In our class music sessions, the children do LOTS of singing and movement and enjoy learning our assembly songs where the whole school participates in a sing-along at the end of our assemblies.
We have a variety of instruments available for the children to experiment on, including electric keyboards, electric drums, ukuleles, guitars, boom whackers and a wide variety of non-tuned percussion instruments. The children start to learn the ukulele and basic keyboard skills as well as basic theory, from which they can springboard into extra lessons if they wish. We have visiting tuition from guitar, piano, vocal and drum teachers.
The Department of Education “Instrumental Music School Services” (IMSS) program selects children with special musical aptitude in Year 5 and 6 to learn either the trumpet, trombone, baritone, clarinet or flute. This tuition extends on to the local government High School program where the students are able to perform in a band with 40 – 80 other students. The Busselton Senior High School and Cape Naturaliste Music programs combine to form “Geographe Bay Music”. It is highly acclaimed and has been awarded “School of Musical Excellence” status.
We have two choirs at the school who regularly perform at various community engagements, including the Bunbury Eisteddfod and “Carols By Candlelight”, and we embark on a choir camp every year.
Every second year we combine with the other four local schools for camp, and at the end of camp we travel to all four schools and perform with our choir of 250 students!
In 2000 we sang for the Queen when she visited our school. THAT was pretty special!
In 2015 we sang our own “Jetty Song” as part of the 150-year celebration of Busselton Jetty, which is now played in their Underwater Observatory.
Our music teacher, Mrs Bigwood, has been a music student since the age of 6 and loves being a part of the joy that music brings to everyone, especially children.