Music
Music at Lauriston
The Lauriston Music Program seeks to establish and nurture a lifelong love of music in our students through performing, listening to music and appreciating the therapeutic value of music in their everyday lives. We recognise that learning music encourages the development of valuable life skills including empathy, resilience, communication, problem-solving and teamwork. Every music student is viewed as a developing artist and we encourage girls to explore their inner musician and discover how incorporating music into their everyday life has the capacity to shape and grow them as a person.
Through a range of musical experiences from Preparatory to Year 12, students have the opportunity to explore and develop their musical abilities.
Private music tuition is available to all students. A comprehensive offering of instrumental, vocal and music theory is delivered by our team of highly experienced music specialists.
Music scholarships are also available.
Performance opportunities
Performance is an integral part of the development of all Lauriston musicians, who are provided a range of contexts to practise their skills and share their music-making with others.
The bi-annual Gala Concert, held at Melbourne’s iconic Hamer Hall, involves all students from Preparatory to Year 12. Every alternate year, our Annual Concert features performances from both Junior and Senior Ensembles on stage at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Our school Recital Series, which includes both formal and informal concerts, affords solo musicians the opportunity to perform regularly throughout the school year. Instrument-specific Recitals, including Brass, Woodwind, Percussion, Voice, Strings and Keyboard Recitals, showcase both solo and ensemble musicians.
Lauriston Ensembles perform regularly throughout the school year at events including the Autumn Concert, Jazz Cabaret and Music Celebration Assemblies, as well as at external events such as the Victorian School Music Festival.
All Years 7-12 students participate in our annual House Music Competition, where senior leaders take creative control to lead the teaching of choral and ensemble works to their peers, encouraging team spirit and camaraderie.
Lauriston Ensemble Program
All students are encouraged to participate in Lauriston’s extensive co-curricular ensemble program, which includes open, specialised and auditioned groups:
Choral:
- Years 2-4 Choir – open
- Montrose Choir – Years 5 & 6 open choir
- Montrose Chamber Choir – Years 5 & 6 auditioned choir
- Lauriston Voices – Years 7 & 8 open choir
- Laurietta – Years 7 & 8 auditioned chamber choir
- Howqua Choir – Year 9
- Anthem Choir – Years 10-12 open choir
- Lauriana – Years 10-12 auditioned chamber choir
- Trebelles: Years 10-12 auditioned contemporary vocal group
Strings:
- P-2 Strings
- Montrose Strings – Years 4-6
- Lilian Bayly Strings – Years 7 & 8
- Howqua String Ensemble – Year 9
- Senior String Orchestra – Years 10-12
- Lauriston Symphony Orchestra
Bands:
- First Impressions – Years 5-8 beginner band
- Concert Band – Years 5-8
- Howqua Band – Year 9
- Symphonic Band – Years 10-12
- Lauriston Collective – Years 5-8 contemporary ensemble
- Lauriston Jazz Band – Years 10-12
- Percussion Ensemble – Years 7-12
Music in the Classroom
A highly engaging and enriching music curriculum is delivered from Kinder-Year 12.
In the junior years, children develop a range of musical skills through singing, listening, moving, dancing, playing, improvising and performing, with Kodály and Orff philosophies of Music Education are at the core. Choral singing is an integral part of our Junior Music Program, with weekly choir singing included at all levels.
Throughout Years 2 and 3, all students participate in the Junior Strings Program, receiving instrumental tuition from our team of strings specialists and learning to play in an orchestra.
In the Year 5 Band Program, all students learn a brass, woodwind or percussion instrument for one semester.
In Year 7 and Year 9, all students undertake classroom music, discovering and nurturing their own musical skills through practising performance and composition with their peers. From Years 7-10, specialist music electives are also offered, ranging from musicology studies, such as the Broadway era, through to audio engineering and sound production, preparing students for VCE or IB Music studies in Year 11 and 12.