for beginners—one that balances technical progression with musical satisfaction—and invites teachers to reflect on how creative approaches can sit comfortably alongside method books and other established resources.
By the end of the clinic, participants will walk away with a refreshed perspective on beginner band teaching and a collection of broad, practical ideas that can be adapted to their own context. The goal is to support directors in making early band experiences not only educationally sound but also joyful, motivating, and creatively fulfilling for every young musician.

With unpredictable class sizes, less-than-ideal instrumentation, and a rapidly changing physical and digital landscape, the traditional model of full ensemble literature can sometimes work against even the best teachers. In this session, we will explore the many uses and applications of chamber works and flexible ensemble pieces to strengthen your musicians, no matter who is in class.

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The How (Practical Steps): From personal experience, two composers offer an in-depth, step-by-step examination into the logistics required to successfully bring a new work to life. Key topics will include:

• How to Commission: A clear roadmap from initial concept to final performance.
• Consortium Building: Best practices for forming and managing a commissioning consortium to share costs and expand reach.
• Intellectual Property and Performance Rights: Understanding copyright, licensing (e.g., APRA AMCOS), and securing performance rights.
• Special considerations: from budgetary considerations to exclusive performance rights, we’ll talk about the finer details.
• Documentation: Contractual negotiations and protocols including the production of high-quality reference recordings and ensuring appropriate credits for commissioning participants.
• Distribution: will the final work be delivered in hard copy or PDF? Who will manage this distribution and how does this fit into the timeline?

The When: When is it a good time for you and/or your organisation to commission a work? What considerations need to be made to ensure a successful outcome for all involved? Key concepts include:

• Timelines: Working backwards from the première date, how do you establish a realistic schedule for composition, rehearsal, and première?
• Funding opportunities: what kind of arts funding is available on both a Federal and State level? Are there any philanthropic or sponsorship possibilities? 
• Timing consortium invitations: considerations, techniques and sample budgetary templates to use in your project.

The Why: When you commission an Australian composer, you create an opportunity for the artist to tell our very own Australian stories. Likhuta and Blackshaw will lead a lively discussion on the importance that commissioning has on the future of Australian Music. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how commissioning can foster a vibrant, Australian identity.

Developing a distinctive musical voice is one of the most exciting—and often the most challenging—parts of being a young composer. Many emerging writers find themselves caught between imitation and originality, unsure how to balance the music they love with the music they want to create. This session explores practical, accessible ways for young composers to discover and shape their individual style, while giving educators the tools to better support the next generation of creative musicians.


Presented from the perspective of an 19-year-old emerging Australian composer, this workshop-style session examines the processes, habits, influences, and experiences that contribute to the development of a personal compositional identity. Participants will explore the “building blocks” of voice—including harmony, melody, rhythm, colour, and emotional intention—and learn how patterns in a composer’s early works can reveal the beginnings of their unique sound.


The session also addresses the common challenges young composers face: navigating strong influences, resisting self-comparison, taking creative risks, and writing authentically within their technical abilities. It will also cover practical strategies that can be used in classrooms, composition lessons, ensemble programs, and independent creative work.


Drawing on examples from contemporary band, orchestral, film, and game music, this presentation highlights the strengths young composers naturally bring to their writing—fearlessness, emotional honesty, technological fluency, and fresh stylistic perspectives. Educators will gain insights into how to nurture these traits, while young composers will walk away with a clearer understanding of how to identify, refine, and confidently express their own musical voice.


Ideal for music teachers, ensemble directors, composition tutors, and emerging composers, this session provides a positive, supportive, and inspiring roadmap for helping young musicians turn creativity into identity.

School music programs are at the heart of student engagement, creativity, and community. Yet, many educators face persistent challenges: retention drops after Year 7, uneven instrument distribution, and limited time to interpret what students are really telling us. This presentation explores how AI-assisted analytics can help us listen more deeply and act more strategically.Drawing on a real beginner band exit survey, we demonstrate how AI can uncover patterns and sentiment that often go unnoticed in manual review. From identifying why students leave, to suggesting instrument-specific issues to predicting which instruments are most at risk of dropout, AI offers insights that empower teachers to make informed decisions — not replace their expertise. These findings can shape recruitment strategies, balance ensembles, and strengthen advocacy for staffing and resources.


