Australia has picked its national soundtrack – but not its story

The Songbook gives Australians yet another opportunity to make the most of this freedom. It does not dictate what they should listen to, but invites them to reflect on what is worthy of being remembered.

Bands such as Midnight Oil and Yothu Yindi introduced an international audience to Australian political debates through their music, rather than through an official cultural program.

The NFSA and APRA AMCOS take a different approach. They are now choosing to recognise these songs as part of Australia’s musical history. Overseas listeners are introduced to a carefully curated selection that includes songs which challenge the country’s treatment of its own people.

According to APRA AMCOS (Opens in new window), works eligible for inclusion must have been released at least ten years earlier, must have been written or co-written by an Australian member of APRA, and must demonstrate clear cultural influence. Panel members independently nominated works prior to the final selection.

Sculthorpe’s Earth Cry shows that the collection extends beyond commercially successful popular music. But these rules also leave some music at a disadvantage. Traditions passed down outside formal publishing and recording systems may be harder to include.

That does not make the project less worthwhile. Ten works cannot possibly reflect the full breadth of Australian musical life. Choosing ten works inevitably means leaving others out.

Some will dispute the selection; others will wonder why their favourite works have been omitted. Such disagreements may encourage people to discover unfamiliar music.

What interests me most is what younger Australians might do with this collection. A young Australian discovering Treaty through the Songbook should learn why it was written, rather than simply memorising its chorus. Someone who becomes acquainted with Ewart’s music may develop an interest in the musicians who shaped Australian classical life. There is little point preserving music if nobody gets the chance to discover it.

The collection will grow each year, and so will the opportunities to learn from it.

Preserving protest songs does not eliminate the injustices that inspired them. Nor should a national songbook resolve all disputes over identity. It can, however, provide Australians with the knowledge and freedom to continue defining that identity for themselves.