Instrumental Music

Why choose Instrumental Music at The Cathedral School?

The Cathedral School offers a comprehensive Instrumental Music Program (IMP) that is an integral part of the school, with over 600 students enrolled in private lessons and/or involved in an ensemble or choir.

Participation in the Music Program instils qualities of cooperation, perseverance and teamwork. The intellectual benefits of performance are extensive with many participants in the performance program achieving a high level of academic success. Members of our Instrumental Music Program have gone on to become engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers and professional musicians.

Instrumental Music Program (IMP)

The Cathedral School is the only Anglican school in North Queensland to give every child in Year 4-6 an instrument. In IMP, students are taught to play, read and respond to music. It is part of their curriculum and correlates with the Junior School Classroom Music Program.

Staff

The Cathedral School employs 14 highly qualified specialist teachers who are dedicated to inspiring students to achieve the best they can in ensembles and private lessons. Our teachers have a variety of creative arts and musical backgrounds. Many are professional musicians who still perform when they are not teaching.

Performance Opportunities

At Cathedral there are many performance opportunities for individuals and ensembles including, but not limited to, the following:
• Showcase in Term 2
• Sounds of Celebration in Term 4
• Performances at school assemblies and special events
• Soirees, chamber concerts and lunch time concerts
• Community performances – including at the Cotter’s Market and St James Cathedral
• Eisteddfod, CQU Jazz Festival, Strike a Chord Chamber Music Competition and Australia Festival of Chamber Music
• Combined concerts with other schools and community groups.

We also offer regular workshops with external and internal specialists, and camps and tours, both locally and interstate. In the past 6 years our students have had great success at competitions achieving success in both ensemble and individual categories.

Facilities

Our Music Block is designed so every specialist teacher has their own teaching space. We also have dedicated rehearsal spaces for our larger ensembles. Our performance hall has state of the art sound and lighting, which enables us to present professional concerts and productions with the help of our school SLAB Crew.

Private Tuition

Individual and small group tuition on a range of instruments is available through The Cathedral School’s Instrumental Music Department. Students are prepared for A.M.E.B. and Trinity College examinations upon request. Currently we have nearly a third of the school enrolled in lessons.

We cater for all abilities and by the end of Senior School many students have completed Grade 8 and above on their chosen instrument/s. Private lessons give students the opportunity to learn an instrument and/or voice. This is offered in addition to the Classroom Music Curriculum delivered to all students until Classroom Music
becomes an elective subject in Year 8.

Private lessons are held during school hours, as well as before and after school. The following
instruments are available for tuition:
• Brass – Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, Euphonium, Tuba
• Guitar – Acoustic and Bass
• Percussion – Tuned and Untuned
• Piano
• Strings – Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass
• Woodwind – Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Oboe and Bassoon
• Voice – Classical and Contemporary

Private lessons give students greater opportunity for development on their chosen instrument. The Instrumental Music Teacher will provide advice regarding exams and competitions, if desired.

Ensembles

The musical experience of instrumental/vocal lessons is best developed when working in conjunction with rehearsal and performance of music pieces in an ensemble group. As such, lesson and ensemble membership work together to provide a balanced and guided education in music. Students are encouraged to join one or more of the schools’ ensembles, as advised by their private tutor in relation to readiness and potential.

The Cathedral School provides a range of ensemble opportunities, in many diff erent styles catering for every
individual at every level;

Choral
• Piccolo Choir (Year 1–Year 2 students)
• Sopranino Choir (Year 3–4 students)
• Animato Choir (Year 5–6 students)
• Voices of Cathedral Ensemble (Year 7–9 students)
• Senior Singers (Year 10–12 students)

Concert Bands
• Junior School Concert Band (selected Year 3–6 students)
• Aaron Copland Concert Band (beginner Year 7–12)
• Percy Grainger Concert Band (auditioned, intermediate, Year 7–12)
• Vaughan Williams Symphonic Band (auditioned, advanced, Year 7–12)

Contemporary Bands
• Big Band (auditioned, Year 7–12 students)
• Rock Band (auditioned, Year 7–12 students)
• Contemporary Band (auditioned, Year 7–12 students) Strings
• Junior Poco Strings (beginner Year 1–5 students)
• Junior String Orchestra (selected Year 3–6 students)
• String Orchestra (Year 7–12 students)
• Chamber Strings (auditioned, Year 7–12 students)
• String Quartets (selected students Year 7-12 students)

Brass
• Brass Ensemble 1 (Year 7–12 students)
• Brass Ensemble 2 (Year 7–12 students)

Guitars
• Junior Guitar Ensemble (Year 4–6 students)
• Guitar Orchestra (auditioned, Year 7–12 students)

Percussion
• Junior Percussion Ensemble (selected, Year 4–6 students)
• Percussion Ensemble (selected, Year 7–12 students)
• Marching Drum Corps (Year 7–12 students)

Woodwind (selected)
• Junior Flute Ensemble (Year 4–6 students)
• Junior Reeds Ensemble (Year 4–6 students)
• Flute Bellissimo (senior) (Year 10–12 students)
• Flute Cantabile (middle) (Year 7-9 students)
• Clarinet Ensemble (senior) (Year 7–12 students)
• Saxophone Trio/Quartet (senior) (Year 7–12 students)

Larger ensembles rehearse before/after school, while some ensembles rehearse during lunch breaks. Auditions for music ensembles are held early in Term 4.

Music Scholarships are available for those students entering Year 7.

Contact

For further information about instrumental music/vocal lessons or ensemble groups, please contact the Performing Arts Office.

The Cathedral School – Department of Performing Arts-Extracurricular
performingarts@cathedral.qld.edu.au
(07) 4722 2019

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