Mario Agius

Mr Mario Agius, Instrumental Music Teacher of drums, percussion and bands here at St Albans Secondary College has retired from teaching in Victorian government schools.

Mario taught extensively within Victorian Department of Education secondary schools, beginning his very long and illustrious career as an Instrumental Music teacher at Footscray City High School in 1981. He began teaching here at S.A.S.C. on May 23, 1994.

Throughout the time I’ve known him, when asked by new students how long he had been teaching here, Mario’s now infamous response was, “I don’t know. They found me here and built the school around me.” As is the case with many myths and legends, there’s likely to be an element of truth in that.

As an Instrumental Music teacher, Mario’s area of expertise was teaching drums and percussion. As anyone who’s played in a group with him will tell you, he’s a master drum-kit player, and the modelling of drum-kit playing he provided to all of his students was truly exemplary. Additionally, from time-to-time, Mario also taught other instruments such as trumpet and trombone. Here at S.A.S.C., Mario’s job description also included being a band coach and director for various rock band line-ups, with which he also instructed keyboards, guitars, electric bass and vocals. He was also very proficient in the application of Digital Audio Workstations for recording music students. In setting-up the recording booth in the Performing Arts Centre, as well as assembling the hard-wiring required, Mario also introduced the use of Pro Tools recording software, and more recently, Logic Pro X, highly advanced recording software for use on Mac computers.

I met Mario when I started at S.A.S.C. in January, 2008. As well as his invaluable assistance with performance coaching for V.C.E. Units 3 and 4 ‘Group Performance’ (as it was labelled then) Mario provided very valuable technical assistance in the setting-up of equipment required for live music performances at student assemblies and significant school events and celebrations, as well as the coaching of the student performers for those events. As well, Mario unceasingly very generously donated his time and prowess in a significantly large number of Musical Activities Club (‘MAC’) productions, for Mario, beginning as far back as the mid-1980s. During my time at S.A.S.C., Mario has played in nearly all of the accompanying MAC bands/ orchestras, featuring his talent on the trumpet. He would be the first to admit that the trumpet isn’t ‘his instrument,’ but for a self-confessed ‘non-trumpeter,’ he does an exceptional job with it!

In addition to teaching one day a week at S.A.S.C., Mario has taught at a number of other Victorian government secondary schools with a similar tenure to that of S.A.S.C. More recently, these schools have included: Gladstone Park Secondary College, Pascoe Vale Girls’ Secondary College, Hoppers Crossing Secondary College and Wyndham Central College (formerly Galvin Park Secondary College). I’m sure I join with my Music Coordinator colleagues at these schools when I say we will all miss Mario’s invaluable input into our various music programs.

It is with very mixed feelings that I announce Mario’s retirement; mixed feelings because on the one hand, I will very much miss his support and work with the students here at S.A.S.C., but on the other hand I’m very happy for him now that he is able to move to a new chapter in his life free from period bells and timetables. I’ve no doubt at all that his wife Trish and adult sons Daniel and Jason will be very grateful to have him at home much more often, as a willing and proficient domestic ‘technician.’ S.A.S.C.’s loss is his family’s gain.

Thankyou Mario for all the time and effort you put into Instrumental Music at St Albans Secondary College. It’s been a great pleasure working with you.

James Orchard

Music Program Coordinator