The Power of Music
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Issue 67 / Summer 2018 the power of music CREATE YOUR TOMORROW The hero photography in this edition of CamLife visualises the art of sound using a technique known as ‘Light Painting’. studying music helps you to be a team player music students learn to listen music learning supports all learning involves the left and right brain hemispheres simultaneously, more than any other activity students of music use their ears and eyes, as well as large and small muscles brain imaging shows changes to the brain networks, associated with sound discrimination and motor skills helps with basic memory recall Below: Ava, Yr 6 playing physically develops the left side of the brain responsible for processing the saxophone language - can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specifi c ways. facilitates learning in other subjects by enhancing skills inevitably used in those subjects helps build social and communication skills enables students to accept constructive feedback and improve their critical thinking / problem solving enhances creativity and self expression reduces anxiety and stress boosts creative energies through the productionproduction of alpha and thetatheta waveswave improves spatial-temporal skills in children - skills important in architecture, engineering, maths, art, gaming, and especially working with computers. performing improves self-image, self-awareness and promotes a positive attitude music aff ects the way you perceive the world Music has played an important part of every human In the most simple terms, playing music is like a culture, both past and present. People around the workout for every part of your brain. It is one of the world respond to music in a universal way. only activities that activates the entire brain. The benefi ts of participating in music making extend Learning music involves active engagement and far beyond the ability to create beautiful music. discipline, resulting in far-reaching benefi ts. 2 Camberwell Girls Grammar School Music is as old as humanity itself and benefi ts. Studies suggest that music that single point in time. That is why our enables us to celebrate the rich cultural enhances aerobic exercise, boosting concerts are so special and why we must diversity of our communities. The oldest mental and physical stimulation and that always value, support and celebrate these musical composition to have survived the repetitive elements of rhythm and important occasions. in its entirety is a fi rst century A.D. melody help our brains to form patterns Greek tune known as ‘Seikilos Epitaph’. and enhance memory. Music also has the Music will play a vital role in our Centenary Archaeologists have also found primitive power to improve our mood and reduce Celebrations in 2020. Whilst our school fl utes made of bone and ivory dating stress and anxiety. has changed markedly since 1920, we back as far as 43,000 years and there are remain faithful to the inspiration and biblical references to musical instruments Music Australia also highlights that courage of our Founders. Each decade such as Genesis Chapter 4:21-22 - ‘Jubal creating music is an incredibly powerful has provided its opportunities and was the father of harpists and organists’. tool to express ideas or feelings and challenges. The dedication and collective Music continues to be an important part can improve a young person’s sense of eff orts of the parents, staff and Council celebrate of many communities and in particular, connection and belonging, promoting a has ensured that the school has not our schools. more positive self confi dence. Learning only survived but has grown through music helps to develop self-discipline the diffi cult fi rst decades, including the One of Australia’s most renowned music and the link between music and the Depression and the changing attitudes conductors, Richard Gill, sadly passed development of language and reasoning, towards girls’ education. After almost away recently. He was passionate about auditory skills and improved concentration 100 years, the school has adapted and promoting music education in schools and memory is often made. It is through grown in strength to respond to societal and described music as “having the making music with others that the skills of and educational changes. We have been ability to open your mind to enable you to collaboration and teamwork are fostered. ambitious in the education of girls and the think more creatively”. Richard believed development of the school. very strongly that the development of As individuals we have a diverse creative thought through music could also appreciation and love of music, yet Throughout the Centenary year, as we be transferred to other parts of learning music has the great ability to bring honour our past and look forward to the and as a result, he believed that music people together – as performers or as future, we will celebrate many wonderful empowered people ‘spectacularly’. Music an audience. I remember in my early occasions with our extensive community, education is an important part of our days as Principal at CGGS, I continually including a special Founder’s Day Service, curriculum and we value the opportunity emphasised my delight in the quality old grammarians event, Centenary Gala for our students from Early Learning of our music program. Today under the Celebration and a special Music Concert. through to Year 12 to explore and leadership of our Directors of Music, Kate experience the joy of making music. Savige and Rohan Mack and their talented We also look forward to launching our team, my praise only escalates! We are Centenary history book and a new At CGGS we celebrate all the diff erent truly blessed to have such motivated initiative, celebrating the inspiring women instruments, ensembles, bands, teachers and tutors who inspire our of Camberwell Girls Grammar School. A orchestras and choral groups that students to achieve such high standards more extensive list of events is published rehearse together regularly and perform of performance. in this edition and further details will be at our school functions. In addition shared with you in the forthcoming months. to developing creative thought and In creating music together, our students intellectual curiosity through participation share important cultural experiences With best wishes, in the music curriculum and co-curricular that honour their individual diff erences, Debbie Dunwoody programs, there are many other potential yet connect performers to create unique Principal pieces of work. Each music concert cannot be replicated as it showcases the work of our student performers at Below: Debbie receiving her award from Coralee Pratt, President of ACEL Victoria Message from Chair of Council It is my great pleasure to advise that our Principal, Debbie Dunwoody, has been awarded an Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) VIC Fellowship for 2018. This highly prestigious award acknowledges the exceptional contribution Debbie has made to education, not only here at Camberwell Girls Grammar School but the wider education sector. She is recognised as being a leader at the forefront of developments in education at both a national and international level and has had many immeasurable positive Music is important for the following reason: impacts on educators and learners. it is abstract, it doesn’t mean anything outside of itself. Music does not describe, I know that as a community you will join me in congratulating music does not tell stories. Music evokes. Debbie on this wonderful accolade and her outstanding Music suggests, music implies and leadership of Camberwell Girls Grammar School and the music opens up the mind of a child in an education sector more broadly. extraordinary way. This abstraction about music is what off ers a child the chance to Christine Cussen Chair of Council move into a special way of thinking. Richard Gill OAM 4 Camberwell Girls Grammar School Throughout the school’s near 100 year Barbara’s vision to expand and enhance ways such as the purchase of expensive history there have been many changes, all aspects of music at the school was instruments, the sewing of costumes and however there has been one constant strongly shared by Headmistress at the creation of sets for performances. throughout that time and that is music. time, Miss Barbara Sutton. Even today, musical history is embedded Camberwell Girls Grammar School has “My immediate response was to develop within the school. The Russell Strings always had a strong tradition in music. both a curriculum in music education and group is named after Barbara Russell a co-curricular program, that not only and the Preston Singers, named after From humble beginnings in the 1920s, our enhanced church services and school Karen Preston, a former student and small cohort of students and staff would occasions such as Speech Night, but was school pianist, who was instrumental in sing hymns in church, which evolved into also a learning experience,” says Barbara. establishing a Junior Madrigal group. singing at the annual Speech Night. These groups are a reminder of the people Miss Sutton was Principal from 1973 that helped shape our music culture. Today, the tradition continues. Current - 1988 and the growth of music within students and staff still sing hymns the school became evident through her A trailblazer in music education and at church services and presentation encouragement and enthusiasm. performance at CGGS, Miss Barbara evenings, however, the growth of the Sutton was fi ttingly acknowledged in her music opportunities for our students has “Miss Sutton was such a believer in the fi nal year, with the opening of a fantastic expanded dramatically over the years. value of music education that she enabled new facility named the Barbara F Sutton me to include a creative arts course in the Assembly Hall and Cultural Centre. This Some early evidence of a co-curricular curriculum in 1977, so that students could new space included a hall complete with music group at CGGS was in 1974, further appreciate art, theatre and music,” orchestra pit, a music school with practice when a small instrumental group was says Barbara.