Let's Yarn About: Aboriginal Music, Song Lines, and the Power of Oral Tradition in Early Learning

Music is one of the first ways children make sense of the world.

Before they can read, they sing. Before they can write, they clap rhythms. Before they can tell a story, they often hum one.

Songs soothe babies to sleep, celebrate birthdays, teach routines and create memories that last a lifetime. Just hearing a familiar tune can transport us back to childhood, remind us of a loved one or bring back the feeling of a particular place.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, music has always held this power, but it is also so much more.

Music is history. Music is language. Music is law. Music is Country.

And perhaps most importantly, music is a way knowledge has been carried across thousands of generations.

 

  

More Than a Song

When many educators think about Aboriginal music, the same images often come to mind.

A didgeridoo. Clapsticks. Corroboree dancing.

While these are important cultural expressions, they represent only a very small part of First Nations music.

Aboriginal music is not frozen in time. It continues to evolve.

Today, Aboriginal artists are writing country music, hip hop, opera, indie folk, soul, jazz, classical music, rock, pop and electronic music. They perform on some of the world’s biggest stages while continuing cultural traditions that stretch back tens of thousands of years.

If we only introduce children to clapsticks and the didgeridoo, we unintentionally reinforce the idea that Aboriginal culture belongs only in the past.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

What Are Songlines?

One of the most extraordinary knowledge systems in the world is found in Aboriginal Songlines. Songlines are sometimes described as “maps you can sing.” But that description barely scratches the surface.

Across Australia, songs have long been used to carry knowledge about Country, waterways, stars, animals, seasonal change, kinship, law and spirituality. Singing these songs wasn’t simply entertainment, it was a way of remembering, teaching and maintaining relationships with Country.

Many Songlines connect vast distances across Australia, linking different Nations through shared journeys and stories. Importantly, Songlines are not simply songs that anyone can learn from YouTube. They are living cultural knowledge.

Some are public. Many are private. Others are sacred and belong only to particular people or communities. This is why cultural protocols matter.

Listening Is Different From Performing

One of the questions educators often ask is: “Can we teach traditional Aboriginal songs?”

The answer isn’t straightforward. Some songs have been generously shared by communities for educational purposes. Others should only ever be sung by those with cultural authority. Some are connected to ceremony. Others belong to particular Nations, families or cultural groups.

As educators, it is not our role to decide which songs are appropriate to teach.
Instead, we can ask local community what has been shared for educational use. If local songs have not been gifted to your service, that is okay.

There are many respectful ways to celebrate First Nations music without performing cultural songs ourselves. Sometimes listening is the most respectful place to begin.

 

 

Looking at Your Music Program

Whenever educators ask me how to embed Aboriginal perspectives into music, my first question isn’t: “What Aboriginal songs do you know?”

Instead, I ask: What does your music program actually look like? Is music something that happens for five minutes before lunch while everyone sings nursery rhymes? Do children simply dance to whatever playlist is on Spotify? Or is music explored intentionally?

Perhaps you are investigating:

• beat 
• rhythm
• tempo
• pitch
• dynamics
• voice
• instruments
• movement
• storytelling through music
  

Maybe you’re exploring different genres like jazz, country, classical, hip hop, folk, rock or electronic music. Once we understand what children are learning about music, embedding Aboriginal perspectives becomes much more authentic.

Instead of creating a separate “Aboriginal music experience,” we can include First Nations artists naturally alongside other musicians throughout the year. If you’re exploring opera, why not introduce children to the incredible Deborah Cheetham Fraillon?

If you’re learning about the violin, listen to Eric Avery’s breathtaking performances that weave together classical music and culture. If you’re exploring hip hop, artists such as Briggs and Barkaa offer opportunities to discuss storytelling, identity and contemporary Aboriginal voices.

Children quickly learn that Aboriginal people are creating music across every genre imaginable.

Beyond the Didgeridoo

The didgeridoo is an important cultural instrument for many Aboriginal communities, particularly across northern Australia. However, it does not belong to every Nation. Many communities have entirely different musical traditions.

Likewise, not all Aboriginal people play the didgeridoo, and cultural protocols around who may play it differ between communities. When our music programs focus exclusively on clapsticks and the didgeridoo, we risk presenting Aboriginal culture as one-dimensional.

Australia is home to hundreds of Nations, each with their own songs, languages, instruments and musical traditions. Contemporary Aboriginal music reflects this incredible diversity.

 

 

Learning About Families Through Music

One of my favourite examples of respectful curriculum came from my own children’s preschool. Rather than asking families the very broad question: “Tell us about your culture.” They asked something much simpler. “What does music look like in your family?”

What a beautiful question.

It invited stories rather than labels. It recognised that every family experiences music differently. Some families sing together. Some dance. Some attend concerts. Some play instruments. Some have songs connected to faith, language or cultural identity. Others simply turn the radio up loud during long car trips.

Our family shared that we are a very musical household. Shirley and Jesse James both love to sing. Our car journeys are usually filled with jazz, country or 1950s and 60s rock and roll. 

This year Shirley has been lucky enough to attend several live concerts. She watched Casey Donovan perform at the Art House, attended a Disney Classics concert by members of the Gosford Musical Society and recently danced her heart out at Rock Around the Clock. During the Elvis performance of Teddy Bear, she even caught one of the teddy bears thrown into the audience—a moment she still talks about.

Music also connects us with family.

Uncle Josh plays the didgeridoo, something both children absolutely love listening to. Shirley is still trying to understand why she isn’t allowed to play it herself, which has opened up lovely conversations about respecting cultural protocols and understanding that some cultural practices come with responsibilities as well as privileges.

At Nanny’s house, the children spend hours playing the electric keyboard. At home we have children’s drums, dancing scarves, costumes and a music wall filled with bells and wind chimes that fills our backyard with sound. Like many children, they also adore nursery rhymes and are completely obsessed with Danny Go.

And yes…

Shirley still has a very soft spot for Greg Page, the original Yellow Wiggle. Our current playlist includes everything from The Everly Brothers and The Beatles through to Olivia Dean, Leo Sayer, Parov Stelar, Casey Donovan, Baker Boy, Briggs and AB Original.

Looking back over that list, I realised something.

Without consciously trying, our children are growing up understanding that Aboriginal music isn’t a separate category. It’s simply part of the soundtrack of our lives.

 

 

Practical Ideas for Educators

If you’re looking to broaden your music program, consider: Exploring contemporary Aboriginal musicians throughout the year, not only during NAIDOC Week.

Investigating musical concepts first, then selecting artists from a range of cultural backgrounds, including First Nations musicians. Listening to music from different Aboriginal artists across many genres. Inviting local musicians to share their talents if community wishes to do so.

Asking families questions like, “What does music look like in your home?” to celebrate the rich musical traditions every family brings. Learning about local cultural protocols before introducing traditional songs or instruments. Remembering that listening respectfully is often more appropriate than performing.

Music Connects Us

Music has always been one of humanity’s oldest teachers. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, songs have carried knowledge across countless generations. For young children today, music still builds connection, identity, belonging and joy. When we broaden our understanding of Aboriginal music beyond a handful of traditional instruments, we create opportunities for children to appreciate the richness, diversity and creativity of First Nations cultures.
And perhaps that is the greatest lesson of all.

Aboriginal music isn’t something we visit during a cultural week. It has always been part of Australia’s soundtrack.

We simply need to make sure children have the chance to hear it.