Why Be a Member:
In an increasingly dynamic environment within Australian higher education, music needs to have a clear and strong voice. Why is this important?
The voice needs to be heard in places that matter:
- NACTMUS is a member organisation within CHASS (Council for Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences) which has a strong track record of being able to influence government policy
- NACTMUS is a member organisation of the MCA (Music Council of Australia) which represents all facets of the music industry and profession, with which higher education providers and its stakeholders must engage
- NACTMUS should be an important reference point for issues regarding music as a discipline, and music as a career path, and which can be accessed by academic staff and leaders within institutions, particularly at times of crisis
This voice can be all of the following:
- Inclusive - NACTMUS can represent all music pursuits within higher education, from western classical through to all forms of contemporary music, music education and world musics
- Representative – the membership of NACTMUS currently includes more than 75% of the music higher education providers in Australia, and thus can truly claim to have access to the sector as a whole
- Creative - NACTMUS can uniquely represent both tradition and innovation within higher education in terms of how music is studied, researched, composed, performed, and disseminated
- Informative – NACTMUS can be a repository and a benchmarking agency, providing members with statistical and qualitative information about the sector, its resourcing needs, its achievements and its aspirations
In order for NACTMUS to continue to expand its work and relevance for members, we aim to:
- Achieve 100% representation through membership of all higher education providers of music programs and courses in Australia
- Hold biannual general meetings which are open to member institutions, and through which issues of mutual concern are discussed and acted upon
- Promote scholarly dialogue through sponsorship of biennial conferences and invitations for guest presenters to address general meetings
- Develop resources which will assist the institutional work of members, through using the NACTMUS website as a portal for relevant databases such as RHD examiners, position statements on key issues, and statistical and qualitative documentation of the sector and its work
In its brief history since the mid 1990s, NACTMUS has already achieved the following:
- Major contribution to the Strand Report (1998), one of the seminal documents on research in the creative arts
- Two national conferences (2001 and 2007), the papers of which are available online
- Significant contribution to the National Review of School Music (2005)
- Provided a regular forum and meeting point for music academics from all types of institutions within Australian higher education, including Go8, the ‘state’ conservatoria, regional universities, multi-discipline creative arts schools, TAFEs, and private providers
- Sponsored a level of collegiality and inclusiveness that is valued by members, irrespective of their home institution’s regional context, history, size and specialisations
NACTMUS is the peak body for music in Australian higher education – it pays to be a member!
Rachael Jarvis
NACTMUS Executive Officer
45 York Street
RICHMOND VIC 3121
admin@nactrmus.org.au
03 9429 6151
