On Friday, August 28th, three Reservoir High School bands, 'Eclipse', 'Figurine' and 'Red Road Sign' travelled to Penola Catholic College in Broadmeadows to compete in the annual Penola Battle of the Bands concert. This year's theme was "Australian Hits". Our students represented the school with incredible energy and enthusiasm, showcasing the hard work they have put into rehearsals throughout the year.

I am incredibly proud to announce that our senior band, Red Road Sign, took out first place, performing 'Heart in Danger', by Southern Sons.

This is a massive achievement for Reservoir High School, marking the first time that one of our bands has won the competition. The band delivered an outstanding performance and demonstrated the musicianship, confidence and teamwork that have become hallmarks of our senior music program.

There must also be a special mention of Aiden Jakupi in Year 8 for winning an Encouragement Award.

Huge congratulations to Red Road Sign, and also congratulations to all performers. Participating in a competitive environment is an achievement in itself, and I am extremely proud of all students who represented our school.

Here are some words from the three Year 12 performers:

Bixie Woolford:

After months of rehearsing and preparing in class and afterschool, we arrived at around 4 o'clock for a quick soundcheck of the equipment at Penola, before having a couple hours to get ready. We had the chance to meet lots of other really talented bands from different schools. Our performance was towards the end of the show, so watching the other bands was both super fun but intimidating as they sounded really great! Luckily, our song went really smoothly and I’ve never had so much fun performing. Hearing them announce that Red Road Sign had won was honestly so surreal, especially because I don’t think any of us expected to win at such a competitive event, with so many amazing bands. I feel very proud that one of our last performances before graduating ended in such a special way.

Haley HA:

This was really the highlight of the year for me, especially since this was my first, but also, last Battle of the Bands. I never expected Red Road Sign to win because all of the bands that participated were on point - they had the professionalism, the stage presence and the confidence. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but I am glad we powered through it and we had so much fun performing, despite feeling quite nervous at first and messing up a few minor parts during the song. We tried our best to represent Reservoir students, bringing a fun, upbeat and supportive atmosphere to the stadium - cheering and clapping for other bands, and I think that is what allowed us to gain the confidence we needed. I am also grateful to Mr. Luttick, who has been our mentor since the beginning, Tegan who has supported us in our rehearsals and Ms. Cerra who was there to encourage and support us, but, most importantly, to the band members, who worked hard and gave it their all. We won, guys. Congrats!

Yrel Guzman:

Battle of the Bands was such a fun experience, especially getting to perform with people I’ve spent so much time rehearsing with. This was my third and final Battle of the Bands, so it was really meaningful getting to do it one last time with the band. We performed "Heart in Danger" by Southern Sons, as Red Road Sign, with me playing drums and singing, as part of the Australian theme. There were definitely nerves before going on stage, but once we started, it felt like all our rehearsals had paid off. It was so much fun watching the other school bands perform too, as everyone was incredibly talented. Hearing our band name announced as the winner was honestly crazy. We all looked at each other in shock before celebrating! I’m so proud of us and couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate all the hard work we put into the performance. A huge thank you to Mr Luttick for all the time, effort and support he put into helping us prepare and making the night so memorable. We definitely couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you to Tegan and Ms Cerra for cheering us on and supporting us throughout our rehearsals and on the night. And of course, thank you to all my band members for all the rehearsals, hard work, laughs and memories we shared along the way. I’m so grateful I got to perform with all of you. A big thank you as well to the other Reservoir bands who joined us on the night! It was so much fun watching you all perform and seeing everyone represent Reservoir together. Everyone did such an amazing job, and it was great being able to support each other throughout the night. WE WON GUYS!! So proud of us!

Daniel Luttick

Director of Music Student Engagement Coordinator, Year 10

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