Gabbinbar State School has a strong music program, with specialist teachers in the instrumental areas of brass, woodwind, percussion and strings, and a specialist classroom music teacher responsible for delivering the class music programs and running the choral program.
Instrumental music
Instrumental lessons begin for strings in year three, and for woodwind, brass and percussion in year four. Instrumental students have free weekly 30-minute lessons with school-supplied instruments in their first year and are then expected to become part of an ensemble as soon as they reach an appropriate standard of proficiency. The ensembles at Gabbinbar include a stage band, concert band and string orchestra and each ensemble rehearses before school from 8:00 am.
Classroom music
Classroom music lessons take place in the dedicated music room in an environment where the focus is on the voice along with the Orff Approach in classroom instrumental playing and arranging. Students learn about the basic elements of music, and then use these skills and elements to compose, improvise, perform, conduct and respond to their own and others’ work. They develop specialised listening skills, and are exposed to multiple and culturally diverse practices of music, learning about both Australian and international music. All students from prep to year 6 are expected to take part in the school’s annual concert held at the end of term four, which sees every child in the school given the opportunity to appear on stage with their grade peers.
Choral music
Gabbinbar has a strong choral tradition with the Senior Choir being drawn from Grade 5 and 6 students. The Year 3 and 4 Junior Choir is also a voluntary choir where commitment and co-operation are the only requirements, and like the Seniors, rehearse during one of the lunch breaks each week.
Performances
Our ensembles and choirs perform and compete regularly in a wide range of events including Fanfare, TYME (Today's Youth in Music Education), the Toowoomba Instrumental and Choral Eisteddfod, Sing Out, String Out, Awards Night, in addition to performing at school assemblies and special ceremonies and events.