At North Mandurah Primary School we believe Performing Arts instils in students a belief in their own creativity and a true sense of belonging. It gives students opportunities to explore, discuss and deal with difficult issues and express their emotions in a supportive environment. Performing Art enables them to explore their own cultural values and those of others, past and present. We believe Performing Arts education is an important means of stimulating creativity in problem solving. It can challenge students’ perceptions about their world and about themselves.
Did you know music is one of the few activities that use both sides of the brain (logical and creative)? This means it helps build important brain connections, and the more connections we have, the faster we are able to think.
Einstein once said: “Life without playing music is inconceivable to me. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music… I get most joy in life out of music”.
And as it turns out, Einstein was onto something: many studies show a correlation between musical training and academic success, in both children and adults. Learning to play an instrument stimulates the brain, improving functions like memory and abstract reasoning skills, which are essential for maths and science.
Most importantly though, music is fun and if children are having fun, their brains are open to learning! Making music with other people (like in a band or choir) improves children’s social and emotional skills. They learn to work together as a team and develop their sense of empathy with others. Through learning to play a musical instrument music teaches children an important lesson,. The more effort you put into something, the better the result will be!
At North Mandurah we follow the Musical Futures approach to teaching music. It is a tried-and-tested yet innovative way of teaching music learning. It brings real-world music learning processes into schools and other formal settings, engaging and inspiring all and promoting inclusion and diversity.
