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For the first time, Australia's biggest music conference is opening its doors to educators.
For more than two decades, Brisbane's BIGSOUND has been Australia's premier music industry event. This year, for the first time, educators have a dedicated place in the conversation.
When
- Wednesday 2 September 2026
- Program 9am–2:30pm · Networking event from 2:30pm
Where
- Judith Wright Centre, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane
What
- A full-day professional learning program featuring keynotes, panels, live performances and a networking event to close the day
- Everything else BIGSOUND offers - nightly live music programming and three days of extensive conference programming
Educator ticketing discount
- Educators can access a discounted delegate ticket to BIGSOUND at $565 a ticket (that’s a discount of $334 off the usual price!).
To access this, click the links below
Featured speakers
- Professor Glenn Savage (Professor of Education Futures, Uni of Melbourne), Dr James Humberstone (Associate Professor, Sydney Conservatorium), Jane Polley (The Arts Curriculum Specialist, ACARA), Pete Murray, Powderfinger's Ian Haug, Sam Cromack (Ball Park Music), SYCCO, Viv Mellish (GYRO) and more.
You'll take away
- A fresh perspective on why music education matters more than ever in an AI-driven world
- Practical ideas to strengthen music education in your school and build programs that engage every student
- A deeper understanding of the role schools play in shaping Australia's future artists, audiences and creative industries
- Meaningful connections with educators, artists, music industry leaders and government representatives from across the country
The Agenda
Here's a closer look at the sessions shaping the day.
| 9:00am – 9:15am | Welcome Address |
| 9:15am – 9:30am | Performance |
9:30am – 10:45am Panel 1 — Music Matters More Than Ever: How Soft Skills Become Lifelong Advantages +The soft skills that prepare students for life and work - creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and resilience, are being quietly squeezed out of the school curriculum. AI is accelerating. Devices are fragmenting attention. And schools are doing their best to respond to a forever changing learning environment. Music education, delivered well, develops all of them. How is your school preparing students for a world that needs what music teaches?Speakers - Professor Glen Savage (University of Melbourne) - Jane Polley (The Arts Curriculum Specialist, ACARA) - Kat Gibbs (Head of People & Culture - Unified Music Group) - Natalie Kradolfer (CEO - Amplify Music Education) - Kathleen Jenkins (Seen Learning + Advocacy) |
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| 10:45am – 11:00am | Morning Tea |
11:00am – 11:45am Panel 2 — The Teacher They Still Talk About: Artists and Music Industry on the Moments That Shaped Them +Artists and music industry professionals can almost always trace their careers back to a teacher. In this session, they reflect on the school moments that shaped them. As parents, they'll also share what they see in their own children's school music education today and its relevance to the music industry. Who in your school is the next artist or music industry professional nobody saw coming?Speakers - Matt O'Gorman (British India/Triple M) - Sam Cromack (Ball Park Music) - Sasha McLeod (SYCCO) - Ian Haug (The Church/Powderfinger) - Viv Mellish (CMO - GYRO GROUP) |
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| 11:45am – 12:00pm | Practical Teacher Tips |
12:00pm – 12:45pm Panel 3 — More Than a Music Lesson: How Classrooms Shape Cultural Literacy, Appreciation and Connection +The music program in your classrooms does more than meet learning time requirements. It shapes how students value, discover and carry music forward into life after school. This panel explores the outsized influence educators and schools have on music appreciation and cultural literacy. The influence belongs to you and your schools - are you making the most of it?Speakers - Dr James Humberstone (Sydney Conservatorium of Music) - Elinor Williams (The Annex) - Rohan Hardy (St Andrew's Anglican College) - Johnno Keetels (True South Global) - Jen Taunton (Level Two Music) |
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| 12:45pm – 1:45pm | Lunch presented by SAE University College |
1:45pm – 2:30pm Panel 4 — Music Education Needs a Season: Why Structure and Pathways Change Everything in Student Development +Every school has deeply embedded sports programs every student participates in - defined seasons, competitions, and structured pathways from school level to state championships. Architecture that keeps students engaged, returning, and developing over time. Music is equally mandated, but participation, delivery, structure, and progression rarely match. This panel is about ensuring every child is in a program that scaffolds, sequences, and builds. How does music progress at your school, and who's developing the people delivering it?Speakers - Martine Gill (School Principal) - Pete Murray (Singer/Songwriter) - Stephen Wade (Select Music) - Andrew Patterson (School Principal) - Sean Foran (SAE) |
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| From 2:30pm | Networking Mixer @ Blute's Bar |
Real Professional Learning
This event is built to meet AITSL's own standard for high-quality professional learning, so the time you invest genuinely counts toward your growth as an educator.
Relevant
Sessions are built around current research and identified needs - the gap between elite instrumental programs and music education for every student, and what schools haven't yet addressed as AI and technology reshape the classroom. Content is timed to what educators are facing right now, not theoretical.
Future Focused
Panels challenge educators to think beyond compliance - building structured pathways and progression for music education, and understanding the outsized influence they have on students' lifelong relationship with music and creativity. This is about where music education needs to go, not just where it's been.
Collaborative
The day is built around learning from experts - artists and industry professionals reflecting on their own teacher influences, peer dialogue in the panel Q&A, and a dedicated networking event afterward. This creates the learning community and feedback-seeking culture the AITSL Charter calls for.
Want The Specifics?
Here's how this event addresses the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Filter by career stage below.
For School Leaders
Australian Professional Standard for Principals
- Lead teaching and learning
- Develop self and others
- Lead improvement, innovation and change
For Teachers
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
- Identify and plan professional learning needs
- Engage in professional learning and improve practice
- Engage with colleagues and improve practice
- Apply professional learning and improve student learning
- Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities
Conference Registration | 2 September 2026
$565.00 (inc GST) payable by Card or Invoice
Registration Inclusions
- Full access to the BIGSOUND Education Stream - a full-day professional learning program, Wednesday 2 September 2026, curated by Amplify Music Education
- Networking event from 2:30pm with live music, canapés, and refreshments
- Full access to the BIGSOUND conference program, 1–4 September 2026
- Full access to the BIGSOUND live music program, 1–3 September 2026
- Arrival coffee, lunch, and catering breaks throughout the Education Stream day
- Designed to meet AITSL's Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
02 8752 8525 | info@amplifymusiceducation.com.au