Music News

On Wednesday and Thursday this week, VET Year 1 students and selected Year 9 and 10 students participated in the Songmaker’s Songwriting program. They wrote a song on Day 1, and recorded and produced it Day 2, ending the program with a fabulous professional recording of their work.

Mentors Haydn, Jackson and Demi shared their professional journey with students and gave valuable advice on navigating the music industry as performers, songwriters or producers.

Congratulations to Willow Ganly, Kale Walkedon, Conor Quirke, Zoe Hodge McAvaney, Harry Zolfel, Finn Ainsworth, Rosie Fuentes, and external VET students for their supportive and collegiate work across the two-day program. Such amazing songs from the next generation of songwriters!!

To listen to their songs, click on the links below:

Gone

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DMoBT0tZuLaeGcSyaFgy6fkY9u4ESmQW/view?usp=sharing

Fuzzy Wuzzy Penguins

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QWCK_Gy2gON4y1qArdVUCSJ-RGmHtAMg/view?usp=drive_link

Drifting

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IsGpell-zd5fAjd6JdrSqnoyuc94U38W/view?usp=drive_link

Running Away

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16z1vdGACQZ9scLcFHIES-RPVoC68bVpM/view?usp=drive_link

GEMFest

What a fabulous event this was! GEMFest is a celebration of emerging musicians from the region’s State schools, with bands, soloists and sound production students putting on an evening festival of music at Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary school. Outstanding performances from our Year 7 Rockbands 1, 2 +3 students, our Year 8 Girls Rockband, Year 8/9 Rock Band, Intermediate Jazz, Trombone Choir, Chopped, and various BHS vocal soloists and ensembles made the night a standout event for BHS students and their families.

Music Support added festival atmosphere to the event, selling cakes, biscuits, slices, ‘music’ jewellery and instrument pull throughs throughout the evening. Many thanks to all the parents who donated goods, and to all who helped out on the stall.

A massive shout out to Emma Moffatt, who has driven BHS’s participation in GEMFest since its inception, and to Danniel Smith and Amanda Linton for their work with the Year 7 Rockband program, enabling so many students to experience the thrill of performing at a real gig for the first time.

Charli German and Caelan Jones ran their first lunchtime Karaoke Thursday yesterday, with students jumping up and singing favourite songs in the PAC. The PAC was heaving by half-way through lunch with supporters cheering on their friends. A fantastic initiative from our Performing Arts Captains, set to be a Winter winner!

Karaoke Thursdays will run every second Thursday from next term.

Write your name/s on the board at the start of lunch – first in best dressed!

Usual rules apply – clean lyrics only, and no phones.

Music Dates 2026

Term 1

March 23rd VET Music Year 2 Performances PAC

March 26th Beginning Band Concert + BBQ

April 1st VET Music Yr 1 Performances PAC

Term 2

April 30th Flying Brick Cidery - VET Music Yr 2 students

May 20th Combined Bands Day

May 21st Combined Choral Day

June 2nd Senior Band – St Ignatius

June 3+4th Solo CAT performances, all IM students, BHS PAC

June 16th Winter Concert, all groups, BHS Gym

June 22nd Year 2 VET Music, Barwon Club

June 23rd Year 1 VET, Barwon Club

July 5-12th Australian Pacific Music Festival Sydney, JS/SB

Term 3

July 26 – 31st BHS Variety Show rehearsals, BHS PAC

1st August BHS Variety Show

10+11th Aug VSMF Regional sessions – BCB, ICB, SCB

Aug 31st – Sep 4 VSMF Jazz- IJ, JS

Sept 3 Jazz Cabaret

Sept 14 VET Music Yr 1+2 – Oxygen

Term 4

1+2 Oct VCE/VCE VET practice exams, BHS PAC

Oct 13 Spring Concert

Oct 15 Geelong Show – IB, BB

Nov 4 Ensemble CAT, all IM students, BHS PAC

Dec 2 Year 6 Program concert

Wise words for all the BHS music makers

“My music isn’t just music — its medicine.”- Kanye West

“Music is a weapon in the war against unhappiness.”- Jason Mraz

“Music kept me off the streets and out of trouble and gave me something that was mine that no one could take away from me.”- Eddie Van Halen

Belmont High School Newsletter

No. 4

Issue 4 · 20 Mar 2026

In this issue