Information for Parents and Students

Welcome to the Performance Music ensemble program. Redlands College is committed to fostering an innovative and responsive creative arts culture that is directed and inspired by our master Creator. Inherent to all education is that its content and means provide an expressive window into the worldview of its participants. Developing effective communication skills, celebrating opportunities to encourage one another and producing outcomes that reflect beauty and honour are key elements of our program.

To be part of a vibrant and successful ensemble, meeting certain expectations regarding attendance, preparation and communication will ensure participants will reap the considerable benefits of ensemble membership and allow for rewarding performances at our public outings that are widely acclaimed in the community for their quality and vitality. We therefore ask that participants commit to ALL of their ensemble’s scheduled rehearsals and events, as shown in the Performance Music Calendar of Events. Through this commitment, students are learning to understand their personal responsibilities in terms of reliability, commitment, and teamwork.

Performance Music Ensemble Events
The Performance Music ensemble events include on and off campus activities, and the program involves activities outside of school hours. To streamline the administration involved in organising these events, we ask parents/guardians to give permission, at the commencement of the school year, for their child to attend all of their year’s ensemble activities as scheduled in the Performance Music Calendar of Events. Letter providing detailed information about each event are emailed to parents via their Redlands College family email address before each event.

Please note that by signing an Ensemble Agreement:
1. You give permission for your child to attend all events and that you understand that ensemble members need to be in attendance at on/off campus venues, and be collected, at the times advised for specific events.
2. Students are committing to ALL of their ensemble’s scheduled rehearsals and events, as shown in the Performance Music Calendar of Events. If you are already aware of your child’s unavailability to attend a scheduled event, please advise us about this as early as possible.

Absence from Rehearsal or Performance
During the year, should your child need to be absent from a scheduled rehearsal or performance due to illness or another valid reason, please email events@redlands.qld.edu.au as early as possible in advance of the rehearsal or event.

Cost
NO fees apply for membership of Redlands College ensembles.

Instrumental Tuition
It is a requirement for membership of instrumental ensembles that students undertake tuition on the instrument(s) that they are playing in their ensemble. For example: a student wishing to join Symphonic Band as a percussionist should be undertaking percussion tuition, to learn both tuned and non-tuned percussion instruments (not just drum kit); a student wishing to join Guitar Ensemble should be learning ‘finger style’ guitar tutor and learning conventional notation (not just tab).

Voice tuition is NOT required for students who participate in Little Voices, Junior Choir, Animato and Chorale. However, Middle and Senior School students who are joining the Choral ensemble may choose to undertake voice tuition, which is available through the College. Students will be invited to audition for Bella Nova. It is required that students who has been selected to be part of Bella Nova singers continue to be part of Animato Singers or Chorale ensembles.
 
Music Uniform
Members of Middle and Senior School ensembles are required to wear the Performance Music Uniform for their performances. A Performance Music shirt/blouse is issued ON LOAN to ensemble students by the College Uniform Shop. Students are required to provide their OWN black dress pants/trousers to wear with the Music shirt. Parents should visit the Uniform Shop to arrange the issue of their Music shirt, prior to their first scheduled ensemble performance events for the year.
 
Members of Junior School ensembles perform in their formal school uniforms.

Middle & Senior School Ensembles - Girls:
Music Shirt: issued on loan by the College Uniform Shop. Girls wear their shirt ‘out’ over their trousers.
Black dress trousers: purchase own
NB Black socks and black school shoes must be worn with this uniform.
Girls who wear their hair tied back with a ribbon should wear the gold-coloured ribbon.

Middle & Senior School Ensembles - Boys:
Music shirt: issued on loan by the College Uniform Shop. Boys wear their shirt tucked in.
Black dress trousers: purchase own (Lowes is the recommended supplier, please ask the College Uniform Shop for details)
NB Black socks and black school shoes must be worn with this uniform.

Members of JUNOR SCHOOL ENSEMBLES:
Wear Dress Uniform for their Ensemble performances.
Girls who are in Junior Guitar Ensemble should wear navy or black bike pants underneath their dress uniform (these may be sourced privately or can be purchased from the Uniform Shop).

