Lucas Heights Community School's Music department provides the opportunity for all students to develop their musical abilities and potential. Both mandatory and elective Board of Studies courses explore music as an artform through the learning experiences of performance, composition, listening and musicology within a range of styles and genres. Music plays an important role as a medium of personal expression and enables the sharing of ideas, feelings and experiences.
Students are especially encouraged to develop their skills in the performance area on guitar, keyboard, singing, wing and brass instruments or drums. Lessons are available at school for some of these instruments.
Students are equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for active engagement and enjoyment of music as well as allowing music to have a continuing role in their lives. Students are ensured of a smooth transition from primary to secondary school by music specialist lessons in upper primary.
Stage 4
In Stage 4 music, students are introduced to the concepts of duration, pitch, dynamics and expressive techniques, tone, colour, texture and structure, within the context of a variety of musical styles through listening and musicological research. In Performance, students are taught a number of different musical instruments to ascertain which one they are most suited to, and are expected to perform pieces in line with their ability and experience level. in Composition, students begin to explore and organise
musical sounds using traditional and non-traditional notation and experimenting with different forms of technology in the composition process.
Stage 5
The 200 hour elective course for Stage 5 aims to provide a greater depth and breadth of musical study through the following learning experiences:
- Performance
- Listening / Analysis / Aural
- Composition
- Musicology Elective topics (e.g. Rock, Popular, Theatre Music, Jazz, and many more).
Emphasis is placed on the development of performance skills on the students chosen instrument (e.g. guitar, drums, vocal). Students will develop their compositional skills by studying compositions from within existing music styles and continued experimentation of the music concepts with, or without, the aid of music technology. The music performed and analysed covers a wide variety of styles in elective topics with particular emphasis on Australian Music, a compulsory topic. Students gain experience in a varierty of music technology including using a variety of music computer software in our computer labs.
Individual students are able to work at their own ability level in the different learning experiences.
Stage 6
Music 1
In the Preliminary and HSC courses, students will study the concepts of music through learning experiences in performance, composition, musicology and aural within the context of a range of styles and periods of music. In the Preliminary course, students are given experience of all aspects of the course.
In the HSC course, students are able to tailor the course to suit their strengths in the learning experiences. Students will choose 3 elective topics in both the Preliminary and HSC course, with one topic being able to be carried through and developed in greater depth. There are 21 topics to choose from including Rock, Pop, music of the 20th and 21st century, Theatre Music, and Jazz.
Primary School students are involved in two bands: The Concert Band and the Training Band.
High School Students are involved in the High School Big Band incorporating vocalists as well as individual rock, vocal and instrumental ensembles.
The music block provides areas for students to rehearse their own rock bands, vocal ensembles or instrumental ensembles at lunchtime. The main music room has a keyboard lab, and there is a computer mini lab that is used for composing, practicing and recording music. Music Technology using the latest software is available for all students in our computer labs. Music students are encouraged to regularly perform at the annual Engadine Music BandFest competition, Year Assemblies, Open Night, Miranda Fair, Presentation Night, Community Markets, Concerts and Musical Soirees.
Youthrock Rock Competition
A variety of rock ensembles from Lucas Heights Community School have entered the statewide Youthrock Competition annually for the last 8 years. The bands entered have been successfully auditioned, into finals and even won the competition.