Music

Henderson Valley School has distinguished itself for over 25 years in the area of music and the performing arts.  Every class in the school has an hour long music lesson each week taught by one of our specialist music specialists.

As well as their weekly lessons, children have the opportunity to learn to play a variety of instruments.  A vibrant recorder programme is provided for students from Years 4-6 and it is not an exaggeration to suggest that hundreds of children have been introduced to a life-long journey of music-making through this humble instrument.

The ukulele renaissance has also certainly hit the Valley and, thanks to the donation of 20 ukuleles from the Ukulele Trust in 2008, Henderson Valley children have been able to actively participate in this trend. 

Over the last decade or so, the school has also supported the development of a programme which incorporates a marimba ensemble.  The marimbas at Henderson Valley are locally crafted instruments that are carefully tuned and produce good sounds that are easy on the ear. The ensemble also includes other instruments with bars: xylophones and metal instruments – metallophomes and glockenspiels, with metal bars, which produce a bright ringing sound. These instruments enable fun-filled music-making which employs both large and small muscle skills and at the same time develops many skills and understandings in music.

School shows are also legendary and have at various times involved members from the wider community.  In 2010, Mokoroa: Guardian of the Valley, a show celebrating both the history of the local area and the school’s keen focus on environmental issues, was hailed as a success by students, parents and the school community.