29 November 2019

School choirs from St Fidelis’ School, Moreland, and St Matthew’s School, Fawkner North, came together at Coburg RSL to perform at the Remembrance Day commemoration.

The choirs performed an original song that explained the minute of silence in memory of those who died in war.

It is a very beneficial experience for the students, who gain confidence and pride from their public performances.

Kiara, in Year 4, said, ‘I like choir because it builds up my confidence when singing and I can also meet new people’.

Michele Heady and Michael Travers, teachers from St Fidelis’ and St Matthew’s, take an innovative, collaborative songwriting approach to developing music for the choirs. Students are encouraged to own the song through an iterative process that brings together the whole group’s contributions.

Angelina, a choir member, said ‘I like making songs because it’s fun and you can make it like one of your own’.

There is a strong positive impact on student wellbeing from participating in choir. Michael finds that students gain a sense of belonging and increase their social connections through the collaborative group work. Performing in public also engages the students in their community.

Every aspect of the performative process reinforces learning from other subjects. The songwriting process challenges students to improve their language skills and vocabulary.

Music also enables students to engage with topics, with the Remembrance Day song helping choir members develop their understanding of why we commemorate the day.