Spotlight - A Symphony of Music from ELC to Year 12

For most of us, music has formed part of our lives from a young age and while we all remember Baa Baa Black Sheep, research shows that a deeper level of development was humming along behind the scenes setting us up for improved numeracy, concentration and prosocial skills.

Music improves brain power, inspires creativity, it cultivates self-expression and a sense of community. Music dissolves age, language and social barriers, music stimulates specific brain circuits and gives us an oxytocin boost, delivering joy to those who immerse themselves in the magic.

Music is embedded into our weekly timetable through our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB PYP) at the Junior School. Under the guidance of Mr Luke ODwyer, our specialist music teacher, and talented musician in his own right, students have embraced the variety of instruments and creative opportunities. Music is for everyone, and the adventure starts as our children in ELC tentatively begin their connection with instruments, beats and rhythms. By middle primary, students are ready to embrace opportunities to join lunchtime bands and extend their passion outside the walls of the classroom.

Faith has built an unwavering reputation for its high-quality music program for over three decades at the Middle and Senior School. In Year 7 all students experience a term learning in the Arts - a purposeful rotation of Multi-Arts disciplines (music, visual arts, drama and film,) providing students with the foundation to extend and explore new and instilled passions as they continue through their middle school journey. Our Find Your Spark elective Program also embraces some music-focused units, which have seen students experiment with DJ-ing for a school radio station, Rock Star band, Ukulele orchestra, Podcast creations and many more.

For students in our Middle and Senior School, the pinnacle is performing in the spotlight on the main stage of one of the largest regional theatres in South Australia - our very own Barossa Arts Centre. Alongside Faith’s high profile Music classroom program, Rising stars are advanced through Faith's rigorous Aspire program designed to foster and develop students in both Music and Performing Arts through connections with industry experts for those who wish to pursue a professional Arts pathway. Students learn the skills to become self-sufficient in their pursuits, play live gigs, produce compositions and hone their passion, whether that be dance, music or performance (drama/other creative expressions). Alumni who have (lit up) the stage have also gone on to successful careers, composing, performing, writing, and singing across the world on stage and radio. 

Reflecting on the social, emotional and cognitive benefits of music, it’s no surprise that the expressive creation of sound in patterned structures along with melody, harmony, and rhythm composition and song can bring comfort and evoke special memories. The music programs at Faith are an important building block in focusing on the ‘whole child’ and we invite you to consider the different ways Faith’s music program promotes your child to flourish.

Research credit: Dr Vicky Abad, Founder and Managing Director of Music Beat Australia, https://kiddipedia.com.au/bene...

Discover more about Faith's approach via this link: The Arts