Music Notes
From our Music Captains
Over the next few weeks, we will introduce you to our House Music Captains who have been refining their conducting skills and dedicating many hours of practice time with one aim: to win the House Music Competition!
BRUCE HOUSE CAPTAINS
Charmaine Leung
Music has been a major part of my life. I started learning the 'cello before I could speak English. Surprisingly I have managed to continue with it up to my associate diploma after enduring never-ending and excruciating struggles. This year, being a House Music Captain has been an eye-opening experience as it introduced me to the strenuous task of conducting. I look forward to the House Music Festival with excitement and anticipation because it is always inspiring to witness the passion and devotion that comes with music. I hope everyone enjoys submerging themselves in music this term. Safety first, winning second.
Ven Lee Teo
Music has been a part of my entire existence. From starting piano at the age of 5 and oboe a few years later, I’ve managed to miraculously complete my diploma in performance for piano after a decade of hard work and perseverance. Leading House Music has certainly been an interesting and rewarding experience. Despite feeling constantly confused and discovering what a workout conducting is, hopefully all our hard work will pay off when it is all over. I hope that everyone will fully embrace participating in House Music and in other music activities throughout the year, as without music, life would B♭.
Shannon Lam
I play violin, piano, flute, ukulele and guitar. I started learning violin during my time in the junior school and had a piano lesson at a relatively young age before deciding to learn that during my own time. More recently, I had a year of learning flute in Year 11 and after receiving a ukulele from a friend last Christmas and discovering my dad’s old guitar, have also started teaching myself those instruments as well.
Music is important to me as I find there is always a song that will suit my mood. Whether I am sad or happy, music always manages to convey my emotions in a way words cannot. It is like a sanctuary away from reality, a break from everything that’s happening in my life and my way of freeing myself from the real world.
Jenneva Ta
My name is Jenneva and I am conducting the choir and chamber choir for Bruce. I have sung in Huntingtower choirs since Junior School. The challenges of conducting a choir are controlling a crowd and being able to communicate my vision for what the end product should sound like. Bruce House has been sounding awesome so far and I am very proud of our family. My main goal for House Music is to have fun and create a beautiful sound.
Music is important to me because it is healing to the soul and is powerful in changing your mood. Because I might not do Music in Year 12, this might be my last House Music so I will cherish it and try to make the most of it!
❤️GO BRUCE❤️
Introducing Percussion
Most parents and students know the value of music education and, in particular, the importance of playing an instrument. But not every orchestral instrument is always appreciated so we would like to introduce you to the wonderful world of percussion. From triangle to timpani, percussion often provides the heartbeat of the orchestra or ensemble and is extremely important but often goes unnoticed.
Meet our amazing percussion teacher Mr Steve Falk, who loves working with our Percussion Ensemble which rehearses Monday at lunchtime:
Percussionist and composer Steve Falk possesses an interest in music of all genres and origins. He embraces the process of creating new works with artists of varied disciplines and traditions. Such works predominantly feature the marimba. Steve is currently a member of Nunique Quartet and Ensemble Density and has appeared with the Melbourne Guitar Quartet, Speak Percussion, Chamber Made Opera, Bolt Ensemble and with numerous leading contemporary improvisers both in Australia and Japan, where he lived between 2005 and 2011.
Steve was commissioned by Museums Victoria to write for the Federation Handbells. His piece ‘Welcome’ has been performed in Melbourne at Federation Square as part of the Light in Winter Festival and for the arrival of the Inflatable Refugee - an enormous travelling artwork highlighting the global refugee crisis.
At the Dance Triennale Tokyo in 2009, he performed Drumming by Steve Reich in the production La Vie Qui Bat by Canadian dance company, O Vertigo. Along with fellow Australian Andy Bevan, Steve formed the world music duo ‘Duality’ and performed at Kamigamo Shrine, a world heritage site in Kyoto in 2010. They subsequently collaborated with Shonosuke Okura (master Otsuzumi player of the Noh Theatre tradition) and Slava Grigoryan (guitar) to create Four Winds for the OZAsia Festival at the Adelaide Festival Centre.
Steve has played percussion with the Melbourne, Queensland and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, Orchestra Victoria and Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa (Japan). He has worked for many musical theatre productions, including Mamma Mia! and We Will Rock You. As musical director of the popular Australian dance show Tap Dogs, he travelled to New Zealand, Japan, China, Korea and India.
He attended the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, Victorian College of the Arts, Queensland Conservatorium of Music and Toho Gakuen College of Music (Tokyo) where he studied with Keiko Abe. Steve currently teaches percussion at The University of Melbourne and Monash University. He chooses to play Yamaha percussion instruments and proudly performs on a YM6100 Marimba.
We encourage students to join our percussion ensemble and even become part of our instrumental program. Don’t wait to strengthen your rhythmic skills and become a member of our exciting music program.
Steve Falk with our newest purchase, the marimba:
House Music Competition
The House Music Competition will be held on Wednesday 11 March at Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash University. Students from Year 7-12 have been working very hard to prepare for this event.
More information will come out soon regarding the evening. We do hope you are able to come along and support our students.