You wouldn’t know it to see him today given the multiple Platinum and Gold albums, 30-plus years co-hosting Playschool, and world tours with the Rolling Stones, the Hollies and the Four Seasons, among others.
But singer-songwriter Don Spencer had a tough start to life, growing up in Tamworth with his beloved mum and siblings. It was through music that Don found resilience and hope – gifts that have continued as he poured his life’s work into music.
“Music helped me so much when I was young,” Don says. “I saw a few things I’ve never told anyone which were very disturbing, and music was my comfort. When anything went wrong, I’d either run away from home or listen to music.”
Don Spencer OAM was honoured with an Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2024 Air Awards on 1 August.
It was the salvation he found through music that inspired him to start the Australian Children’s Music Foundation in 2002, a not-for-profit organisation that provides weekly long-term music education and instruments to disadvantaged Australian school children and youth at risk.
Throughout its impressive 22-year history, the ACMF has provided more than 244,380 free music lessons and donated over $1,000,000-worth of instruments to primary schools, juvenile justice centres and children’s hospitals in NSW and Victoria that would otherwise miss out on the proven and critical social and educational benefits of a quality, sequential and ongoing music education.
ACMF aims to ensure students of all socioeconomic backgrounds have equal chance to experience the magic of music in their education.
Don was 19 when he left Tamworth to travel the world, working odd jobs on ships and waiting tables before landing a job with National Cash Registers in Nairobi. It was here he met Kenyan-born British singer-songwriter Roger Whittaker, playing together for the local rugby team.
“Roger invited me to watch him sing at a local coffee bar, he had the most beautiful voice, and I asked him if could turn some of my poetry into song. I’d been writing poetry on my travels instead of letters so I could make mum laugh,” Don recalls of ‘The Last Farewell’ singer.
“He did, then recorded it and they played it on the radio, and everybody liked it. I thought maybe I could write a song, then I’d die happy.”
Don Spencer OAM founded the ACMF in 2002 to change young lives through music.
Don went on to write many songs and teach himself guitar and piano, kickstarting an international singing career that continues to this day. At 87, Don is still prolific and still earning recognition. On 1 August, Don was honoured in recognition of his life’s work with the peer-nominated Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2024 AIR Awards celebrating the best of Australian independent music, receiving a 20-minute standing ovation inside Queens Theatre Adelaide. For the past 22 years, however, his focus has been as much on ACMF as his own music.
Today, the national organisation delivers free weekly music lessons and instruments to many thousands of disadvantaged and Indigenous children, from Alice Springs, to schools on the NSW mid-north coast affected by the 2019-20 bushfires. Delivered by specialist teams, programs are tailor-made to meet the children’s specific needs and may include singing, songwriting, instrument tuition, percussion or drumming. Programs run for a minimum three years, ensuring lasting change.
ACMF’s projects are proven to increase school attendance, self-esteem and resilience.
ACMF also runs a free annual national songwriting competition where students and/or their schools are invited to enter original compositions and the chance to win $30,000-worth of prizes. This year, SongMakers has come on board, with the winning school earning a $10,000 APRA AMCOS SongMakers incursion for 16 students with three mentors including producers. The 2021 winner Bailey Pickles was selected to compose the music for this year’s Vivid Festival, in addition to taking out the APRA music award for most performed hip hop/rap work.
“I didn’t start it to find musicians,” Don says. “I started it to use music to help kids find a way and give them hope and the joy of music. That has been a wonderful journey.”
Alberts, through its philanthropic arm The Tony Foundation, has been partnering with ACMF since 2015, in part working with the organisation to help prove the positive impact the programs have on children and their communities.
Music is a critical part of every child’s social, emotional, physical and behavioural development.
A national research report, The Impact of our Music Programs, co-funded by the Tony Foundation and Future Generation Global showed 95 per cent of respondents found ACMF’s programs had a major impact on increasing children’s resilience when faced with new challenges; while 98 per cent of teachers said the programs positively impacted social interaction and peer acceptance. The classes themselves were found to provide life skills, creativity and motivation, while improving academic engagement.
“Music touches everybody, which is why we use it as a conduit to get kids to school,” Don says. “It’s unbelievably rare to find somebody who isn’t affected by music, it’s an escape, even if it’s only a temporary one. Whatever joy you get is worth having.”
We now know that engagement in music programs enhances fine motor skills, cultivates thinking skills, improves recall and retention of verbal information and boosts reading and English language skills while building teamwork, confidence and resilience.
ACMF is using music to raise the bar on inequity in Australia.
Although funding is always tight – each program costs around $35,000 p.a. to run – respect for ACMF is evident through the backing of its life patrons Dame Joan Sutherland and Dame Marie Bashir, and supporters including Justine Clarke, Richard Tognetti and Rob Mills.
“It’s been tough, up and down, there are lots of good causes out there,” Don says.
“But I’ve stuck with it because I believe in it, I love it. If I don’t do a good job, they can kick me out, but they haven’t yet.”
