The Arts at Mount Alvernia College

After a term’s long service leave, I have been warmly welcomed back to the College by students and staff. I would like to thank Mrs Rhiannon Markwell for acting in my role of Learning Area Advisor for The Arts in my absence. At the end of first term we farewelled Ms Kristen Brown from our Arts team. We thank Ms Brown for the lasting impact she made on music education at our college over the last ten years, and wish her well in her new endeavours in music education. We welcomed back to Mount Alvernia past student Ms Daniella Curcuruto who has joined us as a Music teacher.

Some of my time on leave was spent in Tasmania. Whilst the state’s pristine natural environment draws many tourists, Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) has also become a major attraction for visitors, making a huge contribution to the cultural economy of the island state. This museum hosts many art exhibitions, arts festivals, and provocations. It’s indisputable that MONA has changed Hobart and Tasmania. This museum has certainly given Tasmanians a greater sense of pride in who they are and what they can achieve. On the other hand, it was reported this week that the small city of Burnie, in northern Tasmania, is facing the closure of its art gallery and other cultural and visitor attractions. The locals are saying that this decision to close key attractions will turn people away from visiting and living in the city. These places, considered gathering points for the building of community, will possibly no longer exist. The story of these cultural and arts institutions located in two diverse communities of Tasmania indicates how central the Arts are to creating communities with a cultural heart.

Here at Mount Alvernia College, the Arts teachers work hard to build a connected community through their activities in the classroom and through cocurricular activities. We strive to build confidence in our students’ ability to create, communicate, and express ideas and feelings through their learning in all areas of the Arts.

We look forward to welcoming prospective students and families to our Open Day on 16 May 16, when we will be showcasing our Art, Drama, and Music classrooms and students at work.

Arts Experiences for students

Alongside our classroom arts curriculum, our teachers offer a vast number of ways students can connect through cocurricular activities in the Arts. Many of our Music and Drama students are involved in this year’s musical production of We Will Rock You, an opportunity that comes around only every two to three years. Our Music teachers - Ms Amanda Holley and Ms Daniella Curcuruto - and Drama teacher - Mrs Karen Farrow - are heavily committed to musical rehearsals this term. We wish our students and teachers the very best for the shows coming up on 27 to May. This week I would like to highlight other ways students can become involved in the Arts at Mount Alvernia.

For music students, we offer both the FCIP and Choirs. Choirs will start up again once the musical is over. We offer both open and auditioned choirs. For students interested in Drama activities, we offer Drama Club, Drama X Ensemble, and Theatresports competition. For students who love the Visual Arts and Media Arts, we offer Art Club at lunch times and Art X after school on Thursdays this term.

If you would like further information about how your child could be involved, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Arts Captains

We also congratulate these Arts Captains and wish them well in their role this year. May they lead with enthusiasm and a passion for their chosen art form.

Visual Art: Sneha Reju (Captain), Elise Colclough (Vice-Captain)

Drama: Hanna Schaper, Tyler Mitchell (Captains), Hannah Lowe (Theatresports Captain)

Introducing Drama Captains 2021

Name: Hannah Schaper

Year: 12

Loves: Performing and working with other students

I am inspired by: Past students/Drama Captains

Favourite Play: Mr Melancholy or Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Favourite Style of Theatre: Absurd!!

I would like to start this profile entry by saying Drama is for everyone and the stage is not where the performance ends. As someone who was not always confident, Drama at Mount Alvernia has been a way of connecting to other students and finding my voice as a leader in this college. As Drama Captain of 2021 I have the privilege of working with many students across the College, and I cannot wait to see them explore the many avenues down which this art form will take them. This year we are focusing on finding our journey and expressing our individuality. Through our Drama Club meetings, workshops, and performances, I and the other Drama Captains will be encouraging all who come through our doors to find their voices and express what makes them individually incredible. I am extremely excited and cannot wait to showcase the talent of our drama students this year!

Name: Tyler Mitchell

Year: 11

Loves: Theatre/Musical Theatre, reading, writing

I am inspired by: People who stand up for what they believe in, people who use their voice to help others. People who are uniquely themselves. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Martin Luther King Jr, Ben Platt.

Favourite Play: Hamlet

Favourite Style of Theatre: Brechtian

Throughout the stress of school, the weekly Drama Club manages to make me smile. Seeing all the talented, young drama enthusiasts expressing their creativity and individuality warms my heart and makes me excited to see how their talent grows. As well as running Drama Club with Hannah Schaper and Hannah Lowe, I take Senior Drama with Ms Farrow, where we apply our skills of creative performance and analysis through workshops and assessment tasks that challenge our skills and critical thinking. We really love using the lighting system and rear projection shadow screen to add depth and meaning to our performances. I am also involved in the College Drama X Ensemble, which is an auditioned ensemble of students from Years 9 to 12 led by Ms Cohen. Students in this ensemble train on a Tuesday afternoon and work together to produce a showcase performance and refine our skills.

Name: Hannah Lowe

Year: 11

Loves: Animals (particularly labradors), helping others in need, musical theatre, and acting

I am inspired by: People who stand up for what they believe in and kind people

Favourite Musical: Hamilton or Wicked

Favourite Style of Theatre: Contemporary/Realism

Theatresports is a form of improvised theatre entertainment which is played as a spectator sport. