Music – while often thought of as entertainment, and not as a vital prerequisite of training young minds – it is exactly that. A magic key to fire up imagination. Research indicates that while music is beneficial for logical thinking and mathematical skills, it seems that it can improve productivity as well.
Sadly, financial and time constraints prevent the majority of youngsters from having access to music. Our geographical position, as well as the socio-economic profile of the Peninsula, makes it unlikely that parents will venture into musical outings for their offspring.
And this is where the Rotary Club comes in… Organised and initiated by the Rotary Club of Sorrento, a novel project, ‘Musical Enrichment Program’, came to life.
Our pilot project in 2024 took 135 students from 7 primary schools on the Peninsula to enjoy one of the CLASSIC KIDS concerts offered by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Hamer Hall, Melbourne.
In 2025, in cooperation with 6 other Rotary Clubs from Frankston / Mornington Peninsula area, we took 500 students, teachers and chaperones from 26 schools across the Peninsula to Melbourne. For many of these children it was their first visit to Victoria’s capital city, let alone the opportunity to enter Hamer Hall and experience the magical world of classical music.
MSO created a program called ‘WIZARDRY SCHOOL’, specifically designed to engage young minds, introducing them to orchestral performance, the sounds and functions of various instrumental groups, and demonstrating the stories behind musical pieces. The session began with a dramatic scene featuring a famous conductor who had been transformed into an old 16th-century wizard by magic. The story then followed the magical process of how enchanting music could reverse this wicked spell. This powerful music delighted the children, and it was so compelling that it seemingly transformed the old wizard into his original human form. May these children cherish long-lasting memories of their day trip to Hamer Hall.
Friday 8 May 2026 was our third visit to Hamer Hall to experience the MSO for Schools program. The theme this year was Classic Kids: Beethoven’s Gaming Quest. Once the students were seated, they were keen to interact with the MSO orchestra as they tuned their instruments. The students on the upper balcony were doing the Mexican wave and the members of the wind ensemble, on stage, responded by rising up and down from their chairs much to the children’s delight.
The audience was treated to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven, performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, with the story presented by Dr Richard Vaudrey and conducted by Sara Duhig. The background to the concert, what if Beethoven was a video game composer? Dr Richard Vaudrey explores the power and emotion of some of Beethoven’s iconic orchestral music to find the perfect musical elements to create the next spectacular gaming score. The performance was met with boisterous applause from the audience, including the 415 students and 85 teachers/chaperones that we took from the participating 8 Rotary Clubs from the Frankston / Mornington Peninsula area.
