The performance explores different styles and gave the students the chance to tango, play body percussion and help the group create an improvised composition.

The group has been touring schools in the Central West and Far West NSW areas.

They held three sessions at Mudgee Public for students of different ages along with some students from a number of the region’s small schools.

Mr Greening said that even within the relatively short one hour session time frame the students are able to learn enough on the various instruments to join the band in composing the final number. 

“The sessions are an hour and we perform four pieces that involve the children in activities that help them learn all the fundamentals of music,” he said.

“We concentrate on things like melody, harmony, beat and rhythm, and the ideas of composing and improvising music.

“And we finish off with the kids and together we create a brand new piece of music, which i s the fifth piece.”

He added that it’s the children’s “open minds” that allow them to be able to pick up enough skills to perform so quickly and that the basics of the sessions they hold are the same regardless of the age groups.

“They haven’t closed their minds yet with opinion, no one’s told them it’s too hard yet,” he said.

“This group has been doing this for nearly 10 years now and we’ve developed the ideas on how to communicate really directly to the kids.

“It’s exactly the same material [for each age group] and then we adapt how we interact.”