As part of an outreach program organised by the Year 12 music prefects, Sophie Regan and Alana Zhou, a group of talented Kambala girls from Year 5 to Year 11 recently performed a music recital for the residents of Bondi Beach Astra Retirement Village.
The Kambala recital consisted of both solo and chamber music performances, including:
- two piano soloists: Emma Li (Yr 9) & Emma Bensoussan (Yr 8);
- a junior string quartet: Audrey Chan (Yr 6), Clara Wu (Yr 6), Madeline Yu (Yr 5) & Jolin Zhou (Yr 6);
- a senior string quartet: Marie Hori (Yr 11), Lilian Pack (Yr 11), Grace Yang (Yr 10) & Annabel Rowney (Yr 9); and
- a flute trio: Ellie Hoskins (Yr 10), Chloe Carman (Yr 10) & Grace Yang (Yr 10).
The residents were blown away by the girls’ musical talent during the one-hour long performance which ranged from the elegant ballads of Chopin to the lyrical harmonies of Elgar. Their humming along and appreciative smiles as they listened to the girls’ musical renditions illustrate the power that music has in bringing joy to people’s lives. In fact, many studies have also demonstrated the multitude of therapeutic benefits that music has on residents in aged care, including cognitive stimulation, enhanced emotional well-being and improved social interaction.
It was extremely rewarding to see the immense pleasure we brought to the residents through the simple act of sharing music, making us better appreciate the potential for music to connect people and foster a sense of community spirit. The girls are to be commended for their incredible performances and we hope to partake in future volunteering opportunities like this again to help enrich the lives of our senior citizens.
Thank you to Sophie Regan and Alana Zhou (Year 11 Music Prefects) for starting a community outreach program and to Ms Lewis, Mrs Benz and Dr McDonald for supervising.
Emma Bensoussan
Year 8