Music has continued to be very much part of the soul of Ruyton in 2009, with close to 400 girls either taking lessons or being involved in music ensembles. However, the importance of music in the development of the young women of Ruyton is something that cannot be measured in numbers but rather in the way they communicate and the commitment they make to their own lives.
“Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water-bath is to the body.” Oliver Wendell Holmes
Classroom Music
In the classroom, all the girls in Year 7 and 8 in 2009 have studied Film Music, Musicals, Popular Music, Stomp, Aboriginal Music and Australian Folk Songs. The girls were able to express themselves through both creative organisation and performance using technology and traditional music instruments.
The Year 9 and 10 girls continued to develop their performance skills both in group and solo contexts, whilst having the opportunity to analyse their own performances and that of others, through audio recordings and video. Composition and musical creation was also a big part of the girl’s musical education. It was also our pleasure to host the Year 11 Unit 1 and 2 Music Performance class. Congratulations to all that took up the challenge of this subject and for putting everything on the line on a weekly basis.
Instrumental Music
The number of girls studying instrumental music is as follows:
Voice 107
Bassoon 1
Guitar 15
Bass Guitar 2
Flute 30
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 14
Oboe 3
Piano 75
Trumpet 7
Trombone 2
French Horn 2
Euphonium 2
Violin 55
Viola 11
Cello 24
Double Bass 3
Percussion 22
Theory 12
TOTAL 394
My thanks go to all the Music Staff in the Department for their energy and dedication in promoting music at Ruyton.
Mr Paul Smith, Director of Music