INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

🎶Lilydale Melba Festival & Street Fair

Congratulations to the following students who performed at the Lilydale Melba Festival and Street Fair on Sunday, December 7! Your talent and dedication were fantastic.

• R00M2 – Charlie Glenn, Brady Busst, Reed Mollica, Chase Glenn, Slater Hall
• ABC – Ari Cooper, Ben Seymour, Callum Eade
• HSD – Hermione Crocker, Sigourney Crocker, Declan Kruize
• Funk Empire – York Newell, Josh Chan, Oli Bain, Emma Hade, Ben Seymour, Ari Cooper, Isla Canning, Hue Martin Webb, Tallyn Mackieson, with Mr Winter

🎓 Year 12 Valedictory Performance

A huge thank you to our graduating Year 12 students for their dedication to Instrumental Music at LHS: Taylah Mae Gundry, Jacob Baldacchino, Jadon Aloysius, Joel Eastham, and Kenzie Reid (2025 Performing Arts Captain). Your contributions have been invaluable!

🏆 Instrumental Music Students of the Year

Congratulations and well done to the follwing students for their outstanding contributions to Instrumental Music this year:

• Year 12 -Taylah Mae Gundry (Voice)
• Year 10 - Tallyn Mackieson (Bass Guitar & Tenor Sax)
• Year 9 - Henry Burnett (Percussion)
• Year 8 - Daniel Lefel (Trombone)
• Year 7 - Freya Green (Clarinet)

🎵 Combined Band & Funk Empire

Students in our Combined LHS and Rookie Band, along with Funk Empire, performed wonderful tunes on Grade 6 Orientation Day on the PAC Deck. The performance was followed by a celebration with hot chips, drinks, and sweet treats. Thank you to all musicians for your hard work and dedication throughout the year!

🌟 Lilydale High’s Got Talent 2026 – Term 1, Week 8

Yes, it’s that time of year again when we call on the amazing talents of all LHS students. 

This year, audiences were wowed with puppetry, stand-up comedy, acrobatics and stretch. We will never forget Double Trouble (Kordell and Taj) with their Keisha Cole impersonation. 

Ideas can include dance, magic, athletic abilities and tricks, lip syncing, air guitar/drums, beat-boxing, cheerleading, impersonations, martial arts, slam poetry, juggling, hula hooping…anything really (other than music. Save this for The Voice and Battle of the Bands). 

Groups and soloists, WE WANT YOU! You can register here LHGT 2026

🎹 2026 New & Re-enrolments

Learning to play a musical instrument has so many benefits – whether it’s building your confidence, enhancing your memory or widening your social circle. Not only is it fun, playing an instrument can also relieve stress and because both sides of the brain are used, research has found that it can enhance verbal memory, spatial reasoning and literacy skills. 

All students, new and returning, must complete a 2026 IM Enrolments for the Instrumental Music program.

Instruments available:

• Woodwind – Clarinet, Alto & Tenor Saxophone, Flute ($100 annual levy)
• Brass – Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, Tuba ($100 annual levy)
• Percussion – Tuned & Untuned including Drum-kit ($100 annual levy)
• Guitar – Acoustic, Electric, Bass (private tuition, per term)
• Voice – (private tuition, per term)
• Piano – Existing students only, private tuition, per term

Students and parents/carers will be contacted early Term 1 regarding placement offers. Full program details are in the Student Handbook on the school website, or contact Ms Jacki Goode in the PAC for queries.

🌟Staffing 2026

After 22 years at Lilydale, our woodwind teacher Bronwyn Ventura is retiring. Thank you, Bronwyn, for all you have done for the kids and Instrumental Music at LHS over the years. You will be dearly missed by all. Mrs Morrow and Mr Winter will be increasing their time to cover the woodwind load. 

Emma Jury (voice and piano) and Kevin Woodhouse are also leaving LHS and we wish them well in their musical endeavours and adventures.

📅 2026 Diary Dates

• MSO Open Rehearsal (LHS Band & VCE Music) – Wed 4th March
• Beethoven’s Gaming Quest (Rookie Band) – Fri 8th May
• Inter-school Battle of the Bands – Thu 18th June
• Mid-year Melodies – Thu 25th June
• September Soiree – Thu 3rd September
• ENCORE! – Thu 22nd October

Thank you to all supporters of Instrumental Music at Lilydale High School this year. We look forward to another fabulous year of music-making in 2026. Have a wonderful Christmas!

Jacki Goode

Instrumental Music Coordinator