Music News
By Troy Rogers
It has been wonderful to start the year off at school and we look forward to the year ahead with confidence. Students started lessons and ensembles by week two with teachers and students raring to get into their music after the last tough two years. Eighty Year 7 students chose to better themselves and enrol in instrumental music lessons this year, making a total of 220 students across the entire school. We welcome two new teachers to the music team. Ms. Tess Hickey is our new specialist cello teacher and Ms. Vicky Howes is teaching violin. Our string program grew in numbers this year, making way for Ms. Howes to join the team.
Term 1 saw the new 2022 ensembles establish themselves and we look forward to many performances and activities from Term 2. The String Ensemble participated in a String workshop on Thursday, 7th April with renowned violinist and composer, Andrea Kibble. The workshop was a wonderful opportunity for all string players to have the opportunity to play under Ms. Kibble and learn so much in a short time frame.
Performance uniform
All students must have their 'all black' performance uniform for all performances. Girls can wear a dress or pants and a shirt and boys must wear black pants and a black shirt. Black shoes and socks are a must. Please have this organised before the first performance. Voice students will be performing at the tradition vocal night in term (date still to be considered) and must have their black clothes for this performance. For the rest of the students, their first performance will be at one of the two Winter Concerts.
First Beginner Band Rehearsal
The Beginner Band, (all Year 7 beginner brass, woodwind and percussion students) will have its first rehearsal on Tuesday, 26th April. Students need to arrive at school at 7:30am for a 7:40pm start. Rehearsals will finish at 8:25am. We look forward to see the Beginner Band perform for the time at the Junior Winter Concert.
Term 2 Activities and Performances
| Week | Date | Performance/Activity - Ensemble | location |
| 2 | Thursday, 5th May (4:45pm-6:30pm) | Open Night – Concert Band (4:45pm- 5:45pm) and Senior Strings (5:30pm-6:30pm) and VCE students to rehearse in the music department. School uniform please as these will simply be rehearsals. | H3 and H4 and tuition rooms |
| 3 | Wednesday, 11th May – Saturday, 14th May | Production Performances – “Spamalot” | Hall |
| 3 | Monday, 9th May - 13th May | CAT 1 – Performance 1 | Teaching rooms |
| 7 | TBA | Vocal Night | Hall |
| 11 | Tuesday, 21st June | Winter Concert 1 - 7:30pm Junior Ensembles | Hall |
| 11 | Wednesday, 22nd June | Winter Concert 2 - 7:30pm Hall Senior Ensembles | Hall |
Top Acts Music 2022
Hey there! We are Reuben and Aurelia, your Music Captains for 2022!
On Monday, a group of us aspiring music students had the chance to go to Top Music, a performance featuring the top musicians of Victoria who completed a 3/4 music subject last year, and oh boy it was an amazing performance to watch! The performance featured a wide variety of instruments and genres, including the classics - pianos, violins, guitars and vocals, and the more unique instruments that students are able to undertake in VCE music like the recorder and bagpipes!
One of my favourite performances had to be Felix Gilmore’s performance ‘chatterbox’, played on a variety of percussion instruments including the cajon, congas and bongos!
The most important take-away I got from watching these amazing performances was to own the stage and go for it. I realised how much of a difference confident body language contributes to a performance.