Music with the MSO

Lindsay Owen

Concert Band Director

Recently, students who are members of the BSC Concert Band had the exciting opportunity to go on an excursion to watch a Melbourne Symphony Orchestra "Fairytales" rehearsal at Hamer Hall (St Kilda Road, Southbank). 

The MSO  Schools' Open Rehearsal is an occasion when students are invited to sneak a peek behind the scenes. Featuring young British conductor Alpesh Chauhan, our budding musicians could witness the hard work required for the MSO to produce a show. It was amazing to watch each member honing their skill, interpretation and timing as conducted, and working to produce the best and most nuanced performance possible.

This experience was more than just a fun trip, it played a key role in enhancing our students' musical education and development.  

Watching experienced musicians doing the 'hard yards' in rehearsal (complete with inevitable stops, starts and do-overs!) also showed them some of the tougher aspects of the work required of professional musicians.  

The first-hand exposure also gave them a deeper understanding of different musical styles, techniques, and performance dynamics.  They can now experiment with these and apply the ideas to their own playing, and hopefully be inspired by the possibilities of what they too can achieve with practice and dedication.

After the excursion, our students enjoyed animated discussion, sharing their insights into how the MSO musicians played and how they interacted with each other and their conductor.  Overall, it wasn’t just a fun break from routine; it gave the Concert Band members valuable insight, motivation, and practical learning that they will carry forward with them on their musical journey.

Click on photos to enlarge.