The first Sydney edition in July 1922 (Vol. 12, No.2) entered the lists vigorously but unsuccessfully in the battle to preserve Verbrugghen's State Orchestra despite the State Treasurer, whose view was that 'in the present conditions, there was not a penny to spare for "tootling - tootling".' While particularly concerned with addressing teachers and their students, it also sought to be 'an open forum of enlightened musical opinion'. Each issue contained a number of pages of copyright music. It covered news and events in the music world, biographies, interviews, and discussion of musical technique, as well as reviews and criticism of local and overseas performances. It pondered what, precisely, was meant by an 'Australian composer', and was exercised by the question of highbrow versus lowbrow musical taste. Beyond music, it also discussed elocution, drama, and oratory, with articles on experimental art theatre, moving pictures, and radio.
