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Learning Music from Home

This week resplendently displayed the robustness of our Music Department and community partnership, as we worked together to pivot 397 private vocal and instrumental lessons; 51 Curricular Music classes; and 33 ensembles, bands and groups to an online forum. On behalf of your children, thank you for working with us to make these opportunities available to them, especially in such extraordinary times. It is our hope that Music-making will be a source of wellbeing for our students in the weeks ahead.

Further to the communication that went home last week, for Weeks 2 and 3 we will provide Music lessons and classes via the platforms specified in the revised schedule below. There are technology and lag challenges to mitigate when rehearsing ensembles altogether over Zoom, so for most ensembles, activities will be uploaded for students to work through individually. We’ll look forward to putting our parts together when back on campus! Conductors will communicate with ensembles directly if there is to be a scheduled Zoom session to accompany the resource upload.

Junior Music Festival on Pause

Though we loved preparing our exciting repertoire in Term 2 ahead of the Junior Music Festival that was scheduled for two weeks time, alas our musical journey Around the World in 80 Musical Minutes has been delayed. We will inform the community shortly should this beloved event be feasibly reimagined or rescheduled in the current circumstances. Thank you for your understanding.

Senior Instrumental Competition 2021

The Redlands Senior Instrumental Competition is still scheduled to proceed live-streamed from the Edwards Auditorium on Monday 13 September 2021. Thank you to those who have diligently met the entry submission timeframe this week.

The current situation has necessitated a change to our standard audition process. In the place of accompanied auditions on campus in Weeks 2 and 3, auditions are now to be made via video upload to the newly created Music Department Auditions iLearn page. The extended date for video upload is now Friday 30 July 2021. The audition requirements have now been reduced to the filming and uploading of a one-minute unaccompanied excerpt of one of your pieces. Finalists will be selected by a panel and published in Week 4 Note Day.

Please contact seniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au if you have any queries.

Redlands Composition Competition 2021

It is our hope that this extended stint at home may be a catalyst for those budding singer-songwriters and composers to get their creative juices flowing. Redlands’ fourth EP project is in the pipeline for 2022 and we will now utilise the Music Department Auditions iLearn page to receive these entries also. Forms and Compositions are to be submitted by Friday 13 August 2021. Entry Forms are currently available for download from Pulse/iLearn.

Staffing News

We would like to welcome Ms Isabella Loong to the Junior Campus teaching team for the remainder of 2021. With Strings and Music Technology specialisations to her bow, we are so excited to have her as part of our team. Ms Loong actually went to Redlands herself many years ago, and credits the Yr 2 Strings Program as being her launching point towards a career in Music! We’re so glad to have her with us.

Other Date Changes

Please keep your eye on the Music Events dates on Pulse in case of adjustments in the term ahead.  We can advise that the Yr 12 IB and HSC Music 2 & Extension Showcase has now been pushed back a week to Monday 23 August 2021 in order to accommodate the revised Trial Examination Period. The HSC Music 1 Showcase will now be on Tuesday 24 August 2021. Both events will be recorded and live-streamed.

Keeping the Vision Central

Though this term certainly kicked off a little differently than we hoped, if there is one benefit of ‘Home Learning 2.0’, it’s that we have already experienced the heightened joy of a music-making reunion after an extended time apart. We know that this celebration awaits us again, and though we take a moment now to focus diligently on our individual music goals in our homes, growing however we can, we keep this greater direction in mind during the weeks ahead. We will be making music together as a community again before we know it.

Contact us

As always, our administrative team remain ready to help you with any queries you have.

Stay safe and well

Amy Richardson
Director of Music P-12 (Acting)
seniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au
juniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au