Music Program

A Semester of Growth and Achievement in Music 

The first semester has been an exciting and rewarding one for the Music Department, with students demonstratingcommitment, growth and excellence in the classroom, on camp and in performance. Across the first semester, the Music Department presented 7 recitals, two state festival performances, music camp, the annual concert, four assembly performances and over 80 technical assessments whilst continuing to deliver high-quality music education in the classroom. 

We started the semester with two performances at the Castlemaine State Festival. Students in an expanded line-up of the Stage Band were given the opportunity to showcase our contemporary stream. Led by Tom Foster, they performed to an excellent standard on instruments ranging from trumpet to theremin. The Symphony Orchestra was also given the opportunity to perform its own stand-alone concert at the Town Hall. This represented a new level of maturity in the ensemble as it was able to maintain its high level of musicianship across 45 minutes of symphonic repertoire. The professionalism and pride that the students demonstrated in these performances set the standard for the remainder of the semester.  

The Annual Music Camp at Lady Northcote was incredibly successful. During the camp, it was inspiring to see Year 11 and 12 students teaching and mentoring Year 7 and 8 students, while their peers worked tirelessly in the pursuit of musical excellence. Students immersed themselves in rehearsals, making remarkable musical progress in just four days. It was equally rewarding to see students build multi-room mattress forts, enjoy bushwalking and showcase their creativity in thetalent show. 

Surrounding the camp were a number of recital evenings where students performed as soloists and as part of chamber ensembles and bands. In doing this, students developed their confidence, learnt to manage performance nerves and strengthened their ability to deliver high-quality performances under pressure.  

Behind the scenes, students developed their skills through hours of practice and the preparation of technical assessments. These assessments are designed to develop instrumental technique and address technical challenges in the pieces students present in their recitals.  

The culmination of all of these achievements was the Annual Music Concert which took place at the Castlemaine Town Hall. The concert featured performances by the Concert Band, Guitar Ensemble, Kreisler Strings, Du Pré Strings, Massed StringEnsemble, Stage Band, Percussion Ensemble, Vocal Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra and concluded with a performance by all of our young musicians on stage with a performance of Bittersweet Symphony accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra. This was an outstanding event and was a true reflection of the quality, depth and breadth of what the Music Department offers to the CSC community.  

Perhaps the most exciting part of this semester has been the recognition by the College of the music department as a flagship program of the college and the announcement that from 2027, it  will be called the CSC Music Academy. The Music Academy offers Year 7 students the opportunity to study music through three dedicated periods each week. Academy students also learn together across their core subjects, fostering strong relationships and a supportive learning environment. 

As next term approaches, we are looking forward to taking the Symphony Orchestra and, for the first time, Du Pré Strings to the Victorian Schools’ Music Festival in Term 3, presenting more recitals, supporting students through another round of technical assessments, and presenting a new large-scale ensemble concert – the CSC Musical Breakfast to wrap up the year. 

Thank you to all of our students for their hard work, our families for their ongoing encouragement and support, and our staff for their commitment to providing outstanding musical opportunities.