By CAROL SAFFER
culture editor

Movie star W.C. Fields famously said: “Never work with children or dogs.”

But when Melbourne chamber music ensemble the New Palm Court Orchestra joined the children at Buninyong Primary School last weekend, it was sweet music all round.

This week the school has been counting the benefits of its first major music collaboration with the orchestra, a concert last weekend named Music on the Mount.

Concert organiser Gorgi Coghlan says the kids "just shone", and walked away motivated and inspired by the power and the beauty of music.

“They just delivered way beyond any expectations we had,” she says. “That is invaluable for a child’s development and sense of self. They achieved it themselves and an audience valued them.” 

Buninyong Primary School principal Bernie Conlan says music is one of four specialist programs on offer at the school that “gives the kids a broad experience”.

The music program strives to give its Ballarat-area students a greater understanding and appreciation of music through singing, movement and performing. Students learn to read and write basic notation, explore different genres of music and play a variety of instruments.

It allows the pupils to challenge themselves with new things. "It helps with learning across the board,” Mr Conlan says.

“Music can become a lifelong interest, or potentially a career at some point,” he says.

NPCO artistic director Gemma Turvey agrees. 

She believes fantastic things happen when primary school children have the opportunity to attend special music programs. “They are such sponges at that age,” she says.

As a composer and performer of new Australian music, Ms Turvey believes engaging primary school students in music will lead to greater attendance at Australian concerts.

ABS statistics on music attendance in Australia show that younger people are less likely to attend classical music concerts than people over the age of 55.

The initiative for the NPCO to perform at the primary school was to raise awareness and funds for instrument education for the pupils.

Ms Coghlan, a Buninyong resident and TV presenter, and her co-host Claire Molesworth came up with the idea of the Music on the Mount 2016 event at the school.

Ms Coghlan works with The Song Room, an organisation that fosters a sense of belonging through music. She says music helps children express themselves, enriches their lives, and assists with personal development and community involvement.

Ms Coghlan says working with Ms Turvey and the orchestra “has been a joyful experience”.

Research shows children who are exposed to music have a much higher academic performance, higher social and emotional well being, and a much better attendance at school.

A partnership performance between NPCO and Buninyong Primary “seemed like an excellent fit”, Ms Turvey says.

Mr Conlan says some of the kids couldn’t believe that the NPCO musicians “actually get paid for playing an instrument”.

“They were blown away by the quality of the performance and the generosity of the NPCO in coming along and being willing to play [with kids].”

Ms Coghlan heard from a local mother the day after the concert. The mother said that as she tucked her daughter into bed that night, her daughter said: “Mum after tonight I am going to go to sleep and dream about being a music teacher.”

This child was not one of the performers last weekend, but might still get her chance. If Ms Coghlan, Mr Conlan and Ms Turvey have anything to do with it, music will come to the Mount again next year.

Carol Saffer is deputy chair of the NPCO and chair of its finance committee.