Importantly, this session situates AI within the realities of Australian education: curriculum links, privacy expectations, and the unique structures of instrumental music services across states. Participants will see practical examples of how data-driven insights can support program planning while respecting the artistry and human connection at the core of music education.


Attendees will leave with a clear sense of how AI can become part of our toolkit in sustaining vibrant, equitable music programs — helping us move from guesswork to confidence, and from data to meaningful action.


This presentation fills a gap in current Australian music education discourse by focusing on AI‑driven analytics rather than creative AI tools or productivity hacks. While AI workshops are increasingly common, few address how data insights can directly improve ensemble‑based programs — a core component of Australian school music. By grounding the session in a real beginner band exit survey and linking findings to Australian curriculum, staffing structures, and participation trends, the presentation offers both relevance and originality. Attendees will gain practical, immediately applicable strategies for program evaluation and advocacy, framed within ethical and pedagogical considerations appropriate for Australian schools.

How do we adapt our teaching strategies to meet students where they are - from beginner string players taking their first steps, to advanced young musicians refining artistic identity and independence?


In this practical and reflective workshop, Martyn guides participants through the developmental landscape of K-12 music education, drawing on research in cognitive, social and emotional development, alongside extensive classroom and ensemble experience. The session focuses on how effective music teaching changes across ages and stages, and how educators can make informed pedagogical choices that support both musical growth and student wellbeing.
Participants will explore how students’ physical coordination, brain development, motivation, and sense of identity evolve from childhood through adolescence, and what this means for rehearsal structure, repertoire choice, feedback, assessment, and ensemble/classroom culture. Particular emphasis is placed on early years, where a strong foundation must be established, as well as adolescence, where music plays a powerful role in identity formation, peer belonging, and intrinsic motivation.


Drawing on Martyn’s work at Cranbrook School, the workshop presents practical, tested strategies for beginner, intermediate, and advanced students across strings, ensembles, and classroom music settings. These strategies are grounded in evidence-based pedagogy and are discussed in terms of how they can be adapted to different school contexts.
This session will explore:

• Understanding and working within your unique educational and institutional context
• Ages and stages of learning across K-12: what works, when, and why
• Practical teaching strategies and tools for each developmental stage, with clear links to real-world classroom and ensemble practice
• Hands-on demonstrations and guided discussion

Participants will leave with a clearer framework for aligning musical expectations with developmental readiness, and with practical ideas they can implement immediately in their own teaching.

Whether large or small, the sound of an ensemble is the first impression of any listening experience. This presentation outlines intentional and focused strategies to support ensemble members and their directors in developing an auditory understanding of a cohesive ensemble sound. Central to this approach are creative and challenging activities that engage musicians in proactively developing critical listening skills for blend, balance, intonation, and ensemble togetherness.
Aimed at fostering emotionally responsive ensembles, these dynamic and engaging activities encourage all players to take responsibility for their individual contribution to the ensemble’s sound. Through regular inclusion of these purposeful tasks in the rehearsal process, ensemble members and their directors are equipped to make informed and musical decisions that strengthen the overall ensemble experience.

To bring a new piece of orchestral music to life is very exciting, but how does this happen? And can a school or community orchestra conductor play as important a role in the creation of new Australian repertoire in the same way as do conductors of world leading professional orchestras? The short answer is YES!
It can start as an idea from either the composer or conductor- or both. It is this partnership - although extremely unique - which can create a special composition that can become an invaluable part of the orchestral canon. 
From the first conversation to the commissioning and creation process- and then to the rehearsal period. This kind of collaboration can occur at every level of ensemble from school groups through to professional orchestras. It is a process that fosters a rich musical relationship and can be an unforgettable experience for your ensemble.
This Open Rehearsal with a live orchestra will feature the rehearsal techniques for one of the most recent orchestral works by Dr Catherine Likhuta and trace the journey from its inception to a performance. In the session there will be practical solutions to performance practice in an orchestral setting and how to manage the expectations of the composer within the practicalities and context of the rehearsal and concert. The purpose of this presentation is to offer guidelines on how to bring to life a new Australian work with particular attention to the relationship between composer and conductor.
This process of collaboration not only creates a good musical foundation for the future but, importantly, will help to establish a culture that will champion the cause of Australian composers of today and in years to come.

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