SMALLEY

Smalley is the WAYV  beginner ensemble for primary school-aged children who are enthusiastic about singing and music. This non-auditioned ensemble allows children to find their voice, learn musical concepts through games and fun activities, and experience the joy of singing and performing in a choir. Children who progress through this program are encouraged to audition for the WAYV senior ensembles in the future.

To ensure that choristers receive the most developmentally appropriate experience, two musicianship and ensemble streams are currently offered. Further information about the program and an online registration form are provided below. 

New chorister registrations are currently being accepted for season 2, commencing 27th of July 2024.

Smalley Season Dates

Smalley Choir operates two performance seasons during each school year.

Please note, any prospective choristers are welcome to attend a one-week trial within the first three weeks of each season.

Rehearsal Structure

Junior Musicianship and Ensemble
Led by Melissa Mason

Target age: Approximately 7 – 8 years (school grade year 2-3), no audition required

The Junior Musicianship and Ensemble stream is designed for early to middle primary aged children, to develop fundamental singing and music skills through a fun and holistic approach to musicianship. Musicianship sessions are highly experiential, where children are engaged aurally, visually and kinaesthetically through singing games, movement, notation reading and listening, to develop the skills of aural perception, sight-singing from notation and vocal technique. 

In the Junior Ensemble session, choristers will enjoy and learn to sing developmentally appropriate repertoire as a chamber ensemble, before combining with the Senior Ensemble stream for “All-in” Choir.

Senior Musicianship and Ensemble

Led by Jason Boron

Target age: Approximately 9+ years (school grade year 4+), no audition required

The Senior Musicianship and Ensemble stream is designed for older primary school-aged children to develop their singing and music skills in a supportive, encouraging and inclusive environment. While maintaining focus on developing new musical skills and learning to sing in an ensemble, this stream tailors the delivery of new musical concepts and learning for this unique age group, in a fun and interactive way. Senior Musicianship choristers are provided with leadership opportunities in the mentoring of their Junior stream colleagues particularly during the ‘All-in’ Choir session.

Rehearsal Venue: Trinity College (East Perth)

Smalley Artistic and Management Team

Jason Boron – Conductor
BMusEd (Hons) W.Aust., GradCertMus Qld., DipKodályMusEd Liszt., MA (Hons) Liszt. 
Jason Boron is a Lecturer in Music Education at Edith Cowan University (ECU) where he oversees the music specialisation for primary pre-service educators.  He is an experienced music educator having taught in early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary settings. Jason is currently President of Kodály Australia and Vice Chairperson of the Australian Society for Music Education (ASME) Western Australian Chapter. Jason is a past recipient of the Sárolta Kodály Scholarship awarded by the International Kodály Society and was in 2020 awarded the ECU Vice Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award for Innovative Teaching. Jason is proud to work with Melissa Foss in leading Smalley for WAYV.

.

Melissa Mason – Conductor
MTeach (Primary) – Music Specialisation
Melissa Mason is a Primary Music Specialist Teacher at the newly built Dayton Primary School in Dayton (West Swan). She currently teaches Kindy through to Year 6 Music and is working on establishing ensembles and instrumental programs as the school grows. When not at school, Melissa teaches piano, sings in Naya Chorale and serves as Secretary of the Kodály Music Education Institute of Australia (WA Branch). Melissa has done certification courses in the Kodály, Orff and Feierabend approaches to teaching music, and is passionate about providing and advocating for high quality, best practice music education for all children.

Gabrielle Scheggia – Rehearsal Manager
BA (Hons) – Voice and Choral Conducting 
Gabrielle is a freelance singer and choral conductor based in Perth, who holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Western Australia. Specialising in Baroque and Contemporary performance, Gabrielle appears regularly with many of Perth’s leading ensembles; The Giovanni Consort, St George’s Cathedral Choir, Voyces and Vanguard Consort and The National Youth Choir of Australia. She is also the founding director of Side Note Choir which launched in 2021. Gabrielle is also a passionate teacher, undertaking studies to complete a Master of Teaching. She is currently employed as a Primary Music Specialist at Aquinas College.

Online Registration Form

CLICK HERE to register your child for Smalley.

Contact Us about Smalley

Get in touch using the contact form below or send us an email with any queries or questions.

More about Smalley

Named after Anglo-Australian composer, pianist and conductor, Emeritus Professor Roger Smalley, AM (1943 – 2015), our beginner ensemble Smalley honours the significant musical and academic contributions made by Professor Smalley to the Western Australian musical landscape.

Born near Manchester, England, in 1943 and emigrated to Australia in the mid 1970s, Smalley’s compositions, commissioned by prestigious organisations and groups – from the BBC and London Sinfonietta to the ABC and Australian Chamber Orchestra – have been performed and broadcast world-wide. His compositions and performances have been released on numerous CDs, and he has won awards both as composer and pianist: his own performance of his Piano Concerto was the recommended work in the UNESCO Composers’ Rostrum in 1987.

Roger Smalley’s career as an academic was closely tied to his activities as a composer and performer: his move from the UK to Australia was the result of a short composer residency at the University of Western Australia. A significant academic career at the University of Western Australia included a research fellowship and subsequently Associate Professor of Music. In 1996, Smalley was appointed a professorial Research Fellow at the UWA.  He was Emeritus Professor and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia and Honorary Research Associate at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Roger Smalley moved to Sydney in 2007. He passed away in Sydney on 18 August 2015.

Biography kindly provided by Professor Smalley’s website.