This blog shines a spotlight on the inspiring stories featured in our latest Fireworks magazine, celebrating the powerful impact of music teachers around the world.

Making music together does more than build skills—it builds friendships.
Research shows ensemble experiences activate empathy and connection, helping students feel they belong. From choirs to community bands, music is where friendships grow.

This article dives into the history and enduring vitality of the Brisbane City Pops Orchestra who have recently celebrated their milestone 50th-anniversary performance. The orchestra boasts a diverse ensemble of musicians spanning generations, including members who have been involved since the beginning.

Group singing scientifically strengthens a community! “You hear people say all the time, ‘Oh, I can’t sing’ or ‘I’m not good enough to sing,’ and I really think that’s a shame. It goes against our evolutionary history.”

This could be why music festivals seem to be going from strength to strength, we are just finding ways to like each other more.

In this new documentary film from the LiveLab at McMaster University in Canada, PhD researcher Dana Swarbrick created an experiment to explore how audience participation changes the impact of a concert experience.