Music Matters
ST CATHERINE’S MUSIC SCHOOL
Instrumental Change
Imagine a world without music! Music really matters in our lives at all ages and at many levels – academically, emotionally, and socially. Through a quality music education, students are enabled to reach their highest potential academically, explore emotional expression, and improve their social skills and wellbeing.
Australian research provides substantial evidence for the many benefits of music education for students including enhanced literacy skills, increasing learning capacity and attention stamina, and improving auditory processing and teamwork.
As a leader in girls’ education for over 128 years, St Catherine’s School has always understood the key role music education plays in the holistic development of every student, from our Early Learning Centre through to Year 12.
In 2024, the stage is now set for instrumental change at St Catherine’s
with the development of a contemporary new Music School. With dynamic architecturally designed spaces, supported by leading technology, our new home for Music will provide an inspirational environment for students to reach their full potential and carry with them a passion for music throughout their lives.
Join us as we raise vital support to ensure future generations of St Catherine’s students are inspired by, and immersed in, the joy and benefits of music for life.
We hope you consider making music matter through your gift.
“Through a quality music education, students are enabled to reach their highest potential academically, explore emotional expression, and improve their social skills and wellbeing.”
Recital Auditorium
To achieve our shared goals, the Music School offers a variety of inspirational spaces for our students. It will include individual tuition rooms, two rehearsal and small group performance spaces, collaborative informal learning areas and, at its very heart, a recital auditorium.
The Auditorium will be an inspirational space facilitating the holistic development of our musicians, fostering artistic excellence, and providing a world class facility, modelled on, and informed by the Melbourne Recital Centre, for students and audiences alike.
Seamlessly blending aesthetics with functionality, the Auditorium will harmonise modern elegance with acoustic precision, ensuring pristine sound quality that enhances the relationship between musicians on stage and their audiences.
The Auditorium will serve as a cultural showcase for our students and audiences, celebrating musical genres and styles that weave together traditions, histories, and identities from around the world. From student recitals, and faculty performances to guest artist concerts, it will inspire creativity, foster talent, delight our community, and further strengthen the musical passion and artistic excellence at St Catherine’s School.
Inspirational Music Education
From Early Learning to Year 12, all students will have access to this inspirational music education facility. As they progress, musicians will be afforded a seamless transition between their learning and performance spaces with dedicated resources for personalised music instruction and rehearsal, in addition to wellappointed backstage areas.
Designed to inspire confidence and competency, the rehearsal studios and practice rooms for individual music lessons will foster a positive energy for all our young musicians, as they explore and nurture their talent and prepare for performances in the Recital Auditorium.
The development of the Music School has been informed by best practice in music education led by our world class teaching staff. These state-of-the-art facilities and resources, with practice rooms equipped with the latest technology, and rehearsal studios designed for optimal acoustics, combine cohesively to create a technologically advanced learning environment for all our music students.
With Every Note, Confidence Grows
Whether you are a talented musician, an enthusiastic beginner, or a member of the audience, music is a universal language that delves into the depths of human expression. Through its emotive power, our students not only explore those depths, but also articulate their own emotions, finding an important outlet to navigate the complexities of their world with sensitivity and empathy. Music brings joy to the musician and listener alike.
St Catherine’s Music School will ensure music education continues to play a lead role in our School’s academic care programs, developing our students’ resilience, empathy, critical thinking, and collaboration skills as they navigate their adolescence and step into young adulthood, equipped with the skills needed for success in life. Through the language of music, students are more likely to excel academically, pursue higher education and achieve success in their chosen careers.
Music Matters
We invite you to join us to chart this ambitious course that will bridge St Catherine’s School’s accomplished past to the possibilities of the future through our new Music School.
This exceptional environment for musical exploration and education transcends the ordinary, offering students opportunities to pursue their musical passions within facilities that align with the high standards of musicianship within our School.
This ambitious undertaking marks a historic moment for St Catherine’s School and School Foundation, as we aim to raise $5M, the most substantial fundraising target in our School’s history. The success of this significant endeavour relies deeply on the generosity of our community of philanthropic donors. Your support will contribute to this outstanding learning environment and help foster a deep and lasting appreciation for the art and joy of music among our students.
Together, let us elevate the cultural and educational landscape of St Catherine’s School through the establishment of a truly exceptional Music School. We look forward to sharing opportunities for support with you over the coming months as this project takes shape.
Make Music Matter through your commitment to St Catherine’s Music School. To learn more about the project, potential naming opportunities and how you can make a difference, please contact Ms Kathy Hines, Advancement Manager at kahines@stcatherines.net.au or phone +61 3 9828 3032.