Pixie Possum

A woman with two young children outdoors during autumn, wearing leaf crowns, smiling, with guitars around them, surrounded by colourful fall foliage.

Pixie Possum creates engaging children’s music & educational sessions for children aged 0-6.

Based in Naarm/Melbourne, the sessions are run by Xadi Walsh (living in Heidelberg, Wurundjeri Country). Xadi offers three main services;

  • INCURSIONS (at Early Learning Centres).

  • PERFORMANCES (at music venues).

  • CHILDREN’S BIRTHDAY PARTIES.

INCURSIONS

Xadi runs a curated program that follows the school term schedule with the holiday breaks in between. One music session runs for 30 minutes. Xadi will run one session per room/age group, and can run multiple sessions across the day.

Xadi focuses on connecting children to their natural environment through music. Investigating together what changes we notice in the seasons, children are encouraged to ask themselves what native animals they have been noticing and what they are observing about the plants and trees around them?

In addition to connecting with and observing their natural environment, children will have the opportunity to learn:

  • Elements of music: pitch, melody, rhythm, dynamics, timbre and texture

  • Different rhythms on various instruments such as: snare and tom drums, clapping sticks, shakers and other percussion instruments

  • How we can jam with one another with different instruments

  • Solfege and Curwen hand signs

  • Kodaly rhythm syllables

  • Auslan signs

  • First Nations music (a mixture of contemporary artists and traditional songs).

  • Contemporary music (reimagined by Xadi)

Xadi carries out the sessions live with her guitar.Xadi’s Pixie Possum friend named Bungal (named by her son) will come along for the sessions, with each session Bungal shares what she has found from her adventures in the bush and celebrates this through song.

Xadi creates a safe, inclusive, inviting and creative space for children to explore their own musical voices and connections.

PERFORMANCES/GIGS

Pixie Possum performances are run at music venues or family friendly events and festivals. Xadi will play her Pixie Possum songs and some classic covers and favourites of the children.

Pixie Possum writes songs that are educational and engaging for children. Like beautiful bird song, her vocals intertwine with the wind around her earthy acoustic guitar rhythms. It makes it very fitting that Pixie Possum songs are about native animals and the natural environment.

It is Xadi’s passion to educate children about how we can appreciate, respect and look after our country and one another. Pixie Possum is a channel in which she can live this passion through the magical expression of music.

CHILDREN’S BIRTHDAY PARTIES

Pixie Possum Children’s birthday parties are a combination of the incursions and the performances.

Xadi will play her acoustic guitar and sing. Xadi likes to make the songs suit the interests of the child who is having the party. She will ask the parent or guardians what the child’s interests and favourite songs are. She will also play some Pixie Possum songs and some classics that most children like and know.

She will hand out shakers and clapping sticks to get the children involved in the music making. Similar to the incursions, she will also bring her Pixie Possum friend named Bungal who will say hello to the children and show them a bush treasure she has found on her forest journeying. Like the incursion the parties also run for around 30 minutes.