Instrumental Music

EventWhen
Speak Percussion concert - Bairnsdale Art GalleryFriday 1st August, 6pm
SoireesTuesday 12th, Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th August
Spring concertThursday 4th September

East Gippsland Music Festival

At the end of term 2, Bairnsdale Secondary College hosted the East Gippsland Music Festival. Around 250 students from the district took part in this festival. Our students performed in the combined junior, intermediate and senior bands, the string orchestras and the swing band. Bairnsdale Secondary Students made a significant contribution to this festival, and we are very proud of their involvement. They looked fantastic and performed beautifully. 

Holiday conducting Experience

Written by Benji

During the holidays I got the privilege of attending a conducting masterclass at the Arts Centre in Melbourne. It was led by Aaron Wyatt, a music tutor at Monash University. He is the first Australian First Nations person to conduct a major orchestra in Australia.

 

There were about a dozen of us in the workshop. We each conducted arranged pieces for small ensembles, including Beethoven’s Symphony Number 6, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture, and Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique. We received many useful tips about things such as cueing, beat patterns, and conducting pauses. It was a great opportunity and thank you to Kim Green for telling me about it.

Music Soirees and Performance Anxiety

With the up-coming Soirees, students are beginning to work through their performance techniques. Most students feel anxious about performing in front of an audience, but they should be reassured that they are all in the same boat. Students should try the following to help them prepare.

  1. Practice the music until you know it really well-Good preparation is the very best way to help prepare for a performance.
  2. Try out your performance on a friendly audience-family, friends, pets etc.
  3. Work out what it is you fear and realise it’s not that bad even if things go wrong.
  4. On the day, don’t engage in nervous thinking with other performers. Stay calm and focus on what you need to do.
  5. Try breathing exercises to calm yourself down.
  6. Have a specific warm-up planned.
  7. Try to have fun and remember the audience is on your side.

Students need to get forms in as soon as possible to be placed on the program. Parents/guardians will need to approve student attendance once the invitation goes out on Compass.

 

AMEB-Australian examinations Board

The Australian Music Examinations Board is an independent organisation that administers examinations in music, speech and drama, including examinations assessing performance on various instruments. These practical exams are held twice during the year for country candidates. AMEB exams are a useful motivator for students and help students prepare for VCE exams. Students receive a certificate and grading for successful completion of the exam. To find out more, check out the following link. https://ameb.vic.edu.au

 

Forms, which include the cost, may be obtained from the Music Centre. Students should discuss the option of doing an exam with their music teacher prior to enrolling. Students who elect to work towards an exam must commit themselves to practice on a regular basis to achieve a positive result. 

The closing date is August 7

 

Speak Percussion

Some of our music students will be workshopping and performing with the internationally acclaimed percussion ensemble ‘Speak Percussion’. The concert is on later today in the Bairnsdale Art Gallery at 6.00 pm. For more information and bookings go to: https://www.eastgippslandartgallery.org.au/speak-percussion