Director of Music

As we wrap up the year in Music, there are substantial thanks owed in so many directions!

After an extraordinarily productive term (that saw almost 100 pieces learnt and performed by classes and ensembles from P-12!) I would like to express my heartfelt admiration and gratitude to:

our seven Academic Music Teachers & remarkable Music ‘Heads’
our dedicated Music Administrator Suzanna Touma, supported by Olga Caristo on the Junior Campus
our 39 Music Specialists who teach 230 students Privately each week and support our ensembles
our Property team who move all our equipment and assist us with performances with warmth and kindness
our College Principal, Paulina Skerman, for her demonstrable belief in the value of Music Education
our students who have given themselves to this art form with great tenacity and integrity
you: our community for supporting the rich music heritage at Santa Sabina through your attendance, and in your guidance of your children’s music-making at home.

It really does ‘take a village’, and this village is world-class.

Paulina Skerman’s most recent Santa Dialogues podcast was entitled ‘Music Makes the World Go Round’. I was delighted to be invited as a guest on her panel, alongside our Head of Performance, Mr James Pensini; our Composer in Residence, Ms Elizabeth Younan; and students Isabella Petersen (Year 11) and Aiden Curren (Year 4).

If you need any convincing as to the value of the Music programs we have on offer here at Santa Sabina, or even the value of Music to your life in general – I encourage you to tune in and listen (Santa Dialogues on Spotify) or watch it below.

Some photos of our most recent events are below! I encourage you to keep your eye out on the school’s social media channels for some festive releases as we head into this beautiful season.

Wishing you and your dear ones a refreshing Summer break, and I’ll see you in 2024 for a wonderful year of music-making!

Amy Richardson
Director of Music P-12

Extracurricular Music in 2024

We are currently taking enquiries for Term 1 2024 commencement across the full range of instruments offered in our program, and will be assigning tutors when the Music Office reopens in late January. We are thrilled that due to the high number of world class tutors currently on our Music staff, we are able to accommodate new starters (depending on their school year) for private tuition in:

Harp
Violin
Viola
Cello
Double Bass
Voice
Flute
Clarinet
Oboe
Bassoon
Saxophone
Trumpet
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
French Horn
Piano
Orchestral Percussion
Drumkit
Guitar
Bass Guitar

Other levied activities in 2024 include Taiko Drumming and Group Musicianship Classes, and we are also taking expressions of interest for mentored Rock Bands and Music Production/Audio Engineering classes.

Enrol here for extra-curricular Music in 2024

Please note that Private Tuition automatically rolls over from one semester to the next, unless advice is given to the Music office. As such, if you are currently receiving private lessons, the Music Department expects that you will continue in 2024 unless we are advised otherwise by the link below. Four weeks notice is required to discontinue, and as such, any Term 1 discontinuation need to be received by 1 January 2024 to avoid a withdrawal fee.

Vary your enrolment for 2024 here

New platform launch in 2024

In the coming year, we will be building a cleaner interface for our community who engage with our Extracurricular and Cocurricular Music offerings. The introduction of the app ‘Clipboard’ will facilitate the communication of Private Tuition lessons, attendance records, and so many other things related to our Music Offerings from Term 1. This change of platform will be clearly and succinctly communicated in the new year, and we look forward to the benefits it will provide all stakeholders.

Co-curricular Ensembles

Don’t forget that one of the best ways to apply new musical skills is in a Group ensemble context! We have many ensembles on offer at Santa Sabina College, and we encourage you, if not already involved, to jump on board with our ensemble program of choirs, bands and orchestras in 2024! Feel free to speak to a Music teacher in the new year who will be able to help you find the best fit ensemble for you.

Enrol here for Co-curricular Music in 2024

New opportunities

In addition to the existing extracurricular programs offered in 2023, we are excited to further develop our Contemporary Music stream to provide additional enrichment opportunities to our Santa Sabina students.

Open to any student in Years 7-12, if you or your child are interested in learning more about Contemporary Music offerings at the College, please express your interest using the form fields below and we will keep you updated:

Contemporary Music Streams

Year 8 Rock Band at Fra Angelico Festival of Arts

Australian Composers Day 2024

The annual Santa Sabina College Australian Composers Day Camp invites students and teachers from all over NSW to join us at Holyrood for a one of a kind enrichment opportunity.

Whilst this has traditionally taken place at Santa in Term 3, next year it will occur in early Term 1, as we place the needs of our Year 11 and 12 students in the final throes of coursework as central to the design of this event. Whilst attendance will be a compulsory expectation of students in Years 10, 11 and 12, any Santa Sabina student can attend the day free of charge!

On Sunday 3 March between 9:00am and 3:30pm a panel of industry experts will guide the learning for our aspiring composers. Guest mentors include ELLA MACENS (one of Australia’s most celebrated and commissioned young composers; noted for her expansIve and lyrical orchestral and choral compositions); DR DANIEL ROJAS (award-winning performer-composer specialising in the rich and vibrant Latin American aesthetic) and DR NICK RUSSONIELLO (internationally respected composer-performer with a specialisation in contemporary technologies and their applications within the live composition context). Our specialists cover vast compositional terrain between them, and they are looking forward to acting as mentors for the day.

From first-time composers to those students with established portfolios, it is our hope that this day will help each participant find and develop their own compositional voice, and empower them with skills and inspirations to make their mark through music across the years to come.

The future of Australian Music is bright.

Spread the word to your musician peers around the state! If you have friends in other schools who might be interested in attending, forward them the registration link below (Early Bird rate closes 1 Feb 2024).

Registration form (non-Santa students)