MUSIC NEWS

After this long in the music teaching business (grey hairs have been located), the frenetic start to the school year is now well anticipated and to allow for it, one has learnt the more you prepare for it at the conclusion of the previous year, the better off you’re going to be at the start of the new one.

Exciting news was shared with Mr. Kirne and me towards the end of 2024 that we would be having a new music teacher coming on board in 2025. This would allow for the opportunity to recommence our instrumental music program after a year long hiatus.

As such, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Miss Lauren Borg to the music department! Miss Borg is a woodwind specialist, but also dabbles in guitar and ukulele, and now that she’s part of the Horsham College Music Department this has been extended to drums and percussion as well.

It’s been a busy start to the year and between me and Miss Borg we have 12 groups of instrumental music taking place which include flute, sax, trumpet, drums, vocals and guitar. Mr. Kirne, 2025 Learning Area Head of Arts, has a full teaching load which, at least this semester, hasn’t allowed for the possibility of instrumental music teaching.

Already the music calendar has put forth a number of opportunities for later in the year, including the Regional Music Festival in May, the annual Recording Day, VetFest, the Wimmera Eisteddfod, Natimuk Show and performances on site. Mr. Kirne’s Rock Band (Thursdays after school) and my Senior VET Music Class are busy developing repertoire for these events and things are shaping up well!

So now that we are past the halfway mark of term 1, I can say we seem to have found our groove and we all look forward to presenting some quality music to the staff and students of Horsham College, as well as around the region at the multiple exciting events coming up.

Rock on!

Nick Shirrefs

Horsham College Music Co-Ordinator