Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025 #MEAAMusic #MEAASOMA Featured News

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) members are deeply concerned by the proposed closure of the School of Music at the Australian National University (ANU) and elimination of specialised programs in musicology, performance, and composition. We stand in solidarity with the NTEU and the ANU’s wider staff and student community in opposing the broader change processes at ANU involving cuts to arts and humanities departments across the university.

The proposed restructure, ending the stand-alone School of Music, would be an immense loss to music in Australia. Since 1965 the School of Music has realised the vision of high-quality music education underpinning the cultural life of the nation’s capital. For generations its graduates have lit up stages, live venues and concert halls in Australia and around the world and continue to inspire and enrich future generations of Australians through their leadership in music education.

This proposal represents short-term thinking that fundamentally misunderstands both the value of specialised music education and the collective power of the music community to defend it.

 

The Irreplaceable Value of Specialised Music Education

Music education requires intensive, specialised training that cannot be replicated in generalist programs. Performance studies demand years of dedicated practice under expert guidance, while musicology requires deep scholarly engagement with musical history, theory, and cultural context. Composition training involves mastering complex technical skills alongside creative development. Separate but interconnected, these disciplines have distinct methodologies, pedagogical approaches, and professional standards.

Whilst acknowledging that multiple pedagogical approaches can contribute to music education, any genuine consideration of alternative training models must emerge from actual discussion with staff and students based on desired learning outcomes, not imposed through administrative decree driven by financial expedience.

The elimination of the proven one-to-one teaching model, a cornerstone of musical training across centuries and cultures, cannot be dismissed as merely one option among many. This individual mentorship between mentor and student remains essential for developing technical mastery, artistic interpretation, and performance skills that meet professional standards. Whilst different educational approaches have value, the complete abandonment of specialised music training represents an educational catastrophe, not innovation.

 

Impact on Students and the Music Profession

The restructure as proposed would:

● Deny music students at ANU access to the specialised training essential for professional musical careers by eliminating the proven 1:1 teaching model that has been the foundation of music education for centuries

● Force current students to either transfer institutions or abandon their musical ambitions. MEAA does not consider the guarantees from university administrators that current students’ musical education will not be affected to be transparent or accountable. There is no clarity on how current students will be able to complete their degrees with no faculty support.

● Reduce the quality and depth of musical education available to the community.

● Weaken the pipeline of qualified music educators for schools and communities across the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and regional NSW.

 

Devastating Impact on Australian Musical Culture

The closure of the ANU School of Music would leave the national capital without a tertiary music school. This situation would:

● Force local students to relocate to other states to pursue music education, creating significant accessibility barriers

● Eliminate career pathways for musicians, composers, and music scholars, not only in the ACT but across the nation

● Devastate the local and national music community by removing a cultural and educational hub that supports professional development

● Undermine Canberra's cultural identity as a national capital that should lead in arts and education

● Create a skills shortage in the region's music and arts sectors, including devastating the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and youth music programs

● Disadvantage students from regional NSW and ACT who have historically relied on this accessible option

● Reduce opportunities to engage with musical culture for the broader community as student and faculty concerts and recitals disappear

The national capital deserves and demands a strong tertiary music program that serves both local students and the broader region. The change proposal abandons that responsibility entirely.

 

A National Perspective on Tertiary Music Education

The cumulative effects of cuts to specialised music programs across Australia create a sovereign risk that neither government nor universities are adequately assessing. Once lost, musical expertise built over generations cannot easily be replaced. Australia's creative industries require skilled professionals, and the systematic elimination of training pathways undermines our national cultural and economic capacity.

 

Professional Standards and Accreditation

Generalist arts degrees cannot meet the professional standards required for many music careers nor the accreditation and audition requirements of professional music organisations. This proposal effectively eliminates the university's ability to prepare students for professional musical careers and undermines the institution's credibility in music education.

The absence of specialised music training in Australia's national capital beyond those limitations outlined in the proposed restructure sends a troubling message about the value placed on musical excellence and cultural education at the highest levels of government and society.

 

Our Position

MEAA Musicians Section calls upon the Australian National University to:

1. Immediately withdraw this proposal and engage in meaningful consultation with music faculty, students, and the broader musical community

2. Recognise the unique value of specialised music education in performance, composition and musicology and its irreplaceable role in cultural and educational life

3. Commit to maintaining the ANU School of Music, including the essential 1:1 teaching model

4. Recognise the special responsibility of a university in the national capital to maintain excellence in music education

5. Consider the regional impact on students from across the ACT, southern NSW, and beyond who depend on this institution

 

Building Our Collective Power

This moment demands that every musician, music educator, student, alumnus, and supporter recognise our collective strength and act accordingly.

We urge all members of the musical community:

● Join your union: musicians must unite through MEAA membership to demonstrate our solidarity and power to defend music education.

● Engage constructively in consultation processes: Community feedback on the proposed changes within the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences including the closure of the School of Music closes July 24, 2025.

● Support current music students and faculty during this period of uncertainty and support campaigns being run by the NTEU and the Australian Music Students Association

● Advocate for the essential role of specialised music education in our society at every level of government and institutional leadership.

If you are a working musician, join your union to call for greater respect, dignity and recognition for all working musicians. Join MEAA today.

Australia's future depends on maintaining institutions that understand and support the specialised training that creative professionals require. The Australian National University has the opportunity to demonstrate leadership in preserving excellence in music education. We encourage them to embrace this responsibility.

For more information, contact us here: 

musiciansaustralia@meaa.org 

 

About MEAA Musicians

MEAA is the largest and most established union for Australia’s creative and media workforce. professionals. The MEAA Musicians Section represents musicians working across symphony orchestras (SOMA), theatre orchestras (TOMA) and gigging and freelance musicians (Musicians Australia). Our members come from all parts of the music industry, including live performance, recording and education.

As the collective voice of Australia’s working musicians, we aim to create a stronger, more rewarding and productive music industry. This is driven by, and reflective of our diverse, inclusive and creative music cultures. We aim to ensure respect and recognition of all musicians through fair remuneration, reward, and recognition.

Join MEAA today.