Great Scot September 2018 Gt Scot_154_September_online | Page 41

MUSIC STUDENTS IN THE IMMERSION PROGRAM ENTERTAINING RESIDENTS IN NURSING
HOMES AROUND MELBOURNE.
HAVING FUN,
PERFORMING MUSIC
AND MEETING
PEOPLE
In the 2018 Music Immersion Program, boys participated in a three-day
trip to nursing homes around Melbourne, where they performed their
programs and talked to the audience over biscuits and drinks. This year,
the boys also learned from a chaplain about the daily life of a nursing
home resident, as well as music therapy and the effects of music on the
elderly from Ms Amberley Bremner.
The boys were split into three main groups: string quartet, chamber choir,
and wind ensemble. The groups prepared their own works throughout
the course of the term, and the boys also prepared some solo acts. The
pieces performed were all well known to the residents, and carefully
chosen so that all the audience would thoroughly enjoy the boys’
performances. Some were even willing to sing or dance along at times!
The boys also prepared speeches, which were given throughout the
course of the performance to introduce themselves and allow the
residents to get to know them a bit better. After each performance the
boys also had the opportunity to meet some of the residents and talk
about anything they wished to talk about. Some boys this year even had
the experience of having lunch with a few Old Scotch Boys and to hear
them reminisce about the past.
Not only is this service beneficial to the boys’ communication skills, but it
also helps them to promote their chamber playing skills and develop their
ability to play with a small group. Learning to adapt and be flexible while
playing is a skill learned by performing, which the boys had a lot of over
the three days they went out. Each boy has definitely come out with much
more than he came in with, and the ever appreciative audience makes the
experience ever more so enjoyable for both the boys and the residents.
The combination of having fun, performing music, and meeting people
with rich backgrounds creates a unique experience for the boys, one
which is sure to be memorable for all of them.
MINGUS GU-YANG — YEAR 12
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