We believe music education is a crucial element of learning for our students and we foster musicianship through core curriculum and elective classes.

All students are encouraged to pursue their love of music whether it be through taking lessons in instrumental, voice, music theory or speech art or participating as a member of a band, ensemble or choir.

CURRICULUM

Classroom Music is an essential part of the curriculum from the CEEd to and including Year 7. We offer special programs at Years 2 and 7 and from Year 8 students choose from an exciting range of elective subjects.

Year 2 String Program: All students in Year 2 study violin, viola or cello

Year 7 Instrumental Music Program (IMP): All students choose to study a string, woodwind, brass or percussion instrument within the curriculum that they have not previously studied, culminating in two concerts during the year where every student performs

Years 8, 9 and 10: Students explore technology in music, film music, composition and performance

Years 10, 11 and 12: Students can choose VCE Music Performance (Solo and Group), VCE Music Styles and Composition, and VCE VET Music Certificate III in Technical Production or Performance

PRIVATE TUITION

Students can choose to learn from over 20 instruments (including voice and speech art) in solo or small group lessons, and are encouraged and supported to take external exams.

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES AND ENSEMBLES

We pride ourselves on the depth and variety of performance opportunities we offer our students. We have a huge number of bands and ensembles that, directed by a specialist with their own expertise, perform regularly at school and community events, showcasing the skills and talents of our musicians.

Senior School Production: All students from Years 7 to 12 are encouraged to participate in this collaborative venture between our Music, Drama and Dance departments

Junior School Production: All students from Prep to Year 6 perform on the big stage

Ensembles: Including String and Symphony Orchestras, String Quartet, Junior and Senior Choirs, Chamber Choir, Concert Bands, Stage Bands, Bagpipes and Drums Ensemble, Wind Quintet as well as ensembles in Saxophone, Clarinet, Guitar, Bluegrass, Percussion, Recorder and Harp and student-directed Chamber Groups

Concerts and festivals: Including Grammar in Concert and Junior School Gala

External competitions: Including Royal South Street Eisteddfod and regional eisteddfods

House Choral Competition: All students from Years 7 to 12 collaborate on and perform in this popular event

School and community events: Including performing at the Ballarat Specialist School, Springfest and House Athletics Day

Tours: Regular regional, interstate or international tours such as the Chamber Choir Tour

Camps: Annual camps for various bands and ensembles

Annual Victorian School Music Festival: A wonderful opportunity for our students to get feedback on their performance

Backstage and technical support: A wide range of opportunities for students interested in backstage, lighting, sound and technical support

The Music School enjoys wonderful support from the whole school community.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

We are committed to supporting outstanding young people with a passion for learning a musical instrument. We welcome interest for a number of scholarships from students who demonstrate the qualities, potential and leadership to make a significant contribution to the School in the broadest sense and to our Music Program specifically. Learn more about scholarship opportunities at Grammar here.

SPECIALIST TEACHERS

We have a faculty of more than 25 experienced teachers who are specialists in a wide range of classical and contemporary music. Our students are also regularly engaged, challenged and inspired by visiting artists and musicians-in-residence through master classes and workshops.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Parents and friends are warmly encouraged to support the Music School and our students through the Friends of Music Support Group.

We offer a wide range of dance and drama learning and performance opportunities, drawing on the learning that takes place within the curriculum, with specialist teachers for Dance and Drama in both the Senior and Junior Schools. There are also many opportunities for students interested in backstage, lighting, sound and technical support.

DRAMA

Our program is contemporary and relevant to young people. It is workshop-based, and students explore a very wide range of theatrical styles. As well as year level plays as part of the curriculum, students are given many opportunities to participate in programs beyond the curriculum.

Year 8: Cinematic theatre which culminates in a student-devised play for a Junior School audience

Year 9: Stand-up comedy – we have had students go on to perform at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s development program ‘Class Clowns’.

Years 9 and 10: Drama Victoria Theatre Festival – students devise a play and perform with other schools from around Victoria.

Year 10: Australian and contemporary drama Performance Evening – students perform a contemporary play

VCE Units 1 to 4 Theatre Studies: In addition to the curriculum students experience VCE Performance Nights, solo performance seminars and workshops and production analysis. Students perform either an ensemble or solo performance for each unit.

