The Power of Performing on Student Development
Developing societal and cultural trends in Australia have seen many students, and even educators, overlook Performing Arts subjects such as Music, Drama or Dance in favour of traditional subjects when selecting subjects to study or provide to students. This is despite the widespread acceptance by researchers that students that participate in the study of Performing Arts at school achieve better grades, are more likely to finish their education and report higher levels of self-esteem.
At Living Waters, we recognise the importance of educating the whole child in building bright futures. Our well-rounded curriculum and co-curricular programs encourage our students to explore all areas of learning, to develop their unique interests and talents. Our exciting co-curricular Performing Arts opportunities challenge and inspire our students to reach their full potential outside of traditional classroom learning; whilst also building 21st century skills that will help them to succeed in the workplace.
Here are just some of the benefits we have witnessed in our students from participating in the Arts:
Physical benefits of playing an instrument:
Playing an instrument requires an array of physical skills, including the mastery of using body movements from the hands, arms and feet – often simultaneously. The benefits are many; your child will strengthen small muscles whilst increasing the ability to coordinate both the left and right sides of their body.
Learning how to play the guitar, for instance, requires the coordination of both hands and fingers. This can greatly improve handwriting ability and fine motor skills.
Increased self-confidence, resilience and emotional balance:
Performing Arts build self-confidence. Exposure to the occasional mistake during a performance and the challenge of working through it on the spot decreases performance anxiety and increases resilience, setting students up to be confident speakers, presenters and leaders in the future.
Performing Arts provide a healthy creative outlet for students to express themselves through physical movement and music. Good performers recognise that the secret to an effective performance is to immerse themselves in the character (or piece) and communicate this effectively to the audience. Performing a role or learning lyrics that require a student to explore the perspective of someone other than themselves encourages empathy and compassion for the experiences of others and offers an engaging way to explore global cultures and history.
Increased physical activity, coordination and self-expression:
Today’s increasingly technological world has resulted in a concerning trend of children trading physical activity for long periods of sitting in front of consoles and screens. Playing an instrument or performing a role necessitates movement, improves coordination and can even build physical endurance – all while having fun!
Opportunities available at the College
Music
Students’ interest in music is nurtured from the primary years, with students encouraged to join the Primary Choir and perform in their local community. Families can elect for their child to receive private tuition across a range of instruments from as early as Year 1, right through to Year 12. Students also study Music as a compulsory classroom subject until the end of Year 8. Music is an elective subject from Years 9 to 12. There are a number of ensembles that students can join regardless of whether they choose to study the subject, including Junior Band, Concert Band, and a variety of choirs. Performance opportunities also include the College’s Wine and Cheese Night, Recital Evening and the Performing Arts Showcase, to name a few.
Students in Year 6 are given the opportunity to learn a Woodwind or Brass instrument during their music lesson for a semester and work toward a concert for their parents and loved ones at the end of each semester. Passionate students are given the opportunity to participate in the Music Specialist Program in Year 7, allowing them to continue tuition and join the Concert Band. The Year 6 and 7 Programs are fully-funded by the College.
Performing Arts
All students in Years 7 and 8 are taught Drama, which encourages the development of soft skills such as teamwork and emotional awareness. Drama becomes an elective subject for Years 9 to 12. The College has also introduced Dance into the Year 9 elective program, which is running for the first time as an elective in 2021. Students studying these courses will have the opportunity to perform in the Performing Arts Showcase and Recital Evening.
The College alternates between a Musical or Theatrical production each year, with all Secondary students invited to audition. This year’s College Musical, Mary Poppins, will be performed on 29, 30 and 31 July at the College in the Vlahov Gymnasium and Performing Arts Centre.
More information on this year’s College Musical can be found here: https://www.livingwaters.wa.edu.au/mary-poppins/
If you are interested in finding out more about how our College builds bright futures by engaging students with Performing Arts, please download our Arts Brochure
