Banksia Park International High School
Banksia Park International High is a category 6 school of approximately 700 students in the North Eastern suburbs of Adelaide. The school has active music, visual arts and drama programs with specialist teachers teaching in all of these areas. The school has dedicated teaching spaces for each of the arts subjects.
Situated in the Tea Tree Gully area, the school is an established community and has a large number of preschools and primary schools. Nine feeder primary schools, including: Banksia Park, Tea Tree Gully, Fairview Park, Redwood Park, Ridgehaven, Surrey Downs, Houghton, Paracombe and St Agnes Primary Schools, provide the basis for the school’s clientele.
The school has an International Student Program, which includes up to 10% of enrolments from other countries. Regular exchange visits for students, teachers and parent groups are organised between Banksia Park International High School and its five Sister schools and three Friendship schools in China, Japan, Vietnam and Korea.
The school and its staff are dedicated to educating students for a global future with the focus constantly on delivering world-class learning, teaching and achievement and positive learning outcomes for young people within a challenging and supportive learning environment. Banksia Park IHS fosters leadership that centres on student learning and achievement and the learning environment within world-class standards.
PROJECT COORDINATOR: Roley Coulter (Music) and Marie Baker (English)
ARTIST: Dale Taylor
PROJECT: Song-writing and Recording Workshop
Aims:
The aim was to create a creative culture of song-writing across the school, through interaction with a professional musician. This enabled students to understand the work of a professional musician, leading to students experimenting, exploring and refining composition in song-writing, along with developing and refining skills in performance and creative practice. Finally students rehearse and perform for various contexts and audiences.
The Artist:
Dale has studied the guitar for many years and currently works as a freelance musician, producer, audio technician, teacher and studio consultant. He has worked with artists such as Mark Wolf and Professor Dadanii Onkwabi and has mentored students at risk in the northern suburbs. Dale has been a teaching artist with Ausmusic (Musicians in Schools Program) from 2005–2007 and has works with students in SA schools to create and record their own songs. Dale is an artist who has recorded widely in the world music genre. In the past he has worked with numerous multi-cultural groups reflecting the school’s ethos of focusing on issues such as social and cultural inclusion.
The Process:
- Meetings with the artist and teachers involved in Term 4, 2007.
- Students brought in recordings and participated in group discussions with the artist regarding song-writing.
- Music students began working in designated groups to write their song.
- Whole class workshops of individual songs began to refine their ideas.
- English students began work on their individual poems with Dale’s assistance.
- The first group of music students to complete their song performed at a whole school assembly.
- Music students spent a whole day with the artist recording their song.
- Visual Arts students began work on the CD covers and design.
- CDs were burnt and assembled with student artwork and presented to all participants in the project.
Outcomes:
Though careful liaison between the artist and teachers involved, the project outline was successfully completed. The specific outcomes outlined in the grant application were all achieved throughout this project. These outcomes included:
- Students creating original art works with an artist in residence as a mentor.
- Students documenting their work in the form of a recording.
- A wide range of students from various subjects with the artist and within the project.
- Students achieving a positive, successful experience with a mentor from the wider community.
The artist has offered to present the work created to the school Principal and discuss possible involvement with the school in the future. The school is currently investigating what other funding may be available to access the artist and his skills again in the future.
Music students will continue to work on original songs/ compositions throughout their Year 11 course this year and will present their work within the school and the wider community.
Highlights:
The completed project encompassed a wide range of student work. Central to the project was the completed recording, however, English students also created a Poetry Anthology and Visual Art students also created CD covers. One of the completed songs was also performed at a whole school assembly. The entire project will also be on display at the school’s Open Night in term two as a power point display and performance.
‘The best experience ever. When we go into the end room which was all set up, I was ecstatic… It sounded amazing; I can’t wait for the CD’ – ‘Thank you for this wonderful experience: especially Dale as without his equipment this would have never happened. Definitely one of the best times anyone could have at school.’ Students
‘I was amazed with the quality of work that the students produced. I learn just as much from the students as they do from me. Working closely with the students also develops my ability to clearly express my expertise as a musician/ producer.’ Artist
‘The wider community has reacted positively to the project, which has generated active interest from local newspapers.’ School Coordinator
56 students participated in this project
