On Tuesday 18 July Year 11 and 12 Music classes hosted ‘Soup and Songs’ – an evening of musical performances and showcasing classwork. Families gathered for a delicious meal of homemade soups before the presentations commenced at 6.30 pm.
The Year 11 Class presented a showcase of work from Semester 1, including performances, compositions, and musicology presentations. The students hosted the night and presented their work to family and friends who were ‘back in the classroom’ for the night. Family members were given worksheets and pencils, and they needed to collaborate to answer questions, guided by the Year 11 students. Audience members provided positive feedback based on marking criteria and provided constructive criticism, which demonstrates some of the strong learning habits of our classroom. At the end of the evening, the students tested audience understanding by presenting an interactive Kahoot quiz.
One of the key themes for the night was understanding how the 6 Concepts of Music are woven throughout every aspect of the Music course. Students demonstrated deep understanding and the confident use of subject-specific vocabulary in their work. Year 11 Music presented an engaging and informative program, clearly demonstrating their learning to friends and family and providing a glimpse into the productive and positive tone of our Music classroom.
With the trial HSC fast approaching, our current Yr12 Elective music class are busy preparing their performances. Many of our students have elected performance majors, with a total of approximately 50 songs being studied at the moment between them all. Each student present one of their HSC songs at the Soup and Songs event, and it was a very special evening. For most students, it was the first time they had performed their particular piece in front of an audience. A large variety of repertoire was presented, from jazz and pop, to funk, classical, and even world music.
This was also a great way for students to see how well they know the piece, and required them to push through any hick-ups under performance conditions. All the students performed very well, and it was great to learn afterwards that students are able to reflect and identify areas for development and growth to improve their next performance.
Thank you to all the staff that helped put this event together, including the MRK team and sound and lighting crew. Thanks also to all of the family members and College staff that came along to support the students at this important event, and all the accompanists outside of the class members who performed for the HSC students. We wish them all the best as they prepare for the trials in two weeks.
Mrs Elizabeth Ford and Mr Byron Mark
Music Teacher and Director of Ensembles
