Music

Music is a powerful medium for both good and evil. Many of the social evils plaguing young people today can simply be traced to the music they listen to. Cicero once said that the choice of music is the largest single factor is shaping the character of a person. Two thousand years after Cicero it can be statistically shown that there is a very high correlation between learning to play an instrument and academic success, and an even higher correlation between learning to play an instrument and staying out of trouble as an adult. At Ponatahi Christian School we aim to conquer the desire for the wrong music by exposing children to the good.

Musical instrument tuition is compulsory for Y5 to Y8 students, and is an option for college students. Usually students start on the recorder in small groups of 2-5 with one half-period lesson per week with a specialist instructor. Tuition is also available for piano, keyboard, guitar, violin, flute, and brass. Group lessons are usually free of charge to the parents, but families must pay for one to one lessons or for external teachers for violin and brass. Students begin by purchasing their own recorder through their stationery account. More specialist instruments can be hired from the school at a nominal charge. Music practice is part of homework!

Primary children are conducted by a secondary student, with brass instruments in the background.

Music education is enhanced by a continuous programme from Year 5 to Year 8 meeting individual needs and aspirations, rehearsing as a large group to perform in front of parents, performing to peers in lunchtime, attending occasional NZSO or Wellington Synfonia concerts held locally, and singing in a local rest home. There is also daily singing to worship in assembly each morning. Some of the pictures here have been taken from lunch time performances to the public in Masterton. The picture with the harps is from the 2008 concert “A taste of Ireland” which was Mrs Joan Tolmie’s last major production after 22 years as our music teacher.