Students at Kirwan State School have the opportunity to learn an instrument.
Extensive studies conducted document student learning outcomes associated with learning an instrument. The results show that instrumental music education supports and helps facilitate students with the foundational abilities to learn and achieve in core academic subjects, developing sensitivity, skills and knowledge for lifelong success.
Instrumental Music education, in its uniqueness, enhances fine motor skills, fosters memory recall and retention, and prepares the brain for achievement in science, maths and language.
Music is the only subject where both sides of the brain are needed to achieve success.
What instrument can my child learn?
Students in prep, year one and year two can learn either the keyboard, guitar or voice.
From year three, students can learn the Violin, Viola, Cello or Double Bass.
Students wishing to learn either Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone or Percussion can start learning one of these from year 4.
Department funding provides selected children with one small group lesson per week and access to our loan instruments for a year.
There is a loan fee for the maintenance of the instruments.
Students in the program who practice regularly and reach an appropriate standard, will have the opportunity to play in our string ensemble or school band. Our band and ensemble rehearsals usually run before school and consolidate musical learning from small group lesson time.
Students at Kirwan who are members of the instrumental program have opportunities throughout the year to participate in performances on assemblies, Eisteddfod and to parents and to their peers.
All students who are part of our instrumental program will also particpate in our Aural Musicianship Ensemble. This Ensemble has been created to further develop our instrumental students music ability so that they learn to identify, solely by hearing, pitches,
intervals, melody, chords, rhythms, and other basic elements of music. This aural musicanship ensemble assists when playing and performing together.
Our string ensemble 'String Theory' placed in the top five in the 2018 Fanfare Festival.