Diana Springford – Head of Music

It looks like we have only one more week of ‘the new normal’! As we begin the transition back to ‘the old normal’ I take this opportunity to thank all our music tutors, conductors, ensemble mentors and student musicians for their fabulous online teaching and learning, their massive and sudden upskilling, and their imaginative approach to teaching and making music online. I would also like to thank our marvellous school leadership team and our terrific IT team for their support, encouragement and work to enable our music making to move online. Thank you all!

There are some wonderful projects underway, and who knows if we will get the opportunity to follow through and finish them now that our commitment to the virtual is waning. If you have not yet done so, please listen to our Senior Chamber Choir’s truly beautiful virtual choir performance of Coming Out of the Dark, managed, conducted and mixed by Adam Majsay. 

Private tuition during the partial return to school

Your situation will depend upon your tutor’s situation, their normal day of the week, the day(s) you return to school, and so on. Please check with your tutor what their plans are for the partial return to school. Tutors who are Zooming from home have taken steps to ensure that you will not need to Zoom them on a day you are actually at school.

Ensembles and choirs for the partial return to school

Your conductors and mentors will have communicated with you what the plans are for the partial return to school.

We need to consider the day(s) musicians and leaders are on campus, the size of each group, whether they are singing or playing instruments, and the size of the rehearsal space. Therefore, every ensemble/choir/band has its own plan.

Private tuition for the full return to school

All tuition will return to normal with lessons live and onsite. There will be no more Zooming from Week 6 (1 June 2020).

Ensembles and choirs for the full return to school

Many ensembles/choirs/bands are ‘back’ in some form.

The size of the group in relation to the size of the rehearsal space, and whether the group predominantly sings or blows into their instrument, are variables we need to consider.

Please see this plan for all the details:T2 W5 & W6-10 of Ensembles & Choirs Rehearsal Plans 2020 – Ensemble Rehearsal Schedule T2 Wk5 & beyond.

Instrument sundries

For those who need to stock up on replacement reeds, cleaning gear, replacement strings, rosin and other bits and pieces, below are the website details for our local suppliers who can fit while you wait:

• • Sydney Band Instruments: here
  • Irwin Violins: here 
  • Sax and Woodwind: here
  • Prestige Musical Instruments: here

For Emanuel instruments needing repair, please email: jdearaujo@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au with detailed information about the fault.