Band

Dear BPS community,

Welcome to term 3. As I proudly and constantly say, BPS has the best Primary School Band Program in Victoria. Please indulge me as I give you more reasons why. 

We have a tried and tested structure in place that promotes excellence. As a ‘Band Program’, we are set up so music lessons go hand in hand with band and ensemble lessons. Concepts covered in Band/Ensemble are covered and strengthened in lessons with our qualified instrumental music staff. Concepts and ideas covered in instrumentals lessons are explored and developed within a larger setting (your child’s band/ensemble). As the Band Coordinator at BPS, I am in constant communication with the instrumental teaching staff and music directors to ensure that we are working towards moving the students of the program forward and in a unified way. 

It’s this careful and detailed approached to music learning that sees our BPS students excel in all areas of their music education. This is a tried and proven approach, which unfortunately is seen less and less in the broader educational community. 

As an educator that also works in the Secondary School system, I have witnessed the decline of the concert band program within Government secondary schools. Here at Blackburn Primary School, we proudly embrace the Band program approach to learning a musical instrument and are a shining example of what a Band Program should be. We should all be very proud of what we have here, it is truly amazing.

This term sees the BPS Symphonic Band representing the school at the Victorian Schools Music Festival on Thursday 31st August. The band are intently preparing for this significant event on the Victorian schools’ music calendar. We wish them all the best in their pursuit of musical excellence. 

We welcome Justin Zheng to our BPS music teaching staff. Justin comes to us with a wealth of Percussion experience, and we are thrilled to have him onboard. 

A final note on Practice. 

1. Consistent, regular and thoughtful practice is the secret if you want to excel in your music studies. 
2. Practicing 3 to 5 times per week for a minimum of 15 minutes per time is a good starting point. 

Think about how you practice, have set procedures and strategies to overcome your playing issues. Fill in a weekly practice register and set targets. Talk to your teacher about any issues you may experience in your home practice. Keep up the momentum, a shorter practice is better than no practice at all. And last of all, enjoy the journey and challenge of making yourself a great musician. It’s a beautiful thing!

Yours Musically,

Alwaynne Strentz

BPS Instrumental Music Staff Term 3 2023

•          Alwaynne Strentz - Band Coordinator, Acoustic & Bass Guitar teacher, Training Band Conductor, Advanced Guitar Ensemble Director

•          Ken Macdonald - Trumpet and Trombone teacher, Concert and Symphonic Band Conductor

•          Jake Underwood - Acoustic Guitar teacher, Beginner Guitar Ensemble Director

•          Adrienne Garneau - Clarinet and Saxophone teacher

•          Jirene Beh – Flute teacher

•          Catherine Bates - Clarinet and Saxophone teacher

•          Justin Zheng - Percussion

2023 VSMF (T3, W8) 31.08.23