At Year 2, all boys not currently learning a string instrument participate in a string program during second and third terms. This culminates in a delightful concert. Boys may also choose to begin woodwind, brass or percussion lessons from Year 3 onwards, depending upon factors such as the child’s physical development and ability to hold the instruments are important. Years 3 and 4 String students have their own String Orchestras.
At the beginning of Year 4, students are exposed to demonstrations of all the instruments available in the Music School. This is a good year to begin a Woodwind or Brass instrument or ‘cello, double bass or Percussion.
At Years 5 and 6, students learning Woodwind, Brass, String or Percussion instruments have two lessons in an instrumental ensemble and one classroom music lesson. Non-instrumentalists or boys who learn guitar or pianoforte only still have three normal classroom music lessons. Many boys in Years 5 and 6 will be able to participate in Concert Band or String Orchestra.
The Junior School has a policy that all students, whether they are instrumentalists or not, are involved in active and regular music making throughout the year. All boys are encouraged to sing in assemblies and chapel services at a high standard. From Year 3 upwards, all boys participate in year level concerts. There are regular opportunities for solo instrumental performances in recitals and assemblies. Students and parents are informed of events through notices, the school diary, intranet and the newsletter. The main goals of the program are for students to develop sound musical skills and through their engagement in music, develop a life-long appreciation. The evidence is clear about the benefits of music education, as was reported midyear 2015 in The Age: “Two decades of frenzied research has now found that music education grows, hones and permanently improves neural networks like no other activity. Children who undertake formal, ongoing musical education have significantly higher levels of cognitive capacity, specifically in their language acquisition and numerical problem solving skills. They also continue in education for longer, reverse the cognitive issues related to disadvantage and earn and contribute more on average across their lifetime.”
