Music Team Reflections

This year we have finally broken free from the restrictions of Covid- 19. While we were limited in what we could do for part of this year however we have had a record number, 174 students participating in the program and many great musical opportunities for our students at Challis.

At the end of last year, we saw two of our beloved instrumental teachers Mrs Rachel John (Violin) and Ms Michelle Wilde (Brass) leave us to pursue other endeavours. It was with great relief that we were able to find such amazing replacements for these roles with Ms Kendra Smith joining our team as Violin teacher and Mr Rob Coleman as our new Brass teacher. Both have been welcomed by students and staff and having now had a taste of Challis life are both looking forward to their second year at Challis starting 2023. The improved quality of the instrumental students this year has meant that we have been able to invite selected year 4 students into our senior ensembles for the first time. These students showed outstanding progress throughout    semester one which lead to a personal invitation into the Orchestra and Brass Band. It was also a great pleasure to attend Year 6 Camp and have some fun with the Year 6 graduating students.

TAIKOZ CONCERT – Donated by Musica Viva

We had an exciting visit from Japanese Taiko Drumming group TAIKOZ. Students were overwhelmed with the sounds and exaggerated traditional drumming movements used with this ancient art form. Many students were very excited to try drumming after seeing this concert.

NAIDOC, Leaning Journey and Music Assembly Performances

This year our First Nations Students performed at our NAIDOC assembly accompanied by the Challis Simply Strings Orchestra. They played a song called ‘Koorparoo Kat,’ a piece inspired by the composer’s time in Australian outback town Coorparoo. He kindly donated the use of the score to our school after some correspondence with Ms Kendra. ‘Taba Naba’ was performed by the choir and the Senior Brass band, which welcomed the clarinet students from IMSS into the ensemble. It was a fantastic performance with our music students joining in and celebrating our first nation’s people.

The music program took over the New Undercover Area for Learning Journey with all instrumental and choir students performing for their parents. It was amazing to see the progress particularly of the year 4 students after a year early interrupted by covid restrictions – they were amazing!

Our music students were the hosts of a Music Assembly in Term 4. We celebrated our large and still growing music program with performances from all music groups – choir, brass band junior and senior, string orchestra, and small strings groups of guitars and bowed strings. The Simply Strings Orchestra performed the national anthem as it was sung by the rest of the school and this was so successful it will be a feature of every school assembly from week 4 in 2023.

WA Youth Jazz Orchestra Incursion

The WA Youth Jazz Orchestra Incursion organised by our brass teacher Mr Coleman was a special treat for our instrumental students. Students were treated to an inspiring performance with saxophone, trombone, trumpet, double bass, guitar and drums. Our ensemble students were also privileged to participate in a workshop run by Mace Francis (WAYJO Director) where students improvised in a Call and Response activity backed by the WAYJO band. It was great to see our students participate enthusiastically and have the courage to get up in front of their peers and 7 complete strangers and play!

Christmas Concert

Our Christmas concert this year featured our Year 5/6 M8 and Year 2 W7 news anchors presenting the Channel 87 News along with our school choir led by Mrs Henderson and Ms Ivory, the junior and senior brass band led by Mr Coleman and Mr Ziggy. The senior brass band kicked off the concert marching in playing a rousing rendition of ‘Good King Wenceslas’, and our Simply Strings Orchestra led by Ms Jefferies led the school community in two carols; ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer!’ Performances from all the year groups were also enthusiastic and fun; ‘All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth’ had a front row of toothy grins, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ had razor scooters and Pokémon cards and the Grinch and Santa stole the show as always.

Starting in Term 1 2023 we will see the instrumental music program continue with a new intake of year 4 students. All the music staff look forward to meeting with students and families to induct them into the program moving forward. We look forward to another year of Challis Instrumental Music in 2023!

Challis Community Primary School acknowledge Crown Resorts and Packer Family Foundation for  kindly supporting our Simply Strings programme.