Read on to hear of all the happenings in our department across recent weeks, and as we look ahead to Term 2!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amy Richardson<\/strong> From 10-13 March, Dr \u202fBrad Merrick spent three days interviewing current students, alumnae, and staff as part of a national study examining how music engagement shapes academic achievement. Thank you to the students, parents and staff who saw the importance of this research, and who signed up to participate. While he was here, it was fun to fish out one of his textbooks off our library shelves for him to sign. It was an enriching experience for all of us as we reflected on the potential benefits of music in every aspect of our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our contemporary program continues to thrive with the launch this week of two new mentored rock bands! Joining the long\u2011established Year\u202f11 group Boulevarde\u202f27<\/em> \u2013 if the first rehearsal is anything to go by, we can\u2019t wait to see what the future holds for these young musicians! We warmly welcome Ms Samantha\u202fKennedy who joins our team of mentors alongside our existing specialist Mr Dane\u202fConnor. These new ensembles are already showing such great energy! Keep your eye out for their debut performances, and later in the year when they perform at the Fra Angelico Festival!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was wonderful hearing the student-led group preparing for a Harmony Day<\/em> item earlier this week, and all across the department, student-led musical expressions are taking various shapes. This agentic exploration is such a critical aspect of a healthy Music program, and we are happy to support these fun clubs as they spring up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An idea for one such group was offered by Sienna di\u202fSanto (Year\u202f11) and friends \u2013 somewhere between a Glee club and a Pitch Perfect movie revival, this joyful, inclusive singing club invites students from Years 9-12 to explore harmony, mash\u2011ups and feel\u2011good repertoire in a no-pressure way. A launch meeting for The Santa Stellars<\/em><\/strong> (not at all to be confused with the Barden Bellas!)<\/em> will be held in Holyrood (Room 703) at lunchtime on Friday 27 March 2026. Contact Sienna if you would like more information or leave your contact details via this link.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bell-Ringing Club <\/em><\/strong>will be resuming next term under the leadership of ex-student Ms Ruby Bron. Contact the Music Office for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next Friday, 27 March, from 3:45pm \u2013 5:00pm will see the first of our Open Recitals for 2026. If your child is one of the 300+ who are receiving Private Tution at the College, you might like to talk to them and their tutor and see if this is a performance experience they would like to pursue to grow their confidence in this way as we celebrate their learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our Friday afternoon Open Recitals sit alongside our Curriculum Recitals, and are relaxed experiences, giving students the chance to share their music with family and friends while celebrating the steady growth happening in our Private Tuition program. We\u2019d love to see you there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Congratulations to the five students who were invested with Associate (A.MusA) and Licentiate (L.MusA) diplomas at the Australian Music Examinations Boards\u2019 ceremony at UNSW on Sunday 8 March 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clara Kwon (Year 9) \u2013 A.MusA, Violoncello We commend these students for this wonderful achievement, demonstrating exceptional dedication to musical excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Set for Monday 4 May 2026 from 8:30am – 3:30pm, we are delighted that ACD2026 <\/strong>is already attracting a record number of delegates from all over NSW. It is our privilege to pull this day together that is of significant value to the Australian Music terrain \u2013 both now and in the future. While Santa Students attend free of charge, we are happy to welcome individual registrations from peers at other schools should they wish to register to join us. Tell your friends! Spread the word! <\/p>\n\n\n\n This year\u2019s provocation \u2013 What Will You Say?<\/em> \u2013 continues to celebrate the pursuit of musical excellence with the development of each artist\u2019s expressive voice. We are honoured to be welcoming guest composers including Maria\u202fGrenfell and Alice\u202fChance, and hip\u2011hop artist Luka\u202fLesson whose collaboration with James Humberstone, Agape will be \u2018dropping\u2019 online as part of the week\u2019s festivities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Music ensembles and activities are open for enrolments all year round. It\u2019s a joy to see more students discovering the confidence and connection that music brings. If any of our programs are of interest to you, you can register at any tine via the College App or via this shortcut link.<\/a> Reach out to our Music office if we can assist in any way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amy Richardson<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n It has been an energising and joy\u2011filled few weeks in the Music Department. We were honoured to host Dr\u202fBrad\u202fMerrick from the University of Melbourne, who selected Santa Sabina as a key research site exploring the links between music engagement and academic achievement. Our students, alumnae and staff contributed across three days, gaining a rare insight […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":19984,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","article_category":[7],"article_tag":[],"class_list":["post-20040","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","article_category-co-curricular"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/ssc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/20040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/ssc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/ssc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/ssc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20040"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/ssc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/ssc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"article_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/ssc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_category?post=20040"},{"taxonomy":"article_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/ssc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_tag?post=20040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Director of Music P-12<\/p>\n\n\n\nDr Brad Merrick Research Visit \u2013 University of Melbourne<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLaunch of two new rock bands!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nStudent-led Music Clubs initiatives! <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOpen Recitals Series 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAMEB Diploma Ceremony<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Estelle Gilmovich (Year 9) \u2013 L.MusA, Viola
Ellie Kwon (Year 12) \u2013 A.MusA with Distinction, Clarinet
Anne Ma (Year 8) \u2013 A.MusA, Flute
Isabella Yang (Class of 2024) \u2013 L.MusA, Violoncello<\/p>\n\n\n\nAustralian Composers Day 2026 \u2013 What Will You Say?<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nJoin a Music Program or activity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Director of Music P\u201312<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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