Strings West in Newport, Victoria, Australia | Education
Strings West
Locality: Newport, Victoria, Australia
Phone: +61 404 889 613
Address: Crn Maddox Rd & Woods St 3015 Newport, VIC, Australia
Website: http://www.stringswest.com.au
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23.01.2022 When Strings West returns we will be moving to Mason Street, in the very heart of Newport! Which means, when you drop off your young musician, you will have one hour to shop, eat, browse, and play! We’d love to meet the neighbours, and maybe even create a loyalty card for our families to use. ... So can you tell us, which businesses and shops would you like us to visit?
22.01.2022 This week’s musical story-time is ‘Galaa’, by ABC Classic kids ‘Music For the Dreaming’. In this episode kids will; listen for the sounds of summer, like cicadas singing and happy bongo rhythms, do the Rompy Stompy Crab dance, sing-along with host Kamil to Aunty Brenda’s song about summer, and learn more Dhurga words associated with summer.
21.01.2022 String Things #7: Awareness of Flow Can you move like you are pushing through jelly? Bounce like a kangaroo? Articulate your arms like a robot? Wriggle your legs like jellyfish? Move smoothly from one position to the next? Developing an awareness of flow is fundamental to being able to play the violin. It allows us to produce long smooth tones, gets the most out of our performance, and protects our bodies from injury. ... Our young musicians love experimenting with flow, especially when they get to be creative and make up bouncing, strong, firm, sharp, disjointed, flowing, sliding, skipping, swinging and jumping movements to music. Enjoy this clip by violinst Lindsay Stirling who is reknown for use of flow. I wonder how many other types of movements you can identify in her clips? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3KUyPKbR7Q
20.01.2022 As Melbourne mandates the wearing of masks in public, our streetscape is going to change. Our friends at The Music Playground wanted to find a simple way to normalize the sight and relieve any anxieties young children might be having and what better way to do that than through music. Kudos to The Music Playground, and feel free to share with your friends and early childhood networks!
20.01.2022 Is your child ready to play? From 2021 String West will be offering our new format beginner group classes. Beginner group classes run for one year and take you and your child through everything you need to know to be successful at cello, viola and violin.... All taught by qualified teachers using current best practices of exploration and discovery ie. learning through fun songs and games! . Wrens (Prep-Grade 2) . Robins (Grade 3-Grade 5) Register your interest now! www.stringswest.com.au/enrol
19.01.2022 Another beautiful clip from @michal.levy.961 showing how much fun it is to experiment with art and music. With everyone stuck inside, why not try this at home? Using art to relax, create and respond to music could be a wonderful calming activity for both you and your child. <3
19.01.2022 Join Yorta Yorta musician, composer, filmmaker and climate justice activist Allara, at 11am today as part of the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency’s premiere music class ‘Music with the Mob’. In this episode, Allara shares her song 'Wala is Life' and breaks it down verse by verse for you to learn! Music with the Mob runs weekly, so tune into their facebook page to get regular updates to each event.
16.01.2022 String Things #11: Less is More! Did you know that when it comes to practice: less is more? . . . Well, more or less ;) Studies show that multiple small amounts of practice are much more effective than occasional large amounts of practice.... Why? Because of three things: attention, repetition and rest. Building the co-ordination and memorization involved in performing a piece requires repetition. So we need to play a piece multiple times. But to engage the brain and get the most out of these repetitions, we need to set a goal for each iteration, and pay close attention to pursuing that goal in a careful and considered way. Finally, to move that new knowledge from short term to long term memory, our brain needs to rest. So including breaks (and better yet, sleeps) between practice sessions is a key to success. So while we’re all at home in COVID lockdown, find a way to include multiple short practice sessions in your day and practice smarter not harder
13.01.2022 Is your child learning to write rhythm? Have a look at this free font app Fonteer, available for Google Docs, iPads, and iPhones. Thanks to @Emerging-Music-Teachers-Network for the tip!
09.01.2022 While coronavirus keeps us inside, work is underway to develop the curriculum for our new 2021 Wrens and Robins classes. These beginner group classes will now run for an entire year before any need for individual lessons. Each lesson will still comprise maximum opportunities for creativity and place each child, their abilities and their interests, at the centre of their learning. ... Why? Because children learn best when they are engaged and placed at the forefront of their own learning. Which is why our mandate at Strings West is not to ‘teach’, but teach, but to ‘educate, encourage and inspire’!
07.01.2022 #TBT With another six weeks of lockdown, it’s going to be a long time before we play together again. But in the meantime keep playing your part, because when we see each other again - it will be a JAM! https://www.facebook.com/454032341372596/videos/526965371554308
07.01.2022 String Things #15: Dynamics When your child starts at Strings West the first thing they’ll experiment with is ‘loud’ and ‘soft’, and let’s face it, every four year old has this covered! But how can you help your older child perform the subtler dynamics of pianissimo (very soft), mezzo piano (moderately soft) or mezzo forte (moderately loud)?... Play games, of course! At Strings West, one of our favourite games for dynamics is ‘Friends’, and the aim is to make as many friends as possible. To do this, we ask children to find their own space, then sing or play their instrument to different people in the room with the following instructions: . pianissimo play to yourself . piano play to the friend next to you . mezzo piano play to the friend next to them . mezzo forte play to all the friends in front of you . forte play to everyone in the room . fortissimo play to all the people outside in the street. We add more dramatic dynamics such as crescendo (getting louder) and decrescendo (getting softer) too. Once children are confident with this concept, we ask them to add their own ideas. Consequently many sessions have reached great depths and great heights as we play to the Man in the Moon, or to the Octonauts under the sea. Try these dynamic games at home, and tell us what wonderful ideas your child comes up with! #stringthings
07.01.2022 How did your child react when they heard fiddle for the first time? Thanks @RMworldmusic for the share and care!
05.01.2022 Coronavirus has caused us to question how we deliver our education, in particular how we can ensure equal access to our much-loved music programs for all. We worried that the expense of attending a group class plus an individual or paired lesson excluded many families from attending. We were also concerned that the requirement made it difficult for children to experiment and try things out before deciding if violin or cello was the right fit for them.... In parallel, we have observed some amazing group teaching in private schools across Melbourne, where children experience group classes only for up to two years before formal lessons start. As such, we are pleased to announce that we too will extend our beginners Wrens & Robins group violin and cello classes to one whole year before individual lessons start, with a view to introducing a second group-only year down the track. All of our teachers are qualified and experienced in taking group classes and are excited by the opportunities that this change will bring. As always, we think it’s a change for the better!
04.01.2022 Stay home, stay safe, and keep creating <3
02.01.2022 #TBT In 2018 three of our wonderful Senior students came in early to help set-up and support our younger musicians. With group-only Wrens and Robins classes starting in 2021, as well as our new Heartstrings music camps, we think it’s time to welcome them back! https://www.facebook.com/454032341372596/videos/305572300207838
