Music
It’s Spring. The scent of Jacaranda is filling the air, and imminently the far-too-quiet halls and classrooms of our Junior and Senior Music Departments will burst back to life and into their familiar, happy hums and rhythms of music making.
Acting Head of Junior Campus Music, Ms Katherine Moses and the Music team were delighted to welcome the first little blossoms of life re-sprouting with the return of our Prep students this week, and the Junior and Senior Music Teachers are similarly looking forward to the week ahead.
Staggered Return to Campus
A reminder of our plans as we map our safe return back to On-Campus Learning this week.
The Music Department has worked closely with the Redlands Executive with respect to implementing the Department of Education’s restrictions that are currently in place. We assure you that the safety and wellbeing of our community is our highest priority. In light of growing community vaccination rates, low community transmission within our LGA and easing community restrictions, the following parameters will guide our thoughtful return to face-to-face lessons in the Music Department.
Return to On-Campus Tuition
Piano and Instrumental Tutors are able to return to site to teach ‘face-to-face’ so long as:
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- they are comfortable doing so;
- they are double-vaccinated;
- they wear face masks;
- a minimum of 1.5m distancing is observed at all times;
- rooms and shared resources are cleaned frequently;
- students and families are comfortable participating in face-to-face lessons.
Vocal Tutors are regrettably unable to teach on site until restrictions are amended. Singing is currently explicitly stated as a banned activity in schools, except for assessment purposes. Singing lessons can only occur if both tutor and student are zooming from their respective homes (before and after school hours if feasible) until the restrictions allow otherwise. We understand the challenge this presents, and if lessons are untenable under these restrictions, families will be rebated for lessons not received this semester.
With some tutors needing to continue working remotely in the current climate for family reasons, they will reach out to you directly to discuss the specific plans for their studios. Thank you for your understanding and ongoing flexibility.
Classes, Rock Bands and Ensembles
Classes and cocurricular rehearsals with singers or mixed Year Groups will continue ‘online’ until outdoor rehearsals are permitted or until the restrictions ease. Rehearsal times and formats may be adjusted to allow for ‘cohorting’ or commute to / from home in time for a scheduled Zoom session. Your tutor or ensemble conductor will communicate with you directly about this as it pertains to you.
Year 4 2022 – Music Instrumental Program
On Wednesday 27 October at 4:30pm, Acting Head of Junior Campus Music, Ms Katherine Moses will be hosting an online forum via Zoom for parents of Yr 4 2022 students, to share an overview and answer any questions regarding our curricular Band & String ensemble experiences – also known as ‘M.I.P.’ or the Music Instrumental Program. We welcome you to jump on the Zoom link at 4:30pm to hear more about this offering for our Redlands Music learners as they enter Year 4.
Click here to join the meeting.
Zoom Meeting ID: 954 3675 6744
Passcode: MIP2022
Senior Instrumental Competition – Monday 22nd November 2021
We are excited to announce that our Adjudicator for the 2021 Senior Instrumental Competition is to be the internationally acclaimed conductor, Brian Castles-Onion AM. You may have seen him on the harbour conducting for Opera Australia, having worked at Julliard and with the New York Metropolitan Opera and many other renowned international orchestras. We are thrilled for the wealth of rich and diverse instrumental understanding he will bring as he adjudicates our instrumental finalists this year.
Keep up to date!
Thank you, once again, for reading our Music Note Day!
As you know, this – alongside Pulse, is one of our main means of communication with our community. Reach out if there is anything you’d like to hear more about in our weekly notices!
As always, we welcome you to reach out to our Administration Team via seniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au & juniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au and we will be so happy to assist with your day-to-day enquiries.
We are so looking forward to seeing all our students this coming week!
Amy Richardson
Director of Music P-12