Bec Howard believes in the power of music.

She believes in its power to bring young people together, to build their confidence, to help develop new skills. And she believes in its power to act as a vehicle for expression, to give students a voice.

And the Tea Tree Gully choir teacher and music instructor (pictured below) witnesses this power in the classroom every day, most recently through a moving performance by the school’s Year 3-4 class of a song she wrote called I Will Learn, I Will Thrive (you can watch the video clip at the bottom of this story).

The song, which has been recorded and shared across social media, has attracted widespread praise.

“Late last year as Tea Tree Gully Primary began to unpack the new strategy for public education, I decided to write a song as a way of embedding the content further and providing yet another opportunity for the children to sing,” Mrs Howard said.

“I had some wonderful conversations with the 3-4 class during a music lesson about the strategy and how I could write a song about it.

“I dug a little deeper into the strategy and wrote the song ‘I will learn, I will thrive’.

“The students’ responses were incredible. One student said, 'This is like a song in a movie – three quarters of the way through when the main character is learning about themselves. I love it!'.”

Mrs Howard asked the students to hand write the song’s lyrics – which focus on themes of acceptance and self-empowerment – and used them to make the song’s film clip.

She said when she asked the students what the lyrics meant to them the responses included “we are safe to take risks and it doesn’t matter if we get it wrong we just keep trying”, “I am important and what I say and do matters” and “I feel safe here”.

“This was my favourite part of this whole experience,” Mrs Howard said.

“It honestly was so fabulous to have the students resonate with the song. What I especially loved is that they were proud to say that they were important, included and could take risks. I loved that their confidence grew in front of me as they sang it back to me.

“The following week, I asked the 3-4 class to help me to teach it to the whole school.

“The students were again full of pride. For them to believe what they were singing was incredible to watch.”

Mrs Howard said that through both professional and personal experience she had a deep understanding of the challenges that young people faced and their need to feel included, heard and understood in their family, school and broader community.

Music, she said, can play a strong role in helping to fulfil these needs.

“I am keenly aware of the positive impact that music and musical education can have on students and teachers alike,” she said.

“I believe that my music lessons are an equalizer as they provide an opportunity for all students to engage and express themselves.

“I am an advocate of singing and musical expression and believe it leads people to develop skills, gain confidence, improve their wellbeing, work collaboratively with others and can be a powerful means of self-development.

“I have witnessed and been a part of several incredible moments of growth in children due to the power of music.

“I have known countless children who have found their ‘voice’ when they are a part of a singing and musical experience. I also know that you don’t have to be able to sing in a conventional manner or be in tune to have these benefits.”

Mrs Howard said that one of her first professional experiences was with a group of students living with significant disabilities.

“I had no way of telling if they were enjoying the songs I was singing except by their eyes. I will never forget the sparkling and expressive eyes of the students as I sang to them," she said.

“It was a definite connection and a powerful communication of joy and excitement. This was a pivotal moment for me.”