Haileybury Hitting The Right notes
A Twilight Concert, Aria Night, Soiree afternoons, Jazz Nights, Junior School String concerts and major musical productions…for many students, music and live performances are an integral part of life at Haileybury.
More than 800 students from Year 2 and above take part in the school’s instrumental program and throughout the year there are countless opportunities for students to fine-tune their performance skills and showcase their musical talents.
Students discover and foster a love of playing a wide range of instruments – from the violin, piano and electric bass to saxophone, drums and classical guitar.
The recent Middle School Spring Concert featured 620 students from Years 5 to 8 and attracted an audience of more than 1,700 parents. During the year, Haileybury’s talented jazz musicians can also experience the excitement of being on stage at St Kilda’s well-known MEMO Music Hall.
“The opportunity to perform in such an iconic music venue is an experience that is long remembered. In years to come, as these Haileyburians drive past the venue or perhaps see a band there, they will be able to say, ‘I’ve gigged at MEMO’,” says Haileybury’s Director of Performing Arts, Rod Marshall, who leads the school’s Music Program.
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Haileybury also has a strong VCE Music program with many VCE students taking their very first instrumental lessons at Haileybury in Junior School. By the time they reach Year 12, they will have enjoyed over 300 instrumental lessons and been part of over 500 ensemble rehearsals.
This year’s VCE students specialised in violin, viola, contemporary voice, piano, electric bass, acoustic bass, drumkit, classical guitar, flute, electric guitar, bassoon, percussion and saxophone. Parents may wonder if there are benefits in balancing traditional subjects like English, Science and Mathematics with Music.
Rod says there is plenty of research highlighting the benefits of learning to play a musical instrument and those benefits extend beyond the classroom. Creativity, initiative and originality have all been named by the World Economic Forum as key skills that will be increasingly important in the workplaces of the future.
To discover more about Haileybury’s ELC Program, visit www.haileybury.com.au or contact Haileybury Admissions admissions@haileybury.vic.edu.au