IN UNISON: St Mary’s Catholic Primary School students practise for the Count Us In initiative. Photos: STEVE GOSCH
ST Mary’s Catholic Primary School children and Bowen Public School children will be singing the same note as children in Perth, Sydney and perhaps Hobart next week.
The students have been busily practising and finetuning their vocal cords and dance moves for the Australia-wide initiative, Count Us In.
The feat involves about 600,000 students, across the country who sign up to learn, rehearse, then perform the same song, on the same day, at the same time.
St Mary’s teacher Fiona Nell has been helping co-ordinate the mammoth task.
“It’s about the promotion of music and how valuable music is within schools,” she said.
“Music enables the whole development of a child.”
The song is called Different People (Stand Together) and was written by singer Josh Pyke and three music students.
Mrs Nell said her students hadn’t quite got their heads around the idea they’ll be singing simultaneously with students across the country but they’re having a blast.
“They love it,” she said.
“They keep asking, Can we sing it can we sing it?’”
Last year over 1900 schools joined the program which, according to the organisers, is the biggest school initiative in Australia.
The group is hoping for record numbers this year.
The performance will be Thursday, November 1 at 12.30pm.