Performing Arts Focus

What an amazing start to Performing Arts in Fairfield Primary School we had in 2021. We started the year by singing Kutju Australia and our school song, Aspire to Learn, live for the first time in 12 months as a school. We had been practising both songs in class but it was electrifying to be able to sing it together with our peers and community. We hope to have many opportunities like this in 2021.

Foundation

We welcomed our newest performers to our community this term. Our goal for this term is to ‘learn safely together’. This involves developing our spatial awareness when we are dancing, singing and playing make-believe with our friends. A key part of our curriculum is to introduce songs, dances and stories from other cultures. This in turn exposes the children’s aural ability to different scales, tone and timbre and a multi-cultural perspective.

Our second lesson coincided with Lunar New Year. The children acted out the story of ‘Nian’ together, had a go at ‘lion dancing’ and learnt to sing a song in Mandarin. What amazing stars, we hope that we are able to instil a love and appreciation for The Arts for these little ones.

Year 1 & Year 2

Our students were introduced to the acronym M.A.D. in Performing Arts. Each lesson we have would include M for music, A for acting and D for Dance. Our focus for this term is on learning about rhythm and how it manifests in music, when acting and in dance. To celebrate Valentine’s Day we learnt to dance a traditional Heel and Toe Polka. We explored the difference between the beat and the rhythm of the music and learnt to call crochets ‘Ta’ and quavers ‘Ti’. We used this sense of rhythm to translate it to our folk dancing with our friends. We had fun twirling around and swapping dance partners.

Year 3 & Year 4

Students have started the year by looking at reading, writing and playing notation. We revisited conventional pitch and rhythm notation and using tuned and un-tuned percussion to perform short songs. In the coming weeks, we will be learning how to read chord charts and use this skill to perform songs, in groups, on the ukulele.

Year 5 & Year 6

Our senior students started the year by selecting the musical that we will performing at the end of term two – Gnomes and Gardens. Auditions took place in class this week for the speaking roles. Throughout the semester we will be providing many ways for students to be involved in our production, including: singing roles, backstage crew, prop building (to happen later in term two) and every class will also be choreographing a dance routine next term.

For the rest of this term, we will be strengthening our drama and stage craft skills by exploring space, character and convincing story-telling.

Choir and Orchestra

Last week we finalised our members for Choir and Orchestra. We have assembled an enthusiastic and talented bunch and we cannot wait to share our music with all of you. We will have more updates on the projects we are undertaking during our next update.

Brass Lessons

We also started brass lessons with the amazing Instrumental Music Co-ordinator of Thornbury High, Sean Nihil, this week. A gentle reminder that if you are not pursuing brass this year, please return your instruments to school.

We will be opening more spots for this deeply enriching program in term two. If you are in Year 4 – 6 and would like to join our program please come and have a chat to either of us. No experience is needed and Sean will conduct both trombone and trumpet classes on every alternate Tuesday at 11.50 a.m. in school.

Wow! We feel so lucky to be part of a school with such a myriad of opportunities to share and make music. Keep the music alive!

~ Olivia Li & Keri Spence, Performing Arts Teachers