It was wonderful to be able to start Term 3 with the Middle School production of Strictly Ballroom. It was even more wonderful that we were able to move so quickly to close the show a night early before being locked down. Huge appreciation to all of the people that made that change possible, from alerting ticket holders, last minute supervisions and the ordering of 80 pizzas!
Staging Strictly Ballroom was certainly a long time coming, with its postponement last year and then further disruption this year. But finally, it did open to very appreciative audiences, and it was certainly a credit to all involved. The cast, musicians and crew are all to be congratulated for bringing the community such an entertaining show, and further thanks to Martin Arnold, Jane Fernie and Mark Dickinson for their work with the students.
Once we are back onsite, Term 3 features a number of great performances for the musicians at Carey. Many of our ensembles will participate in the Victorian Schools Music Festival throughout July and August, and the Wind Symphony will once again compete at the prestigious Royal South Street Competition in Ballarat. Recital evenings will again be a feature this term, providing students the opportunity to hone their solo skills. We are also excited to hold the Vocal Cabaret at the Kew Bowls Club in August. The last week of Term 3 will give us the opportunity to farewell our Year 12 students at the Senior Ensembles Concert. The Senior School Play is currently rehearsing Animal Farm and are looking forward to sharing that performance with the community in August. And finally, it is a Junior School Donvale Production year, and they will be presenting the fun and colourful Seussical Jr. At this stage, the Year 7 concert has been postponed and we will be sure to let you know the new date for that as soon as we can. I am sure you can all appreciate that in these uncertain times there does need to be some flexibility with dates of performances, but it is our intention to share as much as we can with you of the great work our Performing Arts students undertake.
There is no question that students who choose to learn an instrument and participate in the Performing Arts program are busy, and the Ensemble Directors appreciate the effort made by families to transport children to rehearsals and performances. There is much research to support the benefits of such participation in the development of the child emotionally and cognitively. Research undertaken in 2013 by the Australian Music Association (AMA) considers the link between studying music and literacy and numeracy skills. The stance adopted by the AMA is that a curriculum featuring inclusive music programs will assist the Victorian Government’s efforts in the development of numeracy and literacy among students. Apart from the academic benefits, the social benefits are also valuable, with the opportunity to develop friendships across year levels, and share experiences that for many will define much of their time at the school.
I know I speak for all of the Performing Arts staff when I say that it is a pleasure to work with the students at Carey through the many ensembles, shows and individual lessons. We look forward to seeing you at performances this term and sharing our music with our appreciative and supportive community.
Sally Davis
Head of Performing Arts
