Over 400 students from 36 Darwin, Palmerston and rural schools will pack Casuarina Square’s food court today to perform in this year’s ‘Rock Da Caz’ – Darwin's Music: Count Us In event.

Music: Count Us In is Australia’s largest school music advocacy and participation program where over 600,000 students learn and rehearse the same song and perform the song at the same time, right across Australia.

Principal of NT Music School Bill Grose said “Every year, we receive an abundance of registrations by Northern Territory schools to participate in the national celebration for Music: Count Us In”.

“This celebration is always a lot of fun for everyone involved and is a very special public demonstration where the audience is immersed in the showcase of music education by the very talented students we have right here in the Territory,” Mr Grose said.

“I would like to thank all the participating schools, principals, teachers, parents and students, as well as our partners Casuarina Square and Music Australia, for making this exciting event happen”.

Across the Northern Territory, 65 schools will be participating in Music: Count Us In, including ‘Rock Da Caz’, a combined performance in Alice Springs and various in-school concerts.

Music: Count Us In is in its tenth year and showcases the many talents of students from primary, middle and senior schools across Australia. It is a national initiative that exists to encourage principals and teachers to grow music education in their schools.

Four students from around Australia were selected to work with Program Ambassador John Foreman OAM and Program Mentor Jay Laga’aia to write and produce the main song, ‘Let It Play’.

For the first time in the program’s history, the song has been translated into various Indigenous languages in schools across the Territory including Yuendumu, Bulman and Gunbalanya schools, in collaboration with Arts Empower Foundation Limited.

“The partnership with Arts Empower has been very exciting, with remote community schools joining the national celebration and adapting the song to suit the context of their school community,” Mr Grose said.

“This project has received national attention and the Yuendumu version of the song will be broadcast at the main national event, held today at Sydney Opera House”.

Media contact: Kat Acampora– 0401 119 215