All students in the Primary school attend music classes weekly. Below you can view aspects of the program taught, including

1. The Recorder Program
2. The Choir
3. The Kodaly Concept
4. Some useful websites

Chancellor currently runs an instrumental music program and a string program with two instrumental teachers: Claire Deady and Anne Keenan . The classroom music teacher, Miranda Browne, is responsible for teaching classroom music and the management of choir.

1. The Recorder Program

This is a sequential music program that develops students ability to read, write and create music by learning an instruments: the recorder. The students will play a variety of songs throughout the year including folk songs, multicultural music, rock and blues.

2. LUNCH ACTION: Choir

The choir is offered by the music department for the lunch action program. It is managed by Miss Browne and Ms Kenealy and is offered to all students. The choir will perform at a number of occasions this year for both the community and school events.

3. The Kodaly Concept

The type of classroom music program currently run at Chancellor State College is based on the Kodaly concept, the primary goal is to make music accessible to all people and to cultivate a love and appreciation for music that is supported by understanding and direct musical expereince. Kodaly believed that singing should be the foundation of all music education. "It is a long accepted truth," wrote Kodály, "that singing provides the best start to music education; even the most talented artist can never overcome the disadvantages of an education without singing."

The use of the voice is one of the most defining features of the Kodaly approach. The voice is the most accessible of all instruments and this makes it most suitable for musical instruction. It offers direct access to the world of music without the technical problems associated with playing an instrument. Moreover, singing without the aid of an instrument leads to a highly developed aural skills.

Children's songs, singing games and folk dances are an integral part of early training and are used to enhance learning and enjoyment. "Kodàly musical training always involves active music-making. Musical learning evolves from a variety of experiences including singing games and dances, folk songs and art songs; singing songs in unison, rounds, canons and in parts; singing themes from great instrumental music; and listening and moving to music. All these are the cornucopia from which musical concepts are drawn and through which musical skills are practiced."

Kodály believed that musical instruction should reflect the way that children learn naturally. Just as one learns to speak first and then read and write later, so the sound should be taught first before the symbols. The developed inner ear will then be able to recall the sounds when they are presented later as symbols. He also advocated that musical skills should be carefully sequenced into patterns that reflect an understanding of child development. Great care is taken to lead the child from the known to the unknown and from direct experience to abstract concepts and symbols.

Solfa-syllables and the moveable-do system were used to teach skills in pitch discrimination, intervals, harmony and analysis. These skills were reinforced with a system of hand signs first developed by John Curwen in England. Rhythmic skills are developed by means of a system of rhythm duration syllables in which common rhythmic patterns are given a sound name that reflects the way they sound.

4. Some Useful Websites

http://www.kodaly.org.au/

This is information about the classroom music program currently used at Chancellor State College

http://www.finalemusic.com

This webpage contains Finale Notepad, FREE software to download - It enables you to create music on the real staff

http://www.ecsmedia.com

This website has a large variety of music games to play for students of all ages.

http://www.rising.com.au

This demo software assists high school students/ advanced music students with their aural and theory musical knowledge.

http://www.sibelius.com

Sibelius has launched a new series of music software about instruments, lesson plans, compositions and many more. The demo's are worth looking at as you are able to access some of the features.