Conservatorium Study Options

Individual Tuition

The Conservatorium offers individual tuition in the following areas:

Orchestral Strings Brass Woodwind Keyboard Percussion Voice Plucked Strings
Violin
Viola
Cello
Double Bass
 Trumpet
Horn
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba		 Recorder
Flute
Clarinet
Saxophone
Oboe
Bassoon		 Piano
Organ
Harpsichord		 Drum Kit
Orchestral Percussion		 Classical Voice
Contemporary Singing		 Guitar
Harp

Early Childhood Music Program

Pre-school course for children from the age of 6 months

The Early Childhood Music Program provides children with opportunities to develop their love and understanding of music. Children develop vocal, instrumental, aural and musical discrimination skills, through the use of enjoyable games, songs, moving, creating, listening and playing activities.

School age course infants school age children

This Kodaly based course contains three sequentially arranged levels for school children. It is an ideal follow-on for children who have attended the pre-school course, as well as being suitable for children with no previous musical experience. The course includes singing in solfa, music reading and writing activities, and playing musical instruments. During the third year of the course, the program extends to include 30 minute group instrumental lessons in addition to regular class activity, providing opportunities for children to experience playing a range of instruments. These often include keyboard, violin, guitar and additional percussion.

Junior Instrument Program (JIP)

The Junior Instrumental Program is a 2 year program designed to cater for young students with little or no previous musical experience. In 2008 the Conservatorium will be offering a range of instrumental options within this program. They will include violin, keyboard, wind, brass and percussion. The suitability of age will be dependant upon the instrument chosen. Students, as young as five, are encouraged to consider violin whilst students from the age of seven will be more appropriate for the other instruments on offer.

Tuition will be offered in a one hour class in the Keyboard Laboratory for keyboard. For all other instruments, students will learn in a shared half-hour lesson. Following the 2 year course, students will then be encouraged to continue their tuition in a half-hour private lesson.

During the first year of the JIP keyboard course children learn to listen, read, write and play music using keyboard and percussion instruments. Thorough training is given in the basics of music reading, rhythm and written musicianship skills. During the second year the course offers the children the opportunity to continue to build on the skills learnt in the first year of the Junior Instrumental Program. The children continue with more advanced reading and musicianship skills, technical competency at the instrument, improvisation, transposition and aural training.

Music Craft

The Conservatorium is introducing the new and exciting AMEB course Music Craft at the commencement of 2008. This new course will prove to be a highly stimulating process for students to gain important music theory skills and knowledge. Students will also acquire their prerequisite "theory exam" for the higher grade AMEB practical exams.

Music Craft, starting now at Preliminary Grade, proceeds through to Grade 4. One of the many inspiring changes that the AMEB have initiated through this new course is the introduction of an "aural" component commencing from Preliminary Grade. Through this process, students will also gain vital skills and be tested from a listening perspective which will facilitate many benefits towards their written work and overall musical development and understanding. The Conservatorium at this stage will be providing half-hour to three-quarter hour classes for each Music Craft grade. In addition, the Conservatorium will also provide a separate combined one-hour class for students who still wish to or are required to study Musicianship.

A separate half-hour class called Junior Music Theory is also proposed for 2008 for younger students who wish to enhance their basic theory and listening skills in preparation for Preliminary Grade Music Craft. This class will help younger students with note reading, basic notation and rhythmic concepts, presented in both a written and listening format.

It is also possible for prospective students to enrol for individual lessons especially for higher grades of musicianship, theory or simply general music theory/ aural tuition. However, there are only limited spaces for this type of tuition and will be subject to the teacher's assessment and availability.

For further information contact Andrew Chubb.

Conducting

Limited places in the study of conducting may be available from time to time. Please contact the Conservatorium office for further information.

Composition

Individual lessons are offered subject to availability. Please contact the Conservatorium office for further information.