These are some of the beats and rhythms that I now hear when I walk around the school.
When I ask students, ‘Do you enjoy music?’
I hear a resounding, ‘Yes!’
When I ask the students, ‘Do you have a favourite instrument?’
they all have an answer.
When I ask 'Would you like to learn to play an instrument?’
I’m excited to hear them say, ‘Yes, I’d love to play a ...”
Students at Morphett Vale East Primary School make shapes with David Dai from ‘Life is an Echo’
In the first of a series of features on Musica Viva Australia’s Music Education Residency program Carolyn Mildrum, Principal of Morphett Vale East Primary School, reflects on the experience:
We are now in our third year of working with Musica Viva Australia. Our aim is to build our classroom teachers’ understanding of the possibilities and connections across and within curriculum strands that music can provide. Every classroom is supported to teach a music lesson each week, and teachers are encouraged to seek and make connections across other subjects.
Junior Primary students make connections through Music, Maths and Literacy, using instruments to hear the syllables in words and making mathematical patterns in music; it’s great to hear singing in classrooms increasing. Teachers are asking for musical instruments for use in their classrooms, which is music to my ears!
Our primary students are engaged as well, using upturned plastic containers to make deep resounding drumbeats, along with a range of other percussion instruments from around the world.
Yr 5/6 students can opt into ‘Jam Band’ each week, where they create musical pieces that they perform to our community and will form part of our end of year concert.
Now that we’ve created the passion and opportunity in our students, our next goal is to build the connecting bridges for our students through to high school. We are still in the early stages of this work but we’re hopeful of what might be created.
Morphett Vale East is a R-7 school in South Australia with just over 170 students in years R-7. It is one of three schools currently participating in a three-year immersive Music Education Residency to implement a comprehensive and effective music education program at the school.
Sandra Taylor, MVA SA State Manager: ‘Morphett Vale East is one of three residency schools in South Australia at the moment. In 2024, Morphett Vale East enjoyed preparing for performances by MVAIS ensembles Life Is An Echo and Imagination Exploration. It is wonderful to see the growth of confidence across several areas including the development of music knowledge, cross-curriculum applications, creative story-telling through composition, and music performance skills.’
The Music Education Residency Program focusses on individual schools, usually located in areas of considerable disadvantage where music is not available. Across the three years every child engages with music-making, every teacher is introduced to general music instruction and the impact of these initiatives is carefully monitored. When the residency ends, the schools will have become self-sufficient in music instruction, empowered to maintain this eco-system beyond the life of the residency, drawing on resources and opportunities readily available to all public schools through Musica Viva Australia's Education Program.
MVA's residency at Morphett Vale East Primary School is made possible thanks to the philanthropic generosity of the Aldridge Family Endowment, Carthew Foundation, and the Foskett Foundation. We also thank the Day Family Foundation for their long-time visionary support of MVA's South Australian Residency programs.
