Introduction to the Year 5 Music Immersion Program

The Year 5 Music Immersion Program is a comprehensive and compulsory music performance course occurring during school time. We offer two streams; the Instrumental and Vocal Stream involves learning an instrument or voice in small groups and participating in a large ensemble, and the Performance Arts Stream, in which students participate in the staging of a musical.

At the start of the year, all students are required to indicate a preference for the stream in which they would like to participate in for the full school year. This is part of the Year 5 Curriculum, and all done during dedicated time throughout the day.

Instrumental and Vocal Stream

String Ensemble

For Violin, Viola, Cello, or Double Bass students. Includes one x 30 min specialist small group instrumental lesson. Students participate in a one-hour weekly rehearsal in a large group ensemble called Year 5 Strings. Additional fees: Lessons, book pack and instrument hire (as below).

Concert Band

For Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Saxophone, Bassoon, Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Baritone, Tuba, and Percussion students. Includes one x 30 min specialist small group instrumental lesson. Students participate in a one-hour weekly rehearsal in a large group ensemble called Year 5 Concert Band. Additional fees: Lessons, book pack, and instrument hire or percussion levy (as below).

Guitar Ensemble

For Guitar and Bass Guitar students. Includes one x 30 min specialist small group instrumental lesson. Students participate in a one-hour weekly rehearsal in a large group ensemble called Year 5 Guitars. Additional fees: Lessons, book pack and instrument hire (as below).

Vocal Ensemble

For Voice students. Includes one x 30 min specialist small group voice lesson. Students participate in a one-hour weekly rehearsal in a large group ensemble called Year 5 Vocal Ensemble. Additional fees: Lessons and book pack (as below).

Performance Arts Stream

Performance Arts Group

Students learn the fundamentals of performance through exploring the world of musicals. Students participate in a one-hour weekly workshop. No additional fees.

Instrumental and Vocal Stream

This is where your child will have the opportunity to explore one of 20+ options for learning instrument or voice. They will participate in a weekly 30-minute small group lesson and spend one school period working together with their peers in a large ensemble, learning as a team to play music together. Vocal students will also participate in the Year 5 Musical. This all takes place during school hours, apart from the concerts where they will perform for their parents and peers.

There is an additional cost to the Instrumental and Vocal stream to enable the delivery of small group instrumental / vocal lessons with a highly qualified and experienced specialist teacher. While this is the preferred stream for all our Year 5 students, we understand that it may not be possible for all families to make this commitment.

Performance Arts Stream

In the Performance Arts stream, students will participate in the staging of a musical, spending one school period per week on instruction and rehearsals, with two concert performances through the year. Participating in the Performance Arts Stream as the Year 5 Musical Chorus requires no additional cost.

Vocal and Instrumental Testing

In the first few weeks of Term 1, all Year 5 students will take part in listening tests as well as trials in both voice and instrument type to gauge their physical suitability. Following this, an offer will be made to each student to learn a voice or instrument that gives them the best chance of success, based on their submitted preferences, trial results, physical suitability, prior experience, and availability of places across the program.

Fees

Enrolment in Year 5 Instrumental or Vocal lessons is a commitment for the full school year. The music lesson fees, displayed below, are invoiced in semester-based instalments with the school fees. The fees are current for 2024 and may be adjusted in future.

Group lessons $730 per year.
Instrument hire $240 per year, when required.
Percussion levy $90 per year, when required.

Initial book pack purchase: $30 – $90 depending on the instrument or voice option offered.

Please note: Iona College does not have guitars or bass guitars for hire. Students are expected to own their own guitars.

With access to the highest quality teachers in Queensland, this cost represents extremely high value and cost return compared to other schools or sourcing these resources and activities externally, reflecting our Oblate mission to make excellent education as accessible as possible.

Instrumental and voice options and preferences

Your son will have the opportunity to choose from the following instrumental and vocal options. Please explore each of these demonstration videos together with your son. It is important to explore all the videos as there may be instrumental and vocal options you have not encountered on their own before and your son’s interest in how they sound can be a key determinant of success. We will ask you for your preferences and musical background information at the beginning of 2024.

Please note that drum kit or drums are not offered separately from percussion, and only forms a small part of percussion activities. Students offered a place in percussion will learn a wide range of instruments, including mallet instruments like glockenspiel and xylophone, as well as auxiliary percussion like snare drum and bass drum.

For more details about the College’s music program, please refer to the Instrumental and Vocal Music Handbook on the Co-Curricular Music page or 07 3906 8908.