What we teach

The mission of the Albion Park High School's Music Department is to instill in each student the inspiration for lifelong participation in music.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

• Music is an integral part of the human condition and is essential to the well-rounded education of all children.
• The ability to create, perform, and respond to music emotionally and intellectually has an important humanizing influence.
• The skills, knowledge, and habits acquired through the study of music enriches students' lives.
• Through these experiences, students build positive personal relationships with others, preparing them to live and work in a culturally diverse society.

WHY EVERY STUDENT SHOULD STUDY MUSIC & THE ARTS

1. Develop imagination
2. Enable students to make informed aesthetic choices
3. Provide a creative, motivating vehicle for mastering technology, including multimedia
4. Develop self-discipline and focus
5. Develop the capacity to refine work, aspiring to high-quality standards
6. Create a better school atmosphere
7. Foster creativity and independence
8. Develop the ability to solve complex, often ambiguous, problems
9. Create a positive, inclusive school atmosphere
10. Develop teamwork
11. Enhance self-esteem
12. Increase learning across the curriculum

Overview of courses:

Here is the syllabus for Music 7-10.

Year 7 students are given the opportunity to develop their practical skills on guitar, keyboard and various percussion instruments. They will also develop their ability to read and appreciate music through studies of the following topics:

STOMP (with a focus on Duration), Instruments of the Orchestra (with focus on Tone Colour), Australian Music (with a focus on Structure and Texture) and Dynamics and Expressive Techniques (with a focus on Score Reading).

Year 8 students are given the opportunity to further develop their practical skills on guitar, keyboard and various percussion instruments. They will also extend their knowledge and appreciation of music through studies of the following topics:

Music of the 20th and 21st Century, Theatre Music/Music in the Media, Film Music and Popular Music.

Year 8 Elective: So You Want To Be A Rockstar

In this Year 8 elective Music course, students are given the opportunity to extend their practical skills on their choice of guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and/or vocals. This course is aimed at students who are interested in increasing their performance experience in ensemble or solo settings. Students will work towards relieving their performance anxieties and increasing their confidence by playing music in a supportive and constructive environment.

Years 9 and 10

In these junior elective years, students are encouraged to develop instrumental skills on an instrument of their choice. Students also further explore their passion for music through the following topics in Year 9: Popular Music, Music for Small Ensemble, Australian Music and Music of a Culture (Mexico). In Year 10 they study Film Music, Rock Music, Jazz and Technology in Music.

In completing instrumental, compositional, aural and musicological activities, students will discover their strengths and develop their musical skills with the intention of creating well-rounded musicians ready to tackle the senior years.

Years 11 and 12

In the senior course, students have the unique opportunity to create their own path of study. Through activities that develop their instrumental, aural and musicological skills students can select where to focus their studies (performance, composition or musicology/viva) and under which topics they will learn and develop these skills. Students can focus purely on performance, create wonderful compositions, express their passion for music through musicology/viva's or any combination of the above. This allows the student to create a path through the senior course, which focuses on their strengths and allows them to study topics that interest them and which they are passionate about.

There are two courses for Music in Stage 6:

- Music 1

- Music 2

Some of the topics the students can study are: Music for Small Ensemble, Rock Music, Popular Music, Theatre Music, Music for Film, Radio and Television, Instrument and its Repertoire and Technology in Music.

Extra-curricular opportunities available/whole school events.

Albion Park High School are excited to offer the following opportunities for their performing arts students:

CAPA Committee: This is a leadership group that is dedicated to supporting and providing opportunities for creative students within the school and the wider community.
Vocal Ensemble: open to all students years 7 to 12
Performance opportunities at many school formal and informal assemblies and presentation nights.
Performance nights, which showcase the talent and skills of our elective students.
Involvement in Community of Schools events, including COS concerts and visits to and with our feeder schools.
We have had both choral and dance representation at Schools Spectacular and Southern Stars.
We have a strong link to our local community having both participants and performers at the Shellharbour Relay for Life.
Opportunities to submit auditions for regional and statewide programs such as Schools Spectacular, Tallent Development Project, Touring Ensemble and Southern Stars.

Albion Park High School has a long tradition of excellence in the Creative and Performing Arts. Through a range of activities, students can explore their own identity by engaging in the creative processes of Music, Drama, Visual Arts and Photography. Dedicated teachers provide an energetic and creative environment that challenges students to explore their contemporary world.

Boasting purpose-built facilities, students are exposed to a variety of subjects. Facilities include a Performing Arts Drama room, fully resourced Music rooms with practice facilities. A Photography darkroom, Visual Arts resource room, Ceramics room, Digital Media Mac lab and spacious Visual Arts studios provide ample space for a variety of learning activities.

Our achievements include Schools Spectactual, Touring Ensemble, Southern Stars, Regional Drama Festival, Musicals, Music Hall and Dinner Theatre, CAPA Showcase Night and Yearly Drama and Music Performances and Art Exhibitions.

We have also had excellent representation in nominations for both Art Express and Encore which are programs that celebrate HSC excellence in Visual Arts and Music.

If you want to see more of what our creative students are getting up to, check out our socials.

https://www.instagram.com/aphscapa/