McKinnonNEWS

MUSIC NEWS

WELCOME BACK

Welcome to term two. We trust that all students have spent some time practising over the break.  

REMINDER TO PRACTICE

A reminder to Year 7 students that at this stage they should be aiming to practice a minimum of 20 minutes four times a week to improve on their instrument. We look forward to improving performances over the term.

HOUSE MUSIC FESTIVAL

Congratulations to all the music students who were involved in the House Music Festival that was held on the last Wednesday of Term 1.  The standard of performance was incredibly high and demonstrated a commitment to performing to the best of their capabilities. 

Well done to all music House Captains and in particular congratulations to Chisholm for their win on the evening.  Thank you to Mrs Ford for her overall organisation of this event.

CHANGES IN MUSIC STAFF

Term 2 sees a few changes in the classroom music staffing. Mrs Ford has gone on maternity leave and we wish both Mrs Ford and her husband well in the next exciting chapter in their lives. We welcome Ms Katarina Vrisk who is replacing Mrs Ford.

SYMPHONIC WIND BAND TOUR

The staff and students involved in the Symphonic Wind Band European tour are reporting that they have played extremely well. We look forward to reading a full report and seeing many more pictures of this tour in the next newsletter. Staff and students are due to return at the end of this week.

McKINNON CHOIR AND SENIOR SINGERS

Over the term break the McKinnon Choir and Senior Singers sang at the wedding of staff member Josh Kamener and his wife Clare. The standard of performance was extremely high and helped bring joy to the ceremony.

Thank you to Ms Blanka West for her dedication to producing a high standard from the singers. Thank you also to Kate Collier (Year 12) and Jordan Kellaway (Year 12) for their solos, and to Elizabeth Lanaras (Year 11) and Elizabeth Tsagliotis (Year 12) for their accompaniment work throughout  the service.

YEAR 11 BAND

Congratulations to the Year 11 Band “Stand Out” (Thomas Gardner, Eriks Stepanakus, Lucas Semple and Oliver Wiles) who performed outside the canteen on Friday 20 April. It was great to hear such fantastic music and see the enjoyment amongst the crowd. This concert series will continue over the next few months, with Jordan Kellaway stepping up to the microphone in a few weeks’ time.  Thank you to Mr Baltazar Kurowski for organising this.

INSTRUMENTS

Instrument hire fees are due now and are paid through COMPASS this year. We also remind students and parents that privately owned instruments that are brought to school, should be clearly identified with the relevant student’s name and telephone number.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

Term 2 has a number of performances where students will be able to demonstrate their developing skills. These are the dates for important performances throughout this term:

 

ADVANCE NOTICE OF TERM 2 DATES:

  • Saturday 28 April – Senior Stage Band at Frankston
  • Tuesday 1 May – Open Night (Senior Stage Band and VCE students)
  • Tuesday 8 May – Vocal Night
  • Thursday 10 May – Strings Night
  • Thursday 17 May to Saturday 19 May – Symphonic Wind Band Rehearsal Camp
  • Wednesday 23 May – May Ensemble Concert (Senior groups)
  • Sunday 27 May – Symphonic wind at Lions Festival Cranbourne
  • Beginning Monday 28 May – VSMF Orchestra/Strings Division
  • Thursday 14 June – Year 12 Music Night
  • Tuesday 19 June – Symphonic Wind Concert
  • Thursday 28 June – June Ensembles Concert (Junior/Intermediate groups)

Megan Papworth

Head of Music

UBUNTU VISIT

Thursday 19 April marked an important day in the life of McKinnon choristers. The African Youth choir - UBUNTU – led Singfest for the day at Mentone Girls’ Secondary College, immersing all the 225 students in African culture, movement and singing. We learned a traditional song called Bolingo and the national song Nkosi Sikelele in three-part harmony with movements, including some fun warm ups. In the evening they travelled to McKinnon’s Lecture Theatre to perform in the ‘Make That Change’ concert.

Senior Singers and Choir opened the concert followed by a fantastic energy-packed concert of song and dance, including lots of drumming and the use of other African instruments. Some staff attended along with parents and other members of the public. The concert culminated in a massed rendition of ‘Man in the Mirror’ with McKinnon students singing along with UBUNTU.

 

Ms Blanka West

Music Teacher