Music & Choir

Welcome to Term 2!

I hope you all had a chance to ‘refill your cups’ during the Easter holidays and prepare for an exciting term ahead!

Below is an outline of what is happening in the Music Room (and beyond!) this term.

For all Band & Ensemble news, please see the Band page of this newsletter. 

Assembly Performances

Class, Choir, Band and Ensemble performances will be held throughout the year. 

These dates will be added to the Compass calendar.

Foundation

• Activities to reinforce steady beat, tempo (speed) and form (structure)
• Dance: The Hokey Pokey / Australian Bush Dance: Emus and Kangaroos
• Indigenous instruments: the didgeridoo
• The four orchestral families - how do instruments in each family produce sound?
• Classifying and grouping classroom percussion instruments

Grades 1 and 2

• Kandinsky - Inspired Name Compositions - Chrome Music Lab

• Beat and rhythm - aural training, visual representations

• Playing tuned instruments to accompany the book ‘Mortimer’

• The four orchestral families - how do instruments in each family produce sound?

Grades 3 and 4

• History of the music staff – Guido D’Arezzo (Grade 3)
• Music theory - recognise and play by sight and sound melodic contour - repeated notes, steps (intervals of a 2nd), skips (intervals of a 3rd)
• Soh-mi / Pentatonic melodies / compositions
• Follow a musical score, recognising parts of music including measures (bars), bar lines, double bar lines
• Folk dancing – form / structure

Grades 5 and 6 

Excursion to Victorian Opera Performance of ‘The Lyrebird’s Voice’ - Friday 9th May

• Voices - soprano, alto, tenor, bass
• Roles of stage crew and costume designers - how sets and costume designs bring productions to life on stage
• Key morals, plots and story lines explored
• Concert etiquette

Grade 6

Ukulele - Class expectations regarding taking care of the instrument (how we hold them, distribute them, collect them etc) have been set.

I am currently setting up a UKULELE folder in Showbie. This will include everything we've done in our lessons (parts of the ukulele, holding the ukulele, string note names etc). For students who'd like to progress further and challenge themselves at home, I will be including extra video tutorials for them to go on with. I am hoping that what I teach students during school music lessons will give them the foundation to continue their ukulele playing at home.  

Choir

I am thrilled to announce we have 26 enthusiastic students from Grades 4-6 making up the 2025 BPS Choir. They rehearse each Monday from 1.00-1.30pm in the Music Room. Thank you to Mr Merlino who is assisting me with Choir again this term!

Term 2 - Choir Performances 

Please note the following performance dates:

Week 5 - Thursday 22 May – BPS Open Night 

Week 8 - Thursday 12 June - Mid-Year Soiree – in Gym 

Choir Performance Clothing              

• Plain short-sleeved coloured tee - bright colours preferred - see photo (NO collars, patterns or logos please) 
• Plain black full-length leggings / pants / trousers / skirt (black full-length leggings or opaque (not sheer) stockings under skirts - NO bare legs please
• Black socks & shoes
• Long hair tied off face (hair accessories to match hair colour) NO colourful bows etc.
• Short hair neatly brushed 
• NO make-up or jewellery to be worn (stud / sleeper earrings only)

This attire has been chosen as most Choir members have said they already own these items. If not, you could borrow a coloured tee from a friend or purchase from stores like Target, Kmart, Big W or Best & Less (approximately $4.00).

Further information regarding Choir performances will be distributed via Compass soon. 

Music Appreciation 

How do we make informed choices about the music we like to listen to,

perform or create if we are not exposed to a diverse range of music?

Each week a different musical genre (or theme) is played over the loudspeaker at bell times so that students become familiar with a variety of genres and musical artists. All songs chosen are child-appropriate.

The musical genres showcased in Term 2 are:

Movement Mondays!

Everyone is welcome to join our Music Captains Amy and Liv to celebrate the start of each week with a couple of dances. 

We look forward to seeing your smiles and dance moves at 8.45am outside the gym on Monday mornings!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at lisa.shacklock@education.vic.gov.au

Yours in harmony,

Lisa Shacklock             

Classroom Music, Choir Co-ordinator & Band Liaison (M, Tu, Th, F)

                                        "Do something worth remembering" - Elvis Presley