Music
Thank You for the Music Yr 12!
As our Yr 12 students celebrate the closing of a chapter today and the imminent dawning of another, the Music Department would like to wish the graduating class every good thing for the road ahead. Pleasingly, many of our students dream of Music as a central part of their lives from here, with some already offered coveted early entry places to the USYD Conservatorium of Music. Whatever lies ahead, we hope that all that the seeds you have sown in your Music studies over the years will see you reap a lifelong harvest of musical fulfilment.
Fond memories remain for us of the Yr 12 ABBA finale at this year’s Senior Music Festival. Thank you for the Music!
Staggered Return to Campus
We thank you, our community for your flexibility and patience as we’ve navigated the current restrictions to map our safe return back to ‘on campus’ learning in the coming weeks. As you know, the Government roadmap sees students returning to campus as follows:
Week 3 (from Monday 18 October 2021) – Kindergarten, Yr 1 and Yr 12
Week 4 (from Monday 25 October 2021) – All other Year Groups
The Music Department has worked closely with the Redlands Executive with respect to implementing the Department of Education’s restrictions that will be in place at the time of our return to campus. 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.
Piano & Instrumental Tuition
As of Week 3 2021, 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 Tuition
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.
Musicianship Classes, Rock Bands, and Cocurricular Ensembles
Classes and cocurricular rehearsals with singers or mixed year groups are likely to continue ‘online’ until outdoor rehearsals are permitted (or until the restrictions ease). Rehearsal times may be adjusted to allow for commute to or from home in time for a scheduled Zoom session. Your tutor or ensemble conductor will communicate with you directly about this in due course.
(Image above: Our wonderful Music Team are looking forward to safely resuming lessons soon. Though they will have face masks on, you can only imagine the huge smiles behind them!)
Senior Instrumental Competition – Monday 22 November 2021
Though there are still some moving parts, we have taken the liberty of pencilling in a revised date for the postponed Senior Instrumental Competition. If restrictions are prohibitive of a live performance on this new date, we will move to a video upload format for this event too – if only to bring a sense of closure for our talented finalists (including those from our graduating class) who have worked hard for this accolade.
It is our hope to be able to go ahead with a live performance under a strict Covid Risk management plan – commencing at 4pm and though closed to an audience, live-streamed.
We look forward to hearing the musical offerings of our 2021 finalists:
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DIVISION ONE |
DIVISON TWO |
DIVISION THREE |
Congratulations
Congratulations once again to the 70+ students in total (and their film crew families!) who completed their AMEB Examinations via video upload in the past week. Before we even receive our results, the resilience and adaptability of these musicians in 2021 receives our effort grade of ‘highly commended’! Well done!
Students keen for musical outlet have also been participating in local eisteddfods online in the past weeks. We commend Yr 5 student, Eloise To, who received third place in the 10U Woodwind Solo section in the City of Ryde Eisteddfod this week.
Keep Up to Date!
Thank you 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 a further arm of support, throughout the week, if you have any questions at all about Music learning (Curricular, Extracurricular & Cocurricular streams) at Redlands, we welcome you to reach out to our Administration Team who will be happy to assist with or direct your enquiries.
Mr James Olds (Senior School) – seniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au
Mrs Jacqueline McGlade (Prep & Junior Schools) juniormusic@redlands.nsw.edu.au
See You Soon!
We are so looking forward to seeing our students in person again soon.
Amy Richardson (Acting)
Director of Music P-12