Music Studio – A New Creative Option for Year 8 Students
This year, the Music Department introduced a brand-new course for Year 8 students – Music Studio. This exciting program is the ultimate entry-level experience for aspiring audio creators, giving students the chance to explore digital and live recording with industry-standard equipment.
From recording their own podcasts (complete with original theme songs), to producing electronic dance music (EDM) tracks, and even re-creating film scene soundtracks with live Foley sound effects, students have been immersed in hands-on projects that spark creativity while building real-world skills.
Why Music Studio Was Created?
Music Studio was designed for students who love music but don’t necessarily play a traditional instrument. It provides an introductory learning experience into live recording and digital music creation, opening a new pathway into the Music curriculum at Santa Maria.
The idea was inspired by past Music Department workshops that saw strong student engagement. With this interest in mind, the College launched Music Studio as an option for Year 8s in 2025. Importantly, students can now choose both Music and Music Studio in Year 8, creating multiple avenues for musical exploration.
A Positive Student Response
The response to Music Studio in its first year has been overwhelmingly positive. Despite many students having little or no prior experience, both semester groups have produced impressive, high-quality work.
Year 8 student Madeleine reflects on her favourite part of the podcast project in Term 3:
“What I enjoyed about this project was learning how to layer sounds and tracks in GarageBand with the help of the recording kit, which was also fun to use. Exploring the kit and learning how to connect audio to the interface was very fun and interactive. Mostly, I really enjoyed hanging out with my friends and working with them in this project.”
Real-World Skills and Collaboration
For Music Teacher, Taylor Cutts, one of the most rewarding parts of teaching Music Studio has been watching students grow in confidence and ability:
“Personally, teaching this class, I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing students realise they can do it, and seeing them come away from each project with a real-world, 21st-century skill in the music industry. Collaboration and the shared experience have always been a large part of what we do in Music, so it is encouraging to see students create with one another and build friendships through the work they are doing in this class.”
By learning to use recording technology and software, students are not just experimenting with sound; they are gaining transferable skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and digital creativity.
What is Next for Music Studio
The future of Music Studio at Santa Maria College looks bright. Already, 24 students have expressed interest in enrolling for Semester 1, 2026. There are also plans to expand the program into higher year levels, offering more students the opportunity to develop their talents in digital music and sound production.
Music Studio highlights Santa Maria’s commitment to innovative learning experiences that engage students in new ways, preparing them with the skills they’ll need in the 21st century.
- DigitalMusicCreation, Featured, InnovativeMusicEducationWA, PerthSchoolMusicProgram, SantaMariaCollegeMusic, SchoolPodcastProject, Year8CreativeArtsCourses, Year8MusicStudio
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
Weekly Wrap Up – Term 1, Week 10
Holy Week and Easter – A Time of Renewal and Hope
