Music
On the first day of July MGSC's music department went on its first ever international music tour. Forty-nine students along with five teachers made their way to New Zealand to take part in the World Strides Rhapsody Rotorua Music Festival, where our school was taking part in a competition with five other Australian schools.
Five of our school ensembles took part in the competition: Symphonic Band, String Ensemble, Tour Voices, Stage Band and the Funkadelics.
When all six schools were together, the festival staff had developmental clinics running to boost our music capability and teach us some techniques we may have not seen before. Most clinics were beginner and advanced session of a particular instrument. They also offered some different ones to broaden our musical knowledge, such as a conductor's clinic, improvisation clinic and learning to sing a new African song.
World Strides, the festival organisers, also ran new honours and festival ensembles for the students where we would be in a band/ensemble that suited our capability and we worked with other students in that category. Some of these groups were, Festival Percussion, Honours/Festival Stage Band, Honours/Festival String Ensemble and Honours Jazz vocal. Each of these groups performed live at an evening public concert after only just three rehearsals. The amazing talent displayed was remarkable considering the little time we had to practise. The host of the concert remarked that the effort and talent shown at that performance was purely based on each and everyone's passion for music.
Our students also took part in the wonderful attractions that Rotorua has to offer. On our first night all schools went to Agrodome, where we learnt some amazing information about the many different breeds of sheep and had opportunities to feed goats and watch people milk cows. The next night our school took a tour to the Tamaki Maori village where we learnt some incredible history of the Maori culture. From learning about games they used to play, the origin and meaning of their tattoos, watching live performances of their traditional dances and songs to being fed a ‘Hangi’ dinner that was cooked in the ground as a tradition. It was safe to say that this was a very loved activity that the students will remember for a long time.
All of our musical activities had come to an end by Friday night which left Saturday and Sunday for us to spend more time doing the famous Rotorua activities. At the start of Saturday we were driven to the OGO Rotorua which is zorbing but the ball is filled with 40 litres of warm water to make the experience that more exciting. Later that evening, we headed to the Skyline Rotorua where our school went on a luge ride experience at night time and the tracks were lit up in coloured lights to make the ride even more stunning.
Saturday night was when all the Australian schools came together one last time at the restaurant function room for presentations. MGSC's band representative was invited on stage to receive the certificate we earned as part of the tour. Our school did very well with the Symphonic Band receiving a silver, the String Ensemble and the Tour Voices earning a bronze, the Stage Band taking home a silver and our Funkadelics winning a Gold award.
It is no doubt in my mind that each and every student that participated in this amazing opportunity took home some incredible memories that they will hold on to such as: new information about the instruments they love, broader knowledge of other music, new friendships formed and the experience of travelling and playing with other students who all share the same thing as we do, and their love and passion for the music they play.
AJ Hornidge (Year 12)
Senior Performing Arts Leader
Interstate school visit
We had a visit from an interstate secondary school this week. Students from St Mary MacKillop College on tour from Busselton, Western Australia joined our Year 8 students from some music-making and performances.
Music program calendar
Thursday 1 to Saturday 3 August – Music Camp (all students who take part in the music program are invited to attend)
Tuesday 27 August – Winter Concert (all ensembles)
Wednesday 4 September – Vocal Night
Tuesday 10 September – Mentone RSL (Funkadelics/Stage Band/guitar ensembles)
Wednesday 18 September – Music and Theatre Soiree (soloists and small groups)
Thursday 10 October – Grade 6 Information Night (Year 8 Band)
Tuesday 15 October – Grade 6 Music Information Night (Year 7 Band)
Tuesday 10 December – Orientation Day (Year 7 Band and All Star Choir)
Tim Veevers
Director of Performing Arts