Performing Arts

Communicating with the Specialist Team

We look forward to partnering with you in 2023, and welcome your input:

Penelope Lang (Performing Arts) penelope.lang@education.vic.gov.au 

Wominjeka!

Welcome to Term 2. I hope you had an enjoyable break and found time to relax?

I went to NSW to see my family. I also managed some theatre visits. I was very lucky to see 'Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' and more recently had the privilege of visiting Bunjil Place to see 'Silence', a powerful First Nations work on Sovereignty and Country. I am also looking forward to listening to the amazing Katie Noonan who is performing next door to us at Burrinja. We are SO lucky to have such an incredible space in Upwey. You must check it out (if you haven't already).

Look at the amazing things we have been doing.....

I was very excited to have our first 'School of Rock' session and start working on some songs together. Our talented instrumental teacher, Jacob Long who is running the sessions, spent some time chatting about song ideas and even had them playing a song together by the end. The feedback from down the corridor is that they sounded AWESOME!!! (thanks Janette).

We will be coming up with a shortlist of band names and will open it up for people to vote on! Watch this space.

As part of our First Call Fund Partnership we are now planning our next excursion to see the Australian Ballet and attend the Australian Music Vault. This will be on Tuesday 23rd May and is open to Level 5/6 students. I look forward to sharing some photos with you in the next newsletter.

Rehearsals for the NEVR youth concert being performed at Hamer Hall are well underway. Our 20 singers attended their first group rehearsal at The Basin Primary School last week. It was fantastic to see them approach these new songs with curiosity and bravery. We are now meeting 3 times a week so that we can be ready (and amazing) for performance night on Monday 29th May. Our school Senior and Junior choir will be on hold until after the NEVR performance. NEVR participants, please make sure you have organised your uniform. Do not leave it until the last minute as there will be 200 students trying to find black pants and black shoes at Kmart Knox!

All of the songs have been uploaded onto Google Classroom and your child needs to know all of the lyrics before our next rehearsal on the 24th May. 

Please make sure you have booked your tickets for the performance on Monday 29th May.

In the Performing Arts room:

Foundation:

The Foundation students have been continuing to work on their understanding of the Elements of Music. We looked at the words 'forte' and 'piano' and how we can change the dynamics (volume) of music when singing or playing instruments. We counted from 1 to 10 using a crescendo (getting louder) and then a decrescendo (getting softer). It's lots of fun, you should try it. We also played the 'Dinosaur Lava' game to consolidate our understanding of 'Dynamics'. The student's sang, 'It's my car' in unison and we incorporated percussion instruments and practiced using the music rest. We have started to introduce some simple dance instruction into our lessons. We looked at what a 'safe dance space' is and the importance of spatial awareness. They explored ways of moving their bodies with different energy and in different directions (up, down, side to side, fast, slow, smooth, strong). We created a 'Dance Circle' in which each student was encouraged to think up an improvised dance move. It has been great to see them grow in confidence.

Year 1/2:

The students have continued to work on learning the lyrics to verse two of Advance Australia Fair. We look forward to singing this at our next assembly. The year one students have begun to perform their own simple A/B/AB/AB rhythms. Last term, they collaborated with one other person to plan and write the composition and now they are clapping and saying each rhythm (to my steady beat) and then we will add percussion. We have begun to look at some 'Instruments of the Orchestra' and will continue to explore this over the term. The Level 2 students finished their 'Instruments of the Orchestra' book and we are now exploring the layout of the orchestra and where each musician has to sit. They successfully coloured and labelled an orchestra map. We watched 'The young person's guide to the orchestra' and listened to a musical composition by Benjamin Britten, 'Variations on a theme of Henry Purcell'. In this piece of music, the students could hear how all of the different parts of the orchestra (woodwind, brass, strings and percussion) come together to create one BIG piece of music. Needless to say I hummed this tune for the rest of the day. I am looking forward to seeing the MSO play at Hamer Hall in July.

Year 3/4:

This term, the students in Level 3/4 will continue to explore more Elements of music through playing pitched and unpitched instruments. We have begun learning about the music staff and the different note names on the lines (EGBDF) and spaces (FACE). They drew and labelled their 'music hand' and tried to create a memorable rhyme that would help them to recall the note names on the lines. It was great to see some of our instrumental students confidently share their prior knowledge and assist others in the class who have never read music before. We 'plotted' different words on the music staff using the music alphabet (ABCDEFG) and experienced and demonstrated changes of rhythm and melody on the glockenspiels. We are working towards maintaining a simple group rhythm with a harmonised melody. I have been encouraging the students to listen to what 'sounds good' to them rather than any hard and fast music rules.

Year 5/6:

This term, the students will be working collaboratively to plan, research, create and present a 'Performing Arts Poster Project'. They can choose any 'performing artist' (music, dance, drama, instrumental) and will be given some class time to prepare. Last term, they had input into the content of the project and have come up with some very creative ideas for how it can be presented to the rest of the class. I am looking forward to seeing them in week 7. We have also begun looking at music note names and the different notes that sit on lines and spaces. We will bring together the elements of music through some small group instrument ensembles consisting of pitched and unpitched instruments. We spent some time discussing the 'Reverse Anthem' and listened to this incredible work by Kate Daw and Stewart Russell, which took the Nation Anthem and turned it upside down and back to front. I was lucky enough to participate in a workshop with the talented Jonathon Welch at the NGV and had the opportunity to sing it (well attempt to sing it!). In class we discussed the altered music and how it made us 'feel'. Check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my6YlottRRs