Music has a long tradition of excellence at Meriden, and forms an essential part of each student’s education. Meriden’s thriving Music Department aims to foster a love of music in every student and develop the skills of talented young musicians.
Music is taught by specialist teachers as a classroom subject to all students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 8, and as an elective subject from Years 9 to 12.
In the Junior School, there is a focus on singing, with the language of music notation presented through a variety of listening, composition and performance opportunities.
The Junior School instrumental program is an important component of classroom Music lessons and facilitates an advanced coverage of the curriculum. The instrumental program takes place in Year 3 with an array of instruments taught by specialist tutors including violin, viola, cello, double bass, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, oboe, clarinet, saxophone and French horn, and in Year 5 with a focus on larger instruments such as double bass, bassoon, tuba, bass guitar and percussion. Performance ensembles for students who have progressed on an instrument are also offered alongside the curriculum to encourage collaborative music making.
In the Senior School, all students in Years 7 and 8 study Music. The variety of topics covered ranges from Instruments of the Orchestra through to Film Music and Rock Music, with a focus on notation and the development of listening skills.
In Years 9 and 10, the Music elective course centres around a contextual focus and the development of aural skills, composition and performance techniques. Students perform regularly with an accompanist and are supported in composition by a specialist composition teacher. Topics include Music for Small Ensembles, Opera, Musical Theatre, Jazz and Music of the Twentieth Century.
Meriden offers all HSC Music courses including Music 1, Music 2 and Music Extension. The components of aural, musicology, composition and performance are taught by specialists in each area and our students are encouraged to develop their skills in all components for a holistic music education.
Throughout the school year, visiting professional musicians conduct performances, workshops and masterclasses for Music classes and ensembles in both the Junior School and Senior School.
Meriden’s Music students regularly achieve outstanding results in the HSC, with the majority of students achieving a result in the top band. Meriden students are consistently named in the HSC Honours List for Music and nominated for inclusion in the annual ENCORE Concert held at the Sydney Opera House which showcases the best of the HSC Music performances and compositions.
Meriden’s dynamic cocurricular Music program ensures every burgeoning musician has access to highly-skilled music teachers who develop our students’ dedication and passion for music to the fullest extent. Many girls find a sense of belonging through our music programs, growing in self-esteem as they connect with other young musicians, and developing their confidence through frequent performance opportunities.
Junior School Ensembles
— Years 1 and 2 Singing
— Years 3 and 4 Choir
— Years 5 and 6 Choir
— String Orchestra
— Chamber Strings
— Jazz Band
— Junior Band
— Wind Ensemble
— Percussion Ensemble
Combined Ensemble (Years 5 – 9)
— Sinfonia
Senior School Ensembles
— Choir
— Intermediate Singers
— Senior Singers
— Madrigals
— String Orchestra
— Intermediate Chamber Strings
— Senior Chamber Strings
— Symphony Orchestra
— Wind Symphony
— Instrument ensembles
(brass, clarinet, flute and percussion ensembles)
— Chamber Music
(trios, quartets and quintets)
— Chapel Band
— Concert Band
— Jazz Band
— Rock Band
Music Clubs
Club 88 and Composition Club are cocurricular activities which are open to pianists and students interested in composition in Years 7 to 12.
The Amadeus Program celebrates the skill and passion of exceptional young musicians by providing expert teaching staff to oversee their musical development, monitoring and guiding their academic schooling, and providing them with exciting performance opportunities. Girls from Years 7 to 12 may be invited to join this program when they are involved with music at a high level, inside and outside of school.
The program encourages each student’s commitment to music by providing:
— Regular rehearsal opportunities with a professional accompanist to develop individual repertoire for performances, auditions and competitions
— Opportunities to further develop performance skills and confidence through formal concerts, recitals, masterclasses, eisteddfods and competitions
— Individual support to manage their studies and assessments when a student has pressing musical commitments outside the school
— A dedicated pastoral group which meets at least once per fortnight under the guidance of a member of the Music staff
— Priority choice of music lesson times through the Meriden Music Academy
— The option of reducing the number of electives undertaken in Years 8 to 10 in order to prioritise music lessons, rehearsals or music practice.
Musicals are a highlight for the entire school community and Meriden is renowned for its exceptional productions.
The performances provide students with valuable practical experience in all aspects of the performing arts. Our Music and Drama staff, along with special guest artists, mentor students through every step of staging a production, with special attention paid to singing, acting and dancing.
Meriden’s new Centre for Music and Drama provides exceptional, specialised auditoriums and professional spaces in which to perform and rehearse, or to join a musical’s production crew, offering world-class sound, lighting, costuming and staging equipment to master.
Meriden’s musicals are ably supported by the School’s highly skilled musicians who bring to life the soundtrack of every show.
In the Junior School, Years 5 and 6 students perform in a Musical Spectacular every second year. The girls spend time inside and outside of class rehearsing for the event, and the show hones the girls’ performance skills, builds their confidence and strengthens their relationships with their peers.
Senior School students shine in their biennial musical. Girls of all ages are invited to audition for the cast or apply to be members of the production crew. The girls’ passion and dedication delight their audiences, who travel from across Sydney to enjoy the polished productions.
Senior School students studying Music as an elective subject regularly attend performances by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia, Musica Viva, ACO and other major groups. The concerts chosen for our Music students link to aspects of music studied in class. Crucially, these concerts provide an invaluable opportunity to see and hear Australia’s finest musicians perform live.
The annual Meriden Music Camp is held over three days on the outskirts of the Sydney metropolitan area. All members of our performing ensembles in the Senior School attend this camp which is an enjoyable time of intensive rehearsals. During Music Camp, Meriden’s orchestras, bands and choirs have an opportunity to improve their performance standards, sometimes with a visiting conductor.
Our Senior ensembles undertake tours from time to time. These tours may be overseas, interstate or in regional NSW. In addition to showcasing the ensembles, music tours provide our students with experience in this essential aspect of the life of a professional musician.
Music at Meriden enjoys a reputation for excellence in both ensemble and individual performance. School assemblies, community events, combined schools’ festivals and our own series of ensemble concerts, recitals, and Twilight Concerts, provide Meriden girls with many opportunities to perform to both small and large audiences. Meriden ensembles represent the School in eisteddfods, festivals and competitions.
Whole-school music festivals and concerts are often a feature of the Meriden school year.
Private tuition is offered through the Meriden Music Academy which operates in state-of-the-art, customdesigned studios on the Senior School and Junior School campuses.
There are over twenty dedicated staff members who offer tuition in a variety of instrumental and vocal styles as well as music theory, musicianship, and speech and drama. Lessons are taught by highly qualified specialist teachers during the school day, after school and on Saturdays.