Music

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Welcome to Music in 2022

Innumerable studies show the benefits of Music-making for the developing child – though to deeply engage the brain in the beneficial kind of Music-making that these studies discuss, children need to do more than just read or hear about music: they need to apply, demonstrate and explore their thinking through singing or playing an instrument. This is where the incredible benefits of learning Music truly lie, to enhance the brain’s capacity for bilateralisation and build thinking frameworks that pay dividends in a myriad of domains (literacy, numeracy, social-emotional, confidence, collaboration, leadership and the list goes on)… We are excited that 2022 will see more opportunities to extend our students towards their greater potential through Music.

Maximising Wellbeing & Minimising Risk 

The Music Department is working closely with the Redlands Executive to observe all guidance from the Association of Independent Schools of NSW, as we seek to safely maximise the Music learning opportunities for our students in 2022, (concurrently minimising the potential for Covid transmission).

In addition to Redlands’ broader provisions that include UV sterilisation in our air conditioning units and HEPA air purification units in classrooms, our approach to planning for the safest possible resumption of Music Activities includes:

• Room Ventilation;

• CO2 monitoring in studios; 

• Mask-wearing whenever possible / appropriate; 

• Maintaining Appropriate distancing;

• Consciousness of the airflow direction of each instrument;

• Rapid Antigen Testing of Staff and Students;

• Exclusion of symptomatic community members.

Our Risk Management strategies adhere to the AIS guidance, and allow for our programs to resume across P-12 and in our classrooms. In light of the above, we are delighted to announce that we are back in business – and there are spaces should your child wish to join in with any of our programs!

Get Involved with Music in 2022

We encourage you to head to Pulse for more information about all our offerings in Music, or you can use the quick links below to get the ball rolling on your enrolment!

CLICK HERE TO ENROL IN PRIVATE TUITION
Lessons, Rock Bands, Sound Engineering & Musicianship Classes

CLICK HERE TO JOIN A COCURRICULAR ENSEMBLE 
Choirs, Bands, String, Guitar, Piano & Chamber Ensembles

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR LOCKER HIRE (SENIOR)

When do my lessons start? 
When does my ensemble commence? 

Private Lessons and Extracurricular Classes launch next week in Week Two. Private Tutors will be in touch with you directly to communicate your lesson times for the weeks ahead.

All other Ensembles and Programs resume in Week Three.

Friends of Music Meeting – 24 February 2022 

Parents and Community Members are invited to save the date for our ‘Friends of Music’ launch for 2022 via Zoom at 7pm.  Our mantra for the year is ‘just give what’s in your hand’.  There are no round pegs and square holes in this team – just you, and whatever big or small thing you would like to add in support of the opportunities for our young musicians. A great way to get to know others in our community. Wonderful things are ahead, and we look forward to creating exciting moments for us all to share in the children’s Music experiences throughout the year to come.

Events

These are listed on Pulse and will be updated shortly to reflect the year ahead! Check back next week to read more about RED FACTOR, JUNIOR & SENIOR PIANO COMPETITIONS and BATTLE OF THE BANDS – all coming up in Term 1.  Junior and Senior Music Festivals are shaping up already for mid-year!

Senior Advanced Ensemble Auditions

We will be holding another round of auditions for intake to our Advanced Senior Ensembles, to be facilitated via video upload to iLearn. The Audition iLearn page will open on Monday 7th February, with entries closing at 5pm on Friday 11th February for this round.  Students should prepare a video of a solo piece (2 minutes excerpt maximum) on their instrument, and some technical work to demonstrate their readiness for the rigour of the Advanced Ensembles.

Junior Ensemble Auditions

Junior Chamber Ensemble auditions will be held on Monday 14 February during lunchtime.
Junior Concert Band Auditions will be held on Tuesday 15 February at 7.15am
Junior Voices auditions will be held later in the term.

Information regarding Red Factor and Junior Piano Competition will be released next week.
Junior Music Administration will have the forms uploaded to Pulse early next week.

Senior Instrumental Competition 2021 – Winners Announced

In the final week of the year (delayed because of COVID) Kevin Wang was announced as the overall winner of the Senior Instrumental Competition for 2021 by our guest adjudicator Brian Castles-Onion AM.

Congratulations also to the following Division Winners & Runners-up:

New Staff

We are excited to announce the appointment of Nicole Roberts to our team, to be based on the Junior Campus as one of our classroom teachers and working within our Choral program. Nicole has spent the past 20 years in the UK leading departments and pioneering programs with the Royal Opera House and other organisations. With dexterous skills and interests in Musicals & Event Production, Computer Technology and Opera, she is sure to be an asset to our school.

We would also like to welcome Heathcliffe Auchinachie to our specialist team, as he capably takes to the helm to lead the Junior Guitar Ensemble and to work with our Rock Bands, Private Guitar & Bass Students.

Vale Yr 12 2021

Year after year, the Yr 12 Academic Achievement wall is resplendent in its advocacy of the benefits of a rounded Redlands education. Whole-hearted involvement in cocurricular Music activities from P-12 is unmistakably correlated with the successes of these students. The Graduating Class of 2021 celebrated their Valedictory Dinner on Tuesday and were no exception to this rule. We were delighted as a department to celebrate their enormous contributions to the life of Redlands Music and to share in some performances one last time at Luna Park. We also celebrated tremendous achievements across all our Yr 12 Music courses, with two Encore nominations in the HSC and the majority of these musicians achieving in the Highest Bands of both HSC and IB streams. More than half have been offered places at prestigious Performing Arts institutions around the country.  We are enormously proud.

We’re here to help!

Our Music Adminstrators – James Olds & Jacqueline McGlade on Senior and Junior campuses respectively are happy to take phone calls and emails from our community with any questions that arise as you help your students settle into Music for the year ahead. Don’t hesitate to reach out if we can assist you or point you in the right direction.

Looking forward to a wonderful year,

Amy Richardson
Director of Music

juniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au
seniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au

Prep and Junior Music

Secondary Music