Flute & Piano Trios have been actively presenting Chamber works in many Primary schools this year. At this stage, we have presented to students in Ashford, Bonshaw, St Marys of the Angels-Guyra, Black Mountain, Uralla Central, Mungindi Central, St Mary’s Armidale, Inverell Public School, Bundarra Central, NEGS, and Ben Venue.
Rosalind Oliver (Inverell Public School) recently provided the following feedback. It is heartening to receive a response which is so supportive of this program:
Thank you for a wonderful opportunity for students and staff to have an informative and enjoyable musical experience. As always, there was a lovely mix of information to support the pieces that were played. The program catered to our wide range of student abilities engaging them all. Those who are currently learning a musical instrument were able to consolidate their understanding through the activities and other students were introduced to the sound and language of beautiful music. The students particularly enjoyed the interactive activities and I have heard several of them singing the paddling song in the playground after school.
On a personal level, I really appreciated the enthusiasm of all performers and was transported listening to you play. Thank you for your continued support in bringing quality music to our school.
JUNIOR SECONDARY LISTENING ACTIVITIES
The Chamber Music in Schools program caters to students up to year 7 and can be adapted to suit the needs of the class.
Last week I was asked by NEGS Year 7 Music teacher Alistair Finco if I had any worksheets to support the repertoire we were presenting in our Presentation No.2 session. I decided to meet his request and designed some questions for students to engage with as they listen to the repertoire from the CD we leave with the school. These worksheets are now available for download from the Chamber Music in Schools page on the NECOM website here: https://necom.org.au/chamber-music-in-schools/.
If you would like to book the Chamber Trio to perform at your school, please contact NECOM on 6788 2137.
Finally, I would like quote from Richard Gill’s book “Give Me Excess of it”. On page 371 he is referring to many students being more innately gifted than he is and goes on to say “My joy has been to teach them things about music they had not had the opportunity to perceive, or of which they were entirely unaware.”
In many cases, the repertoire presented in the “Chamber Music in Schools” programme is vaguely familiar to some students and totally unfamiliar to others. It is great music and as music educators, we have a duty to expose the students to this beauty. Art teachers do it by exposing their students to famous paintings and architectural masterpieces. This is the common ground in CAPA Departments!
Deidre Rickards OAM
Chamber Music in Schools