Moorooka State School provides the opportunity for students to learn a concert band instrument with a specialist music teacher from the Instrumental Music programme. Students in the last term of Year 3 are selected to join the concert band in Year 4 on the consideration of criteria based on interest, physical suitability for the instrument, behaviour and academic performance. At the beginning of year 4, the selected students are instructed in instrumental care and maintenance, personal hygiene and safety (especially aural safety), foundations in playing technique and musical literacy and ensemble skills.
By the end of year 6 students will generally have a feeling that they do not know what it is like not to play an instrument. The weekly band rehearsals are a testing ground for their newly acquired skills, and the students can look forward to performance opportunities at the school fete, regional workshops and Band Camps run by the Instrumental Music Programme, and the possibility of competitions throughout the year. The local High Schools are similarly supported by the same programme where students can play increasingly challenging music to hone their performance skills… and from there… a profession could well be in the stars!
The concert band experience provides a unique opportunity for students to grow in an environment that has been proven to benefit academic performance and emotional health (Anita Collins: TED Talks). Moorooka State School encourages students in Year 3 to apply for the Year 4 Band, where a world of musical adventure is waiting.