All students
at Southport Special School have access to class music lessons. These lessons
focus on making as well experiencing and listening to music. Using the voice as
well as a wide range of instruments form the heart of all lessons which are
tailored for the ability and age level of the students. Students are encouraged
to sing or vocalise on microphones. Traditional tuned and un-tuned percussion
instruments, African drums, drum kits and keyboards, guitars and ukuleles, iPad
Apps such as Garageband, Loopy, Beamz and Mad Pad as well as specialist
instruments for disability access such Soundbeam all form the sound canvas from
which lessons are drawn.
In Middle
School and Secondary School students have opportunities to play in drum
ensembles who play traditional African rhythms on Djembes and Dun Duns. The
drum ensembles rehearse during lunch times and have had success at the Gold
Coast Eisteddfod, winning the Special Needs Section as well as successfully competing
in the Mainstream Section and being awarded second place in 2018.
Lunch time activities
for Junior Secondary students also include a singing club in which students can
sing their favourite songs both individually and in groups. Students prepare
for performances both within the school and outside the school such as at the
Eisteddfod.