Music
Being involved in the Esperance SHS Music Program is a fantastic opportunity for students. There are numerous performance opportunities throughout the year such as participating in the annual Esperance Music Festival, Music Camps/Excursions, International Make Music Day and other performances around the community. The program gives students many benefits, including developing self-esteem, resiliency, respect, group skills, creativity, perseverance and excellence. Music has also been shown to promote multiple levels of thinking simultaneously as well as sharpening the brain’s ability to anticipate and to sustain attention.
The Esperance SHS Music Program consists of Class Music, Instrumental Music and Ensembles. Most of our students are involved in all of these programs, however students can be involved the Class Music program without taking the instrumental lessons, though all can be involved in an Ensemble if they are proficient on their instrument.
The Class Music program consists of different modules which introduce students to the various aspects of Music Education. The course teaches students skills in the areas of Aural/Theory, Composition/Arranging, Cultural and Historical Aspects, and Performance. It is a course where skills are built on content covered in the prior years of learning. Students have the opportunity to study Music through to upper school and we offer students the opportunity to complete a Certificate II in Music Industry through their course work in Years 9 & 10, and then to extend that to a Certificate III in Years 11 & 12.
The Instrumental Music program is provided through the Instrumental Music School Services branch of the Department of Education. Students who studied within this program in primary school automatically continue their instrumental studies. A limited number of places are offered to beginners in high school to provide for students who did not previously have access to school-based instrumental lessons or who were unable to enter the program in primary school. Students in the Instrumental program are also involved in the Class Music program as both of these courses complement each other. Students receive one lesson a week from specialist music teachers on their chosen instrument.
Students are expected to participate in at least one school ensemble once they reach the required standard on their instruments. Esperance SHS currently offers Junior, Concert and Senior Band and Guitar Ensemble. We also offer Jazz Band to students playing appropriate instruments and this is done on an invitation-only basis. As with the Class Music program, students also have the opportunity to continue their instrumental studies through to Year 12, either as part of their Certificate course, or through PIMS (Music Ensemble Performance) which is an endorsed music course developed by the Schools’ Curriculum and Standards Authority. The PIMS course does not require the student to participate in a Class Music course and is based on performance and time requirements. Students may choose to use an instrument that they learn privately for their Certificate instrument, such as piano, but only if their skills on this instrument will meet the requirements of the course.
ESHS Music Ensembles
Rehearsal times
Tuesday 7:30 am – Guitar Ensemble Mr. Watchorn
Tuesday 3:10 – 4:10pm – Junior Band Mr White
Tuesday 3:10 – 4:30pm – Senior Band Mr White
Wednesday 7:30am – Jazz Band Mr White