Bowraville students win songwriting award

ST MARY’S Primary School Bowraville students have finished runner-up in a national songwriting contest.

The Harmony Day Songwriting Competition was open to school students in all schools across Australia.

It was organised by social initiative Moving Forward Together, which has a focus on improving and empowering cultural and racial harmony within Australia.

School students were invited to submit an original two minute song about the theme “Harmony – We All Have A Role To Play”.

At St Mary’s, Madelyn Spencer’s Year 3 and 4 students worked collectively on the lyrics around the theme of Harmony Day, a day to celebrate all the different cultures that are part of Australia.

The students refined and edited the lyrics of their class song and used artificial intelligence (AI) to create a digital recording of their single.

One of the versions included the children singing the song themselves.

The song, ‘Together We Are Better’, has a message which we can all learn from.

Part of the song reads: “We all have a role to play, every single day. Orange is the colour we wear, and I know we should always care. We need to all be kind to each other to keep it fair. On harmony day we are so brave and strong no matter who you are, we all belong.”

Miss Spencer said the songwriting contest was an “incredible opportunity to help my students understand what Harmony Day could mean to them”.

“Part of the process included lyric writing workshops with the children,” Miss Spencer said.

“They had so much fun turning our classroom into a music studio and recording their original song.

“The full process from creating to publishing was so valuable for my class.

“It was great to see each child bring their own creativity to the project.”

Miss Spencer plans to represent her class and accept their award from the Minister of Multiculturalism, Steve Kamper, at NSW Parliament House on 26 June.