At Mount Carmel, music is a life force that flows throughout the whole school, from Kindergarten to Year 10, both inside and outside the classroom.
We are Tasmania’s Champion School for Musical Futures: an award-winning way of engaging school students that has revolutionised music education around the world.
We believe that music learning is most effective when young people are making music, and when their existing passion for music is reflected and built upon. The Musical Futures approach brings real-world music learning processes into our school, engaging and inspiring all and promoting inclusion and diversity.
Listen to the ABC radio story featuring David Price from Musical Futures UK
At Primary level, all classes have a weekly music lesson where they learn the fundamentals of music through singing and playing a number of instruments. There are massed choir pieces throughout the year as well.
In Secondary school, music classes are driven by skills learnt during the ‘In The Deep End’ activities, where students have total control over the instrument and piece that they rehearse and perform, as well as the make-up of their band.
Alongside these activities, classes learn about music from a range of cultures and genres through practical music-making activities. Plus, in the critical stage when our girls are moving into their teens, we run a special ‘Finding Your Voice’ unit which focuses on building musical, personal and interpersonal confidence.
By Years 9 and 10 those students who choose music as an elective are undertaking activities that explore music in more depth – composing and performing pieces in specific musical genres, such as minimalism or film music. This is in addition to tasks that allow them to explore their own personal interest in the area.
Outside of class, there are many others ways students can be further involved in music, for example:
- Senior Singers: our Year 9/10 choir
- Middle Years Voices: our Year 6/7/8 choir
- College Orchestra: open to anyone from Year 5 – 10 who is learning, or has some experience on an orchestral instrument. The orchestra plays a wide range of music that is suitable for students at various stages of musical ability.
- Intro Orchestra: for beginner woodwind and brass players
- Ukulele Group: for Primary School students
- Pop groups: currently run for Year 6 students
- Minute Marvels: a weekly soiree where students share musical pieces with each other
- String Quartet: for Secondary students upon invitation
- Flute Ensemble: for flute students in Years 5-10.
In addition, every student from Years 4 to 10 forms a mass choir for our annual Celebration Evening.
“Music gives us a language that cuts across the disciplines, helps us to see connections and brings a more coherent meaning to our world.”
Ernest Boyer, President, Carnegie Foundation
“In my own philanthropy and business endeavors, I have seen the critical role that the arts play in stimulating creativity and in developing vital communities….the arts have a crucial impact on our economy and are an important catalyst for learning, discovery, and achievement.”
Paul G. Allen, Co-Founder, Microsoft
“Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.”
Plato