Lyneham High School music teacher Debbie Masling retires after 39 years

Music is part of the culture of the school and it's largely thanks to the dedication of Debbie Masling, a music educator who is retiring at the end of the school year.

Mrs Masling has spent her 39-year career inspiring young people to get involved with school bands and mentoring the next generation of music teachers.

When she first came to Lyneham High School 23 years ago, there were 17 students in the year seven band. These days there's a minimum of 160 students.

The heart of her philosophy is using music as a tool to create connections and contribute to the holistic development of her students.

"Anybody can participate. Anyone can continue. There isn't a hierarchy," she said.

"We have students who don't fit anywhere else in school, but they come here and they are just themselves without fear of any sort of judgement or prejudice. Some of them end up being great musicians, others don't. And it just doesn't matter. It's just there for what people might need."

Mrs Masling started having piano lessons aged four because she wanted to be like her big sister. As a student at Wollongong High School, she started playing in the orchestra pit.

She went on to teach many thousands of students, including Lyneham High School's acting executive music teacher Tim Bowyer.

He nearly gave up trumpet in high school - braces don't mix well with brass instruments - but she convinced him to persevere.

"It's pretty unfathomable, the number of students she would have positively impacted," he said.

"She's always there for her staff and her students."

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As the students recover from the pandemic, getting back to rehearsing and performing music has been an important step.

University of Canberra creative arts lecturer Dr Rohan Nethsinghe said children learn through music from a young age and it was important to have a strong music program in high schools.

"It's not just for the sake of music. It's other areas like behaviour management and health and wellbeing that's included," he said.

Research also shows music improves skills in mathematics and enhances a person's brain capacity.

"It's like learning another language, but it's enjoyable."

Dr Nethsinghe, whose daughter attends Lyneham High School, said the band program creates a sense of belonging and a source of pride for the school.

"I think they're doing it really well and I hope that the program will continue after the teacher retires because it's really important."

One of Mrs Masling's greatest achievements was being integral in securing funding for and designing the purpose-built performing arts facility at Lyneham High School.

She helped write the proposal to the ACT government in 2004 and then liaised with architects to create the facility students still use today.

Her other passion project is the Ginninderra Wind Orchestra, which was set up in 1987 for alumni when she was working at the former Ginninderra High School. Today it has 85 members, aged 16 to their 50s.

"I will be wheeled onstage in a wheelchair before I stop. It is my life's passion."

There wasn't a particular moment when she decided that it was time to retire, but she slowly realised her team were ready to take the band program forward.

It was also time to spend more time with her own family after many years of early mornings, late nights and weekends spent with other people's children. But she was grateful for every moment in her career.

"Many times I'd be in the carpark pinching myself thinking, 'gosh, I've got the best job in the world. I'm so lucky'."

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