A huge a3 concert, the culmination of a term’s worth of lessons and coaching from specialist teachers from Australian Arts Alive, brought students in years 3-6 from Coolamon, Ganmain, Lockhart and Junee together to showcase their new skills. 

“When you come from a small school, singing or dancing with close to 200 other kids just adds so much power to a song,” teacher Bianca Brady said. 

Ms Brady was trained to conduct as part of the a3 program.

She said seeing the children responding to musicians from Sydney and Melbourne was magic. 

“As soon as the girls walked in the door the kids just lit up, they’re so confident and energetic. This is their passion,” she said. 

“Music is one of those things that’s very hard to teach if you’re not trained.” 

The tutors came to the school fortnightly, teaching the repertoire for the concert and igniting passions in their young students which can last lifetimes. 

For her own 10-year-old daughter, Sophia, the program lit a flame. 

“She’s taken up the flute and just the other day looked up the notes for Waltzing Matilda on her iPad to learn,” Ms Brady said. 

“She would never have done that before.”

The program was the result of a push from the catholic diocese of Wagga for more music in their schools.

The move has also brought Keith and Fran Griffin to St Joseph’s as weekly tutors, starting in term one this year, with all students offered the opportunity to learn an instrument. 

The show featured songs, dances and performances by the new school band, which formed for the first time this year.