​CMVic's Values

All CMVic's activities are guided by an underpinning set of values:

• participation - creating a safe, non-judgemental and fearless space where the quality of the participatory music making experience comes before quality of performance
• inclusivity - welcoming and valuing everyone, whatever their ability, background, opinions, or contribution. Fostering diversity by challenging marginalisation (whether to do with ability, gender, culture or other difference), and seeking to address social barriers to participation, such as transport or income. empowerment - empowering greater participation in the joy of music
• generosity - sharing our knowledge, skills, resources and our appreciation of each other
• integrity - living our values through honest and trustworthy practice
• joy - recognising how a sense of joy lifts people out of the everyday, promoting understanding, health, and vitality, and opening a path to…
• creativity in music making and in community development – we believe that music, and participation in making music, opens up a creative path towards profound benefits for individual and community health and well-being

It is our values that have inspired people to participate in our singing and music leadership programs and to express the feeling that they have “come home” when they get together.

Community Music Victoria believes that everyone has the need, right and capacity to make music. Making music together can be a fantastically joyful experience with profound potential to enhance many individual and community capacities. Society should actively encourage, facilitate and promote music-making among its citizens and their children because: 

• making music together is the foundation of social connection.
• music carries our culture - our memories, stories, identities, values and hopes.
• when people lose their music they lose their voice, and often their sense of connection to the society in which they live.
• when people make music together they transcend the differences between them.
• through music we can restore the practices of the everyday arts which fulfill the basic human needs for free and creative expression, connectedness and participation. Music-making is an everyday art which does this, particularly in groups.
• making music together creates a crucible in which people can experience and productively channel the synergy which results from collaborative effort.