Students on song

Students at an Armadale primary school have taken out a national songwriting prize for their musical piece about friendship and kindness.

Neerigen Brook Primary School won first place in the primary school category of the Australian Children’s Music Foundation National Songwriting Competition 2024. 

Students in the school’s choir used their creativity and worked with their teacher to create the original song Always be kind. 

The song promotes the importance of friendship and looking out for each other with the chorus, “Everything is better, when we’re together. Friends make the world shine, so let’s always be kind”. 

Principal Lesley Barrett said the process allowed students to be creative in ways they had never experienced. 

“Having the competition meant they had a genuine audience and an opportunity that was new,” she said.  

“They were so excited that their teacher believed they had the skills to be competitive. 

“The children really enjoyed the whole process as they had never done this before and then to produce such a great result was fantastic. They absolutely loved the final product.” 

Judging for the Australian Children’s Music Foundation National Songwriting Competition involved industry experts meeting at Universal Music Australia in Sydney to review more than 80 songs, shortlisted from 800 entries.  

Judges assessed various aspects of each song including the lyrics, melody, structure, and originality.  

For more information about the National Songwriting Competition, visit the Australian Children’s Music Foundation website.