Music News

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a restful break. We are looking forward to another great year in Instrumental Music. Please read on for important information.

Year 7 / New Student Enrolments

Thanks to everyone who has signed up to learn an instrument so far in 2024! We aim to start lessons next week, so please check Compass carefully. If you haven’t returned a form yet but are still interested in learning an instrument, please contact me to discuss what options are still available.

Instrumental Lessons

Instrumental lessons are now underway for the year. A few reminders for students:

• Please check your lesson times carefully each week, and again the day before the lesson. Write yourself a reminder if you need it so you remember to attend (or if you use a BYOD, set a reminder using a calendar app such as Outlook).
• If you miss a lesson, please see your teacher or send your teacher an e-mail in advance. In some cases, we may be able to reschedule but this is not always possible.
• Please ensure you complete regular practice as advised by your teacher. Some teachers will write practice requirements in the Compass lesson plan, so please check this.

Staffing News

We have been lucky to secure an extra day of upper strings teaching for 2024. We welcome Ms Cathie Presa who has been appointed to this day. She will work on Tuesdays, mainly teaching Year 7 students and running our Intermediate Strings group. General staff days are as follows:

Ensembles

Some ensembles have already resumed for 2024. Most others will be starting this week. Ensemble sessions should appear in the student’s Compass schedule. The start date for Junior Concert Band and Nouveau Strings will be advised

Harmonix Choir

All students are encouraged to join Highvale’s Harmonix Choir. Rehearsals are in D2 on Monday after school. Choir provides a great opportunity to make new friends, become more connected to the school community and enjoy making music, without having to sign up for instrumental lessons. Speak to Mr Nguyen (Mondays and Thursdays) or Mr Mitchell if you would like to know more.

Twilight Tunes

Our first concert for the year will be ‘Twilight Tunes’ on Thursday March 21st starting 5.30pm. This concert will involve the AT529 Class Orchestra, Stage Band, Chamber Strings, Harmonix and a number of small group and solo performances. Students who would like to perform as a soloist or in a small group should discuss with their instrumental teacher, unless they learn the instrument outside of school, in which case they should contact Mr Mitchell on Teams or at cmi@highvalesc.vic.edu.au           

Performers will be required from 4.30pm. For those who cannot go home between the end of school and this time, the library is open until 4pm for junior students and the VCE Centre until 4.30pm for senior students. Some students may also be asked to help with set up. Performers are to join the audience when not performing.

This concert is planned to be outdoors in the lower courtyard; if the weather is poor, it will move indoors (most likely to the gym).

Details for audience members will be released via a Compass newsfeed closer to the event.

2024 Performances

For your forward planning, please see the proposed 2024 performances below. If you are unsure if your student will be required on a particular date, please contact the music department for confirmation.