Music Matters

Another crazy third term of Music has come to an end and we can all be very proud as a Music department of our achievements!

Victorian School Music Festival

Jazz Bands earn Silver Awards!

This year we had five bands entered in the Victorian Schools Music Festival. It was the first time since covid that we were able to enter Jazz bands in the VSMF. On the 1st August both our Junior and Senior Jazz Bands lead by Basil Byrne and Andy O’Connell travelled by minibus to the Hawthorn Arts Centre to perform. Both bands can be very proud of their performances and they received a silver award each.

GOLD for String Orchestra!

Our String Orchestra moved up a section this year. A credit to all their hard work lead by Hannah Walters. On the 23rd August, they performed a challenging program that was very well received by the adjudicators. Their outstanding performance earned them a Gold Award!

Silver for our Concert Bands

On the 3rd September both Concert Band and Wind Symphony were scheduled. Mr Rowlands lead Concert Band, a group of students who have only been playing their instruments for just over a year in the Junior Concert Band Section. This is a very competitive section and they played some challenging pieces with lots of energy. Wind Symphony lead by Mr Dean were in the Intermediate Concert Band section. They played three very interesting pieces, with lots of advanced rhythmic parts and time signature changes. Both bands played to the best of their abilities and received silver awards.

Guitar Ensemble Camp In Day

On the 4th September, the Guitar Ensemble students got to have a day away from usual classes. This was a great chance for them to put the finishing touches on their piece for the Spring Concert and practice on the Performance Centre stage. They were able to celebrate the day with Pizzas for lunch which were all demolished quickly. Well done to Troy Sheers for all your work with the large ensemble. 

Congratulations students on all your hard practice. It definitely showed at the concert with a fantastic performance.

Spring Concert

This year was the first time we have held the Spring Concert in third term. The idea is to complete the band performances early and begin forming the 2025 bands during term four. This turned out to be a mad rush after VSMF but well worth it as the bands were in great playing form as a result and the performances did not disappoint the almost sold out audience.

Soundworks lead by Mr Muddyman and Stringworks lead by Mr Verco who didn’t perform at the VSMF, both impressed with their programs of exciting pieces. Mr Muddyman really enjoyed conducting on our new conductors podium too 😊

Our VCE Soloists, Abbey McDonald and Eddie Petruzziello performed one of the pieces from their exam program. Abbey with Senior Jazz played Ruby’s Arms and Eddie with his band Offswitch played their original song Into the Storm. Both were loved by the audience.

Thanks to everyone involved:

• Howin Tang for Live Stream support, 
• Tim Sprigg for arranging the techs, 
• Ryan Wilson for Live Stream and Sound and Light Teching, 
• Lisa Fairweather for artistic program design, ticket sales and publicity, 
• Glenn Morris, Wes Pfitzner, Belinda McGee for principal class support, 
• Lisa Flint, Josh Cowling, and Dina Evangelinou for supervision in P Block, 
• Paul Siassios for support before the concert, 
• El Menta for being the Music Secretary with the most,
• Tass Sgardelis, Ning Zhang and Tim Veevers for supporting our ensembles with their musicianship. 
• Also Tim Veevers for stage management, and 
• Wendy Howes for all round amazingness, trouble shooting all evening while taking amazing photos 
• Comperes Abbey McDonald, Millie Ruffo, Maya Cadogan-Rawlinson and Tayla Moll for an incredible job. 

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

And a HUGE thank you to the parents and family members for getting students to and from before and after school rehearsals and putting up with all the practice at home 😊

Farewell Year 12s

We also farewelled four year 12s who have stuck with Music all through their schooling and the madness of Covid. Charlotte Kendall (Tenor Saxophone), Marc Margarejo, Eddie Petruzziello (both Percussion/Drum kit) and Ella Royal (Alto Saxophone and Vocals) will all be greatly missed. They have all held vital parts in our ensembles over the years and we wish them all the best in their academic and musical pursuits in the future.

THANK YOU LISA FAIRWEATHER!

We would like to make a special mention of Lisa Fairweather, our school Marketing and Communications Officer who is leaving at the end of term. Thank you Lisa for all your support of Music. In the relatively short time you have been here, you have produced incredible program designs for all our concerts, arranged the ticketing, livestream links and promotional materials and videos for our department, always in a very professional manner. You have also been so open to our ideas and accommodated our wishes with very little fuss or complaints, especially when my newsletter submissions have been sent at the last minute (just like this one😊) You will be greatly missed but as a department we would like wish you all the best in your exciting new position. We know they have acquired a great asset for their school.

Upcoming dates for Term 4

Week 2

Tuesday October 15 – 2025 6:30-9pm: Year 7 Information Night and Instrument Trials - Wind Symphony and String Orchestra performing.

Week 3

Tuesday October 22 –  Concert Band Instrument Soiree

Wednesday October 23 – String Soiree

Thursday October 24 – Rock Showcase

Week 4

October 28- Nov 1 -Auditions for 2025 Ensembles

Tuesday October 29 – Melbourne Internation Jazz Festival Jazz Workshop for Junior Jazz

Week 6

November 11 – 15 TBC Soundworks at VSMF

Nick Dean

Instrumental Music Program Coordinator