St Cecilia's Balgowlah

Classes run on Friday mornings in groups of between 6 - 10 students, open to Grades 1 and above.

Lessons are 45 minutes and occur on the school grounds, starting before school (first lesson at 7.30am) with a couple of the later classes sneaking into the first part of the school day. This is all organised and cleared with the school / classroom teachers.

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Content is a mix of music reading, music theory and aural skills but always with a fun approach and an emphasis on playing with others.

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Guitarists are required to bring their own (acoustic) instrument to classes with them, while keyboards and drums are provided for the piano and percussion students.

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To maximise the effect of our group tuition it’s expected that each student has an instrument to practice on at home.

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CHOOSING / SOURCING AN INSTRUMENT

The first and most important thing to know about learning any instrument, is that it takes time and commitment. You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘music is a universal language’ … we agree!... but if you’ve ever tried to learn a new language you’ll know how many hours of study, repetition, and immersion it takes to read, speak and understand it fluently as though it was always a part of you!

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Of course there are people who pick up musical concepts and playing techniques faster or ‘more naturally’ than others, but we are firm believers that with a good teacher and commitment to regular practice, you can put your hand to any instrument you like.

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PIANO

Well before the days of iTunes, YouTube, and Spotify, standing around the old upright piano was the source of entertainment at any good dinner party… bring back those days we say! One of the most versatile and loved instruments in the world, the piano also serves as a fantastic tool to introduce a child to music.

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Children can produce music on the piano much easier than many other instruments and the visual layout of the keyboard helps young minds make the connection between music reading and music playing.

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On Friday mornings students explore making music via the piano, led by one of our fantastic Evergreen teachers. Each child plays their own keyboard (provided by Evergreen) allowing for group participation as well as individual activities and instruction. Pop, classical, jazz or rock, playing the piano is great fun for kids and a skill that will stay with them for life!

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GUITAR

You can sling it over your shoulder and take it anywhere; a person with a guitar is like a walking jukebox!

It can be a ‘slow starting’ instrument requiring some fine motor skills and dexterity that some young fingers are still developing, but the guitar makes up for this difficulty with just how synonymous it is with being a rock-star! 

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Evergreen guitarists learn to read music, play melodies (including some of the biggest guitar riffs in rock history) and even accompany themselves while singing. The guitar features so prominently in many different styles of popular music which makes it one of the ‘grabbier’ instruments to learn.

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Lessons on a Friday morning are always dynamic, engaging and FUN and provide a great start of the journey for any aspiring rock-star and ‘musician for life’.

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PERCUSSION

A child’s innate rhythmic ability shows that music is something that we as humans are born with. Hitting things to a beat with sticks was around long before any other instrument was invented, and today the drums are a must in almost any piece of music you hear.

Evergreen group percussion classes are always high energy, fast moving and focusses heavily on aural skills. Being able to find and keep a beat is one of the core elements of good musicianship, and there is no better instrument to hone that skill than the drums.

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On Friday mornings, drum students play their own snare drum (provided by Evergreen) allowing for group participation as well as individual instruction. The room also has a ‘full’ drum kit which students will progress to as they develop the skill of reading music. Whether a high energy or a reserved child, drums are always enjoyed by everyone who has a go!

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FEES

Fees for the music program are billed per term.

- weekly group classes

- access to Evergreen Learning portal for rehearsal notes and resources

- performance opportunities across the school year

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2024 Fees

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GROUP CLASSES

Per-Term Enrolment - $290 per term *Term 1 is half this amount as it starts Week 5