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11 November 2011
An innovative programme for primary school children, Ensembles in Schools, has returned to Nelson for the second time. The programme concludes with a concert, which will be held on Friday 11 November at 6.30pm at the Nelson School of Music. Entry is by koha.
Ensembles in Schools was developed by Chamber Music New Zealand after identifying a major gap associated with the implementation of the new school curriculum in 2008. Currently there is no on-going programme of professional development in place to help primary school teachers acquire skills necessary to deliver music and there is little requirement for them to teach music in the classroom.
The programme works with children from all backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to develop life skills such as confidence, team working abilities and of course start a life-long love of music. The programme has lasting impact on its participants. One little girl called Kirimaraea from Victory Primary School, who was born with Cornelia Delong Syndrom, came to Ensembles in Schools last year having never made a sound. Kirimaraea’s mother was astounded when she heard her daughter hum the tunes she had learnt in Ensembles in Schools.
Ensembles in Schools brings New Zealand’s leading music educators and professional musicians into the classrooms to teach both the teachers and the students. They learn rhythm, pitch, vocal skills, body percussion, dance and other forms of basic music making, using music from many cultures. The educators work within the schools over a 5 – 6 week period, followed by an intensive week that incorporates the professional ensemble. At the end of this week there is a large public concert, where all the schools participating perform individually and collectively with the professional ensemble.
The children gain confidence through individual expression, learn coordination and about working together collectively and they learn cultural understanding and embrace diversity.
The teachers gain a set of tools and skills and they are empowered to take ownership of the project in order to build a strong and sustainable foundation for on-going music education in the school and the community.