Hello music making friends!

Welcome to our first Shout! for 2023, Community Music Victoria’s monthly shout out of opportunities and events for community music makers in Victoria.

Like green shoots in spring, Victoria is replete with wonderful new and returning groups, events, workshops and festivals in the coming months. CMVic’s singing camp, Singing Under the Oaks is back on 25 March in Silvan, a day of regenerative singing in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges. In February, Melbourne is hosting a cappella singing workshops with Edoardo Materassi.

We’re excited to see the newest member of the CMVic family, Ballan Community Street Band, kick off with a couple of free taster sessions on Monday 6 February. We’re looking forward to a big year for street bands and instrumental groups, with plans afoot for bands to strut their stuff across the state as part of the Growing Community Music (GCM) project. Speaking of GCM, read the latest blog and watch the beautiful video of the Out of the Box 5th birthday in Mildura, featuring local community music legends (all far too humble to call themselves legends, of course!).

Your contributions have made CMVic what it is today. We will soon be inviting you to help shape CMVic and the future of community music through an important survey.

Do you want to help others expereince the benefits of community music across the state? We are currently recruiting volunteer roles in communications, membership and for our VicSings and VicPlays advisory groups that help shape our wonderful community music sector. It's just one to  three hours per week, for which you receive free CMVic membership, with all the member goodies!

Got an event coming up soon? Please share your Facebook event or post your event details on the CMVic Facebook page.

CMVic News

Sharing food and music makes Sunraysia shine 31 Jan 2023 As Community Music Victoria is all about using music to facilitate connections and develop community networks we were very excited to learn from our Growing Community Music Murray Mallee team about what the good folks from Food Next Door Coop and Out of the Box Sunraysia are doing. Work that feels aligned with the values of our own organisation, and to hear about how everybody’s paths came to cross at the end of November. Read more and see the beautiful video at our CMVic Blog… Keep Reading

New Song Book: Songs of the Living World 13 Jul 2022 We were delighted to introduce the Songs of the Living World at the 35th International Society of Music Educators Conference hosted in Melbourne in July 2022. Drawing on many years of creative collaborations with First Nation Elders and artists in intercultural and environmental projects, Laura Brearley has composed thirty environmental songs for community singing groups and choirs, focussed on three inter-related themes: Respect, Protect, Connect. The Songs of the Living World are a testament to our deep and fiercely protective love of the natural world. The recordings feature singers and musicians from across Victoria, with stunning production by Mal Webb. Songs of the Living World includes:… Keep Reading

CMVic Events

Ballan Community Street Band, Taster Session 06 Feb 2023 The Ballan Community Street Band (BCSB) will be starting up in early Feb 2023! Open at no cost to all ages and mixed ability players (basic competence) of portable acoustic instruments (i.e. that don’t require amplification, such as brass, saxophones, percussion). It will provide a fun and vibrant playing opportunity for the Ballan and surrounding district communities. What is a Street Band? They’re fun, informal, highly accessible to varied instruments and abilities, open to all ages; they bring people together to make music together; you might very well see them playing in street processions and community events. Playing with others… Keep Reading

Singing Under the Oaks – 25 March 25 Mar 2023 A celebration of our unique voices Song leaders, singers and music community come together to sing, reconnect and replenish at this gorgeous one-day event under the majestic Silvan oak trees. In this safe and welcoming space you are invited to: rekindle joy and immerse yourself in harmony singing reconnect body, breath and voice in fun and loving ways explore creativity in gentle and playful improvisation swap and share your favourite songs discover new and exciting repertoire celebrate, relax, break bread and re/connect with new and old friends Our hosts Libby and James warmly invite guests to stay on for homemade woodfired pizza dinner, camp overnight… Keep Reading

Public News

Community News and Info

Melbourne Tune Collection 20 Jan 2023 NEW RELEASE! Melbourne Tune Collection is the result of 3 years on the road collecting contemporary folk music from across Victoria. It consists of 86 original songs and tunes from 58 different composers, who in true folk tradition, are a… Keep Reading

For more community news and information visit our website

Public Events

Willin Wimmin Need Singers! 01 Feb 2023 - 08 Feb 2023 Wednesday February 1st, Willin Wimmin return for a year of singing! Join this beautiful community! New members are welcome. 7:30-9:30pm at Church of Christ Hall - Cnr John St & Douglas Parade, Williamstown We provide sheet music but there is… Keep Reading

Ukulele Club - Beginners 02 Feb 2023 Learn playing skills with professional ukulele teacher, Steph Payne - Level 3 Certified James Hill Ukulele Initiative teacher.   We will look at various techniques: Chords strumming Chord picking Melody fingerpicking As well as jamming just for fun!   You… Keep Reading

Wyndukes Ukestra Term 1, 2023 02 Feb 2023 Wyndukes Ukestra plays contemporary songs with chords, riffs and vocal harmonies. This is an ongoing, committed group.   For people just starting out, don’t worry - there are very simple parts for beginners as well as more complex parts for… Keep Reading

Mindful Ukulele Mondays 06 Feb 2023 - 03 Apr 2023 We all know that music is great for our mental health, so let's go deep and really be mindful about it. Play pieces that are repetitive, melodic and relaxing to play. Add consciously breathing while we play and before you… Keep Reading

ECOTORIO – Singing out about climate change by Dave Newington & Jonathon Welch 12 Feb 2023 Open to all individual singers to join, rehearsals will begin in February with award winning conductor and composer JONATHON WELCH AM Presented by Play It Forward Help us Make History! Perform the World Premiere of ECOTORIO at Melbourne International Singers… Keep Reading

Melbourne Ukulele Festival 2023 17 Mar 2023 - 19 Mar 2023 Inspiring Artists, Fantastic Fun, Great Workshops & More! The Melbourne Ukulele Festival (MUF) - Australia's second (by one month - Blue Mountains beat us!!), international ukulele festival established by Dean W. Denham (Dino Divo) 2010. Since then, MUF has become… Keep Reading

Melbourne International Singers Festival 2023 08 Jun 2023 - 12 Jun 2023 Melbourne International Singers Festival launches exciting 2023 program with an all Australian lineup! BOOK BEFORE MARCH 26 & SAVE $$ Join us on the King’s Birthday weekend at Melbourne’s iconic arts precinct for the best value choral festival in the country,… Keep Reading

Music Camps

Turramurra Folk Music Bush Camp 14 Apr 2023 - 17 Apr 2023 Tickets for Turramurra 2023 go on sale 5pm 31 Janaury! Join old friends and new on the weekend of 14-17 April in the beautiful Rowsley Valley for a weekend of music making joy. With workshops for all ages and abilities, this year's… Keep Reading

Workshops

Drum Connection, group hand drumming courses 02 Feb 2023 - 07 Apr 2023 These fun community courses have been running in Hurstbridge continuously for 18 years. Drumming is accessible to all, great for brain power, making music together, performing if you wish, and fun, fun, fun! New members are welcomed at the start… Keep Reading

Singing Workshop with Edoardo Materassi 10 Feb 2023 - 12 Feb 2023 A cappella singing workshops in Melbourne with Edoardo Materassi, Richard Lawton and special guest teachers. For the first time in 3 years we have an international choirmaster come to visit, and Eduardo is shaping up to be a very special choir… Keep Reading

AUTLA Masterclasses at Melbourne Ukulele Festival 17 Mar 2023 For $60 there is a fabulous day of workshop on offer from 3 of MUFs headline acts. These workshop are great for ukulele teachers and leaders or anyone who just wants to improve their playing and performance skills. Dead Mans Uke –… Keep Reading

For more community events visit our website