Music is Back!
It’s no secret that the lockdowns impacted the music program immensely last year, preventing us from running band and ensemble rehearsals for a majority of the year, but now most bands and ensembles are up and running. All instrumental music students are expected to attend either a Concert Band, String Ensemble or Vocal Ensemble rehearsal, weekly, as a condition of membership to the program. These rehearsals will occur at the following times:
- Concert Bands (all brass, woodwind and percussion students):
- Symphonic Band (Wanganui) – Mondays after school until 5pm
- Mid Level (Mooroopna) – Wednesdays after school until 4.30pm
- Training Band (McGuire) – Thursdays after school until 4.30pm
- String Ensembles (all string students):
- Mooroopna – Wednesday lunchtime
- McGuire – Friday lunchtime
- Vocal Ensembles (all singing students):
- Mooroopna – Monday lunchtime
- McGuire – Tuesday lunchtime
- Wanganui – Wednesday lunchtime
Any piano/keyboard students are expected to attend one of the above rehearsals weekly as well.
We want you!
Keep an eye out for info for our upcoming music recruitment night in early March. All Year 7 students (and other students who may be interested,) finally have the opportunity to do what so many successful students have done before them, Be Part of the Band! We know that for many students/parents, this will be your first exposure to music education and I wanted to take a brief minute to share some information with you. The Music Recruitment Night is a time where you and your child can explore the different instruments and get help choosing the instrument that will give them the best chance of success. If you are unable to attend, you can contact me for further information at school.
Music education is more than just playing an instrument. It is immersing your child in a culture of successful students and teachers who care about education. It challenges each child to use the creative side of their brain while, at the same time, learning a foreign language…MUSIC. All of the current data clearly states that students involved in music education academically out perform their non-musical counterparts. But, more importantly, studies are showing that music students are less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as drugs and alcohol.
Every destination starts with a decision to embark on a journey. Now is the time to start your child in music and Greater Shepparton Secondary College is the place to do it. We can’t promise that every child will be a musical prodigy, but we can promise they will learn, laugh, and grow along the way. If you’d liked to investigate the benefits of learning an instrument, you can watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0JKCYZ8hng or look up the 2018 ABC series “Don’t stop the music” featuring Guy Sebastian.
Should you have any questions about band or your child’s participation, please feel free to contact me at school on 58209900 or email lachlan.gallacher@education.vic.gov.au.
