About Anita.

Dr. Anita Collins is a celebrated educator and author, renowned for her contributions to brain development and music education. Her book, "The Music Advantage," guides parents and teachers on the benefits of musical learning for children of all ages. She spearheads Bigger Better Brains, providing neuromusical education worldwide.

Anita's influence was pivotal in the "Music Education: A Sound Investment" report, advocating for long-term improvement in Australian music education. As the first Creative Chair of Learning & Engagement at the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, she infuses innovation into the learning experiences they offer.

Anita's engagement with nearly 100 researchers globally keeps her educational insights cutting-edge. Her opinions on education and creativity are increasingly sought after, as evidenced by her involvement in South Australia’s Music Education Strategy.

Her television presence peaked with her role in the "Don’t Stop the Music" documentary and educational videos like her TED Ed lesson and TEDx Talk, promoting the significance of music education from birth. Her achievements earned her the Educators Award at the Australian Women in Music awards in 2018.

Dr. Anita Collins continues to drive systems change in education through her latest initiative, "Music Education: Right from the Start." This platform is dedicated to reshaping how music education is approached from the earliest stages. Complementing this initiative is "LearnGauge," an innovative online platform she has developed, providing educators with advanced decision-making and learning tools. These resources aim to empower teachers with data-driven strategies and best practices, ensuring that music education is both effective and adaptable to the evolving classroom environment.

Anita has been or continues to be an expert education advisor to the

·      Alberts | The Tony Foundation Music Education Initiative

·      South Australia Music Education Strategy

·      Department of Education Victoria

·      Catholic Education Parramatta

·      Melbounre Symphony Orchestra

·      Australian Chamber Orchestra

·      Canberra Symphony Orchestra

·      Australian Independent School Association

·      BrandAnyonmous Productions UK

·      Scottish Government

·      Scottish Instrumental Music Education

·      Artemis Productions in Australia

·      Music Education Research Counsellor for Music Australia

·      Founding Director of the Rewire Foundation

·      Founder of LearnGauge

Anita is a prolific and eclectic writer, including the “The Lullaby Effect”, opinion columns for The Age and The Conversation, authored papers for international peer-reviewed journals, guest author on international sites and specialist technical writer for OECD Education Framework 2030. Anita is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Univeristy of Canberra, Australia.

In 2022 Anita was awarded a Churchill Impact Grant to create an online assessment tool for school leaders to effectively evaluate their music programs. Also in 2022, Anita was awarded the contract to produce an online tool to help classroom teachers assess their musical understanding as well as an Export Marketing Grant from the Australian Government to expand her work further overseas.

In 2024 Anita launched LearnGauge, an online platform the supports teachers and school systems to assess the content knowledge and skills for primary teachers across all subject areas. LearnGauge win the prestigious state and national iAward in Business and Industry.

Anita brings a wealth of experience as an active educator to every presentation. She is an experienced classroom teacher and conductor (Canberra Grammar School) across the breadth of beginner to advanced musical performers. Anita has been musical director for three award winning productions and she has over a decade of experience as a teacher educator across a variety of areas of tertiary education (University of Canberra and the Australian National University). Anita is also a creator, commissioning and conducting the world premiere of the The Goulburn Concerto by Sean O’Boyle, a work specifically written to bring professional musicians and disadvantaged children together as equal partners in performance.