Welcome to Crescendo Chat — the podcast where we explore inspiring ideas, passionate people, and the power of music education.

Today, I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Bernie Heard. Bernie is the Director of the Music in Me Teacher Mentoring Program with the Australian Youth Orchestra, where she leads a national team and works closely with state education systems to ensure primary teachers have access to mentoring, professional learning, and the resources they need to deliver high-quality music education.

Bernie’s career spans an incredible range of leadership roles — she has served as Executive Director of Gondwana Choirs, CEO of Sydney Youth Orchestras, and Artist Development Manager and Education Coordinator at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, where she worked alongside Richard Gill AO for ten years.

Earlier in her career, Bernie was a music specialist educator in NSW schools and has also consulted for organizations such as the Australian Haydn Ensemble and Music in the Regions. She’s a Churchill Fellow, an Australia Council Emerging Leader, and recently completed an MBA at the University of Sydney. Her experience in governance, philanthropy, strategic partnerships, and building creative communities is nothing short of inspiring.

In this episode, we’ll dive into the story behind the Music in Me Teacher Mentoring Program — exploring how it started, the powerful legacy of Richard Gill, and how mentoring is transforming classroom music education across Australia. Bernie will also share the impact she’s seeing in schools, what it looks like when teachers and mentors work side-by-side, and how educators or school leaders can get involved.

Whether you’re a classroom teacher, music educator, or simply passionate about the future of arts education, this conversation will leave you feeling inspired and full of ideas.

Let’s jump in and welcome Bernie Heard.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• AYO Music In Me website: https://musicinme.au/
• Join our program: https://musicinme.au/join-our-program/
• Our research: https://musicinme.au/our-impact/research/

Where to find me: 

Crescendo Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crescendocommunity
Official Crescendo Page: https://www.facebook.com/CrescendoMusicEd/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CrescendoMusicEd
Twitter: https://twitter.com/crescendomusic
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-o-shea-62a3741b/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CrescendoDeb

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