When I was in Year 3, we learnt recorder in Music. I guess, I can’t really say I learnt it, I would purposefully leave half of it at home, rendering it unplayable as an instrument, but great as a loud, piercing whistle! When I look at the experiences and opportunities offered to our Year 3 students in the new String Immersion Program, and I am really proud to be associated with a school who invests so fully in students’ cognitive, affective and psychomotor development across a range of domains and inspires learning in and through music. Each time a child picks up an instrument, their brain ‘lights up across the board’ in a way that no other activity can provide; each time an instrument is played we can explore our emotions and communicate ideas with others without words; hopefully, it encourages joy… but this comes only with hard work, commitment and focus.

Last week, we welcomed our Year 3 parents into each of the three classes as they engaged in their Music lesson – a ‘Sit In With Us’ event, which really is our ‘every day’. The students were incredibly excited about the experience, and proud to share their learning. Across each class, the focus, perhaps surprisingly, was on the use of the voice – this is absolutely fundamental to internalising pitch and understanding sound, and when combined with movement, singing and hand signs, and finally the instrument, we can explore connections between sound and symbol (music notes and rhythms) as we engaged in cross-brain learning and the wiring of new connections.

For those fortunate enough to attend, the committed and passionate work of Mrs Vanessa Herriman, Ms Linley Chai and Ms Julia Janiszewski was fundamental to delivering an educationally robust and meaningful curriculum with value within and well beyond the music classroom. Our thanks to you all for your energy and enthusiasm! And, now that parents have seen what it is we do, the challenges and successes that the students face along the journey, hopefully you can see further value in what music gives children, and hopefully you can join in at home and encourage their music-making.

Thank you to all of the parents, classroom teachers and friends who attended our inaugural Year 3 String Immersion ‘Sit In’, we hope you enjoyed the experience and that it encourages familial engagement and support of the importance of music in our lives at and beyond school. Hopefully it is engaging and enjoyable for the students, and encourages them to willingly and enthusiastically bring all parts of their instrument to class!

We look forward to sharing more of our learning with you again soon!

Cade Bonar