Commitment
To gain the greatest benefit from the investments of students, families and staff, our program relies on mutual commitment, trust and encouragement. Pro-active parental support of their child’s ensemble commitment is essential, not only by helping them to consistently attend their weekly rehearsals and performance events, but also by helping them to establish and maintain a consistent home practice routine for their instrumental or voice studies. In addition to developing and enriching their music-making skills, students’ ensemble participation is designed to instil the life skills of commitment, reliability, and teamwork.

Students are required to:
 Honour their signed Ensemble Agreement Form, which commits them to the full year’s participation.
 Attend ALL rehearsals and listed activities involving their ensemble(s), as per the Performance Music Calendar of Events.
 Be punctual and well prepared for all rehearsals and performances.
 Assist with setting up equipment before performances and packing up equipment after performances.

Ensemble students are eligible to be considered for Performance Music Awards, for exemplary commitment, achievement and leadership in ensembles.

Show Cause
The ‘show cause’ process should be a rare occurrence and need never be applied if parents help their child to plan and organise their commitments with care and thought. In the course of the year, students who accumulate three Unapproved absences from scheduled ensemble rehearsals, or one Unapproved absence from an event involving their ensemble (see Performance Music Calendar of Events) may be required to justify their continued membership in that ensemble.

Agreeing to the Terms and Conditions of Performance Music Ensembles
Students have until the end of Week 4 of Term One to withdraw or change their ensemble membership. After Week 4, they are required to have returned their signed Ensemble Agreement/Global Permission Slip, indicating their commitment for the entire year.
We recommend that students participate in no more than three ensembles in a year, in order to contribute effectively and avoid over-commitment.

The Ensemble Agreement and Global Permission Form
Parents and students, having considered the above Terms and Conditions, are asked to complete the Ensemble Agreement Form and Global Permission Slip for the year on the following LINK. Completing the form acknowledges that students will commit to their ensemble/s, and that parents/guardians have given their written consent for their child/children to travel by bus to external events if required. Notification letters for events will be emailed to parents (using your Redlands College family email address; please ensure that you have set up email forwarding or check this email address regularly).

Redlands College Performance Music Supporters Group - Volunteers and/or Cake bakers
Performance Music activities at Redlands College are made possible by a dedicated support group of parents, who provide catering and other support at events. If you are interested in volunteering and/or bake at Performance Music concerts and events, we would greatly value your support.


Ensembles for 2021
Junior School:
 Little Voices (Year 1-2) Directed by Mrs Heidi Slatter
 Junior Choir (Year 3 - 5) Directed by Miss Claudia Marcus
 Beginner Strings (Year 3) Directed by Mrs Cassandra Hansen
 Junior Strings (Year 4 - 5) Directed by Mrs Cassandra Hansen
 Beginner Band (Year 4 - 5) Directed by Dr Peter Handsworth
 Junior Guitar (Year 5) Directed by Miss Eleanor (Nellie) Bausch

Junior/Middle School:
 Symphonic Band (Year 5 - 9, available to woodwind, brass and percussion students)
        Directed by Mr Jacob Cavanough
 String Ensemble (Year 6 - 9) Directed by Mrs Melissa Monaghan

Middle School:
 Animato Singers (Year 6 - 8) Directed by Miss Claudia Marcus
 Show Choir (Year 6 -9, Term 1 & Term 2) Directed by Miss Claudia Marcus
 Bella Nova (Year 7 - 9, by audition only, extension choir available to Animato Singers and first year Chorale.
        Starting in Term 3) Directed by Miss Claudia Marcus
 
Middle/Senior School:
 Guitar Ensemble (Year 6 -12) Directed by Miss Eleanor (Nellie) Bausch
 Percussion Ensemble (Year 6 - 12) Directed by Mr Jacob Cavanough
 Chorale (Year 9 -12) Directed by Miss Claudia Marcus

Senior School:
 Wind Ensemble (Year 10 - 12) Directed by Dr Peter Handsworth
 Chamber Strings (Year 10 -12) Directed by Miss Claudia Marcus