DANCE

We approach Dance as a living art form, not limiting our students to a styles approach. Every student is exposed to all kinds and levels of dance. Our students love that they get to experience the diversity of dance, not just the steps.

All students in Years 7 to 12 are encouraged to participate in the Senior School Production – a collaborative venture between our Music, Drama and Dance departments. Students can also be part of Dance Club as a co-curricular activity which culminates in a Dance Evening.

Year 8: ‘Defying Gravity’ – exploring physical theatre with a focus on free running and parkour, students perform to their peers in alternative spaces around the school grounds

Year 9: Dance Styles – exploring the question of why people dance, including the history of dance in ancient cultures and what dance looks like in the 21st Century, students perform to their peers and there is the opportunity for some to perform at the Annual Dance Evening

Year 10: ‘5,6,7,8 Dance’ Choreography workshops where students learn skills and choreograph their own dance work and teach it to a younger Dance class

VCE Units 1 to 4 Dance: In addition to the curriculum students travel to Melbourne to participate in workshops and to see VCE Dance Top Class performances. Students perform their solos and group piece at the ‘Dance Evening’

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

We are committed to supporting outstanding young people with a passion for Dance or Drama. We welcome interest from students who demonstrate the qualities, potential and leadership to make a significant contribution to the School in the broadest sense and to our Dance and Drama Programs specifically. Learn more about scholarship options at Grammar on the scholarships page.

Our renowned Art and Design program aims to realise the creative potential in our students, preparing them for a world in which problem solving and creative thinking are crucial.

We recognise that not all students aspire to be artists, however, we believe that creativity and innovation are invaluable skills for every student as they progress in their lives and careers. We develop these skills through exposure to contemporary and historical art and design practises in our dedicated art and design program from Years 7 to 12.

With eight dedicated studios and a number of beautiful gallery spaces, students of all skill and creativity levels are accommodated, and challenges are designed to develop and extend innovation and creativity. Graduates from our Art and Design program have distinguished themselves in a range of areas, including the fine arts, textile and fashion design, architecture and building construction, including many areas outside of the world of Art and Design.

ART AND DESIGN PROGRAM

Years 7 and 8: Students spend a term in each studio area to give a taste of each and explore areas for later studies. In each studio, students learn to explore and develop ideas using a range of media. They acquire technical and analytical skills and keep a visual diary to record processes and observations with a strong balance between the process and end product.

Year 9: Most students take an Art or Design study. They choose two studio areas and spend a semester in each. The tasks become more challenging, drawing inspiration from the work of other artists and building the skills required to develop and create significant works.

Year 10: Art and Design are electives. Students do one or two semesters and may spend the entire year in one studio area, or choose two. Students may apply to study VCE Studio Arts Units 1 and 2, which runs alongside the other Year 10 Art. This accelerated course prepares selected students for Units 3 and 4 Studio Arts in Year 11.

Years 11 and 12: Students may choose from a range of VCE studios including Product Design and Technology, Systems Engineering, Visual Communication Design, Art and Studio Arts. Each of these subjects has three periods in the classroom and one dedicated to theory.

SENIOR SCHOOL HOUSE ART COMPETITION

Our popular annual House Art Competition involves all House members in a collaborative creative activity.

OPPORTUNITIES TO EXHIBIT

In addition to student works being on display around the school throughout the year, there are many wonderful opportunities for our students to experience having their work displayed in a major exhibition.

We host three major exhibitions in the Beckworth Centre for the Arts each year, the Junior School Art Exhibition, VCE Design Exhibition and VCE Art and Studio Arts Exhibition.

Our Units 3 and 4 students are consistently successful in being selected to have their work displayed at the following exhibitions: Next Gen (Ballarat Gallery), Top Design (Melbourne Museum) and Top Arts (National Gallery of Victoria). Our students have had consistent success in a number of fashion awards: Fashion Awards Australia and the Apex Australia Teenage Fashion Awards.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

We are committed to supporting outstanding young people with a passion for Art and Design. We welcome interest from students who demonstrate the qualities, potential and leadership to make a significant contribution to the School in the broadest sense and to our Art and Design Program specifically. Learn more about scholarship options at Grammar.