School band
At Bilgola Plateau Public School we have a large and successful band program involving over 100 children in three separate ensembles. For most children, belonging to a band is a vital part of learning music. It is exciting and motivating to play with others and many skills are learned. Students have two practice sessions a week at school as well as a weekly private lesson with a specialist tutor.
A highlight of the year for many students is the annual band camp which is usually held on a weekend early in Term 1 to kickstart the year's program. The camp runs over a Saturday and Sunday and concludes with a fantastic concert for families and friends. In between there are lots of group tutorials, combined rehearsals and an afternoon of fun sporting activities. The students confidence and ability to play improve enormously, friendships are cemented and the parent feedback is always positive.
Bilgola Plateau Public School bands play at a wide variety of venues. Many of the performances are within the school supporting special events such as open morning, seniors day, presentation day and education week. We also hold two major concerts each year - the music showcase in term 3 (for all instrumentalists) and the end of year musicale where all of our music, choral, dance and drama items are featured. In addition, the bands perform outside the school at community events, special band festivals and competitions on the Northern Beaches. Over the past years our bands have entered many music festivals and eisteddfods achieving excellent results.
Our three ensembles are:
- training band: essentially for players just starting music with no previous experience.
- concert band: for the students who are in their second or third year of playing and beyond beginner status.
- performance band: provides opportunities for students with more than two years experience and advanced musical skills to perform a wide range of repertoire.
Band training is held several mornings a week, in the school hall, before school. The band program at Bilgola Plateau Public School is generously supported by the parents and citizens association and is greatly enriched by parent involvement at rehearsals, concerts and camp. There is also a representative parent from each group who facilitates communication between the director and the many families involved.