Music Try Out Day

The Co-Curricular Music Program is off and running, full of new and continuing students well on their way to developing their musical and performance skills. We have had an influx of vocal, piano and strings students, so we look forward to the strengthening of these programs this year! On Wednesday 5 February, we held a Music Try Out Day where staff and students demonstrated all the instruments on offer. Students also participated in an online aptitude test, which results were released recently.

We have many vacancies in the following instruments, which are needed to ensure we have balanced and strong ensembles over the next few years. Please contact me if you are interested, we would love to hear from you!

• Percussion – drum kit, xylophone, auxiliary percussion (shakers, tambourines, cymbals etc)
• Brass – trumpet and trombone
• Woodwind – flute and clarinet

Practice Makes Perfect!

The Music Department have some exciting new initiatives to enhance student motivation to set goals and practice. Each student in our program will be supported to nominate five personal goals they would like to achieve in their lessons this year, which will be displayed and reviewed regularly.

We also have the Kilbreda Practice Competition, which will run throughout Term 1. Three $50 prizes from Pat’s Music are up for grabs in the following categories:

• Most Consistent
• Best Practice Log (can be hard copy or digital with media files)
• Most Improved/Tutor’s Choice

Students are encouraged to participate in this which we hope will instil some fantastic practice routines that will set them up for a brilliant year of music making!

How can parents support their students learning an instrument or voice?

• You do not need to be musical yourself!
• Encourage, encourage, encourage….(and refrain from any comments about squeaks and squawks that might occur initially!)
• Ask students to play certain songs for you, again and again! “I like that one, can I hear it again?”
• Acknowledge their improvement
• Listen to a wide variety of music together, particularly on the instrument/voice your child is learning
• Take your child to live music concerts or gigs
• Attend student concert performances (ensuring that you are on time and remain for the whole event!)

A special thank you to the support and enthusiasm of the new Year 7 parents involved in our program. We look forward to what the future holds for our aspiring musicians!

Kara-Lee Rabbetts

Learning Leader: Performing Arts – Music