MU3A interactive lecture with Leisa Keen. Image by Chloë Hobbs.
The Community Music Centre prides itself on providing access to musical experiences for all ages, and this March we will have the opportunity to celebrate and showcase our more senior participants. On Tuesday 24 March. 5:30pm – 7:00pm, the Sing With Toby choir, a collaborative program between CMC and the Tuggeranong Arts Centre, will be hosting an open rehearsal as part of UPSTAGEING Canberra, Canberra's first Creative Ageing Festival.
UPSTAGEING Canberra hosts a full program of events from 20 – 29 March, spanning various areas of the creative arts and featuring a wide range of creative activities, performances, exhibitions, workshops and more that the Canberra community can get involved in or experience. The Sing With Toby Open Rehearsal is but one of these amazing events made available during the festival; please see all activities our partners at Tuggeranong Arts Centre are offering for the festival here, and check out the full gamut of activities here.
Though not exclusively for a particular age bracket, the Sing With Toby choir is home to many Canberran seniors. With a focus on wellbeing and community, the choir is an inclusive space to explore song and build community.
The choir is led by local opera singer and conductor Tobias Cole and is a weekly, term-based program, held at Tuggeranong Arts Centre each Tuesday evening.
The Community Music Centre also collaborates with U3A ACT, and we are very much looking forward to beginning the aptly-titled MU3A (music U3A anyone?) lecture series in 2026. MU3A engages a variety of local musicians and professionals to discuss a range of musical topics, often encouraging lively discussion with our U3A visitors. The first lecture for 2026 will be happening on 31 March (11am) at the ANU School of Music, and will be presented by the Jazmourian Ensemble.
We value the senior members of our CMC community, and are so pleased to celebrate them through events and programs like UPSTAGEING Canberra, the Sing With Toby choir, MU3A, and more. Initiatives like this reinforces that age need not be a barrier to musical experiences.