Welcome to the Music in Action website.

Music in Action is a magazine developed and produced in Australia for music educators. It aims to enrich, empower, support and inform music teachers in their work.

On this site we provide you with a profile of our magazine plus a comprehensive set of articles from past issues and the opportunity to trial our new eMag version of the magazine. 

Music in Action eMAG: Now there is way to access Music in Action in full online. The eMAG version looks just like the printed version and just like the printed version, you turn the pages as you browse. But the the Music in Action eMag offers much more. Double click on a advertisement or link and you'll be taken directly to that website for more information. Plus in coming issues we will be adding more rich content such as musical examples, video and audio files and other features that, through the eMag format, are just a click away.

To browse the eMag version of Music in Action Volume 7, Issue 2 (Spring 2009), click here.

Click on cover image to see current issue as e-mag

Inside each issue of Music in Action

There are five major topics covered in each issue: advocacy, technology, profile, nitty gritty and project.

Advocacy provides information and suggestions aspects such as:

• what makes an effective advocate-working to make a difference
• examples of advocacy for a school music program
• what challenges lie ahead for music educators
• the role of the arts in the curriculum.

• how to start a technology program
• using electronic keyboards to stimulate upper primary students
• integrating language and technology in music
• using technology-for example, interactive whiteboards-appropriately in the new classroom environment.

In Nitty Gritty we aim for articles that provide practical help for teachers. We try to ensure that material in this section includes ideas that might be used by classroom teachers in their classes in the immediate future. Articles cover both primary and secondary levels and cover a wide range of topics.

Profile offers the opportunity to gain some insight into the professional lives of music teaching colleagues. In this section teachers talk about influences on their work, the issues that face them, how they deal with challenges and set-backs and the joys and tears of music teaching. It's 'no-holds-barred'-so you hear it as it really is. 

For inspiration, the Project section showcases some interesting activities that take teachers and their students beyond the classroom and often involve the community. The focus for this section could include topics such as:

• an artists-in-schools project that joined with a local festival to involve students in a major community composition and performance experience
• a program that provides much needed access to music skills for a community with particular needs
• a project that takes tertiary students out of their usual campus setting into the community-with positive results for all
• making use of a symphony orchestra outreach program for a broadening of music making experiences of students.

And, for extras look at our web links, and stories about professional development activities around Australia and occasional articles of assistance in areas such as copyright etc.

All this in Music in Action!

There is a wealth of experience, advice, suggestions, practical help and wisdom to be had by accessing Music in Action. Dip into this site, and then subscribe to ensure you're up-to-date with all the latest ideas..

Robin Stevens
EDITOR