I think that music and music education have always held an important role for us individually and collectively, but that this has been brought to the foreground by current circumstances. Music is, potentially, a very powerful way in which we communicate meaning and explore the world and our place in it. It can be used by us in deeply introspective ways, or in ways that inspire social cohesion and togetherness. It allows the exploration of our emotions and the ability for us to share with others in ways that need not be limited to words. Perhaps once overlooked or dismissed, I am now confident that many people have engaged with music themselves over the past few weeks in ‘lockdown’ to explore, reflect and define their emotional response to the current climate. These creative explorations are vitally important for us personally, as well as for our culture.

There is a wonderful amalgamation of discipline and creativity in music – we work from rules, but then meaningfully and intentionally manipulate and break them as we individualise our craft. Each offering is then an intently personal expression of something meaningful to us, fostering continued creative exploration of ourselves and our ideas. In this, we offer something uniquely ‘us’, something that isn’t necessarily right or wrong, just our own, as we explore endless possibilities in expressing meaning and making sense of the world. It can reveal a sense of who we are and what we might become as we make connections and construct new meanings. The challenge now is to ensure that music continues to be positioned as an important personal and social undertaking that enriches our culture and interpersonal understanding.

We have all seen multiple videos of people coming together online and making music, and this is fantastic to see, but there are other forms of collective and shared music-making that may be going unnoticed, which are just as worthy of our attention. Families gathering together to sing, to listen to each other play, to teach each other, to share in listening experiences, perhaps even explore and make music of their own. In this investment alone we see the importance of what it is that music offers humanity. Though through these means, the true essence of music as a human endeavour is captured.

In terms of coming together, we have also seen music teachers as some of the most remarkably flexible and agile people, ready and willing to shift their practice overnight to cater for the students in their care and ensure that these experiences continue. It is great to see the output of this celebrated, but of greater importance is that engagement in music is still occurring, whether we see this publicly or otherwise – this experience, not the product, is paramount.

Taking the notion of experience further, and amidst all the wonderful collaborations and connections, we also must celebrate the opportunities that isolation has provided to those who have found time or inclination to learn or ‘re-learn’ an instrument or write their own music – I’ve really been so impressed with the ‘in house’ work by many of the students at my school! This form of engagement with music is often intently personal, therapeutic and no less meaningful.

I am sure many have found solace in music over the past few weeks. Music has been the ‘silver lining’ of a monumental ‘cloud’, and I hope that when it clears, we continue to let the ‘sunlight’ warm us.