7 October 2020

We’re back – well almost!

Middle School
We’re back – well almost!
We’re back – well almost!
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It will certainly be a delight to welcome our Year 7 students back to music classes next week, and then the Year 8s and 9s a couple of weeks later. I am sure they are looking forward to getting out of the house and meeting their friends. Teachers are excited about facing real faces – even if they are masked – rather than a laptop screen. However, some cautious provisions in the guidelines for schools will continue to constrain our operations. The playing of woodwind and brass instruments and singing are currently prohibited in schools due to concern about aerosol production.

Our music staff have worked with great ingenuity, energy and creativity over the past months to maintain instrumental teaching under extraordinary circumstances. Their success was evident at the end of last term by the wonderful series of online instrumental and vocal recitals which were streamed to the community. This latest restriction on brass, woodwind and vocal work poses yet another challenge, but I’m sure they will face it with equal creativity and determination.

Timetabled Year 7 instrumental classes will continue onsite from next week for all students. Students should check their Canvas announcements carefully to see what is required for each class. Brass and woodwind teachers will be meeting as usual with their classes, re-establishing rapport with students and discussing aspects of musicianship, repertoire and technique, but no onsite playing will be possible at present.

Vale Sonny Chua
The Music Department was shocked at the end of term at the sudden death of our Head of Keyboard, Mr Sonny Chua. It was a tragic loss not only to Carey but to the wider music world. Apart from being an extraordinary teacher and performer, Sonny was extremely active as a composer and many thousands of piano students around the country have grown up playing his music, with many of his pieces on the syllabus for music examinations. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and students.

Martin Arnold
Head of Music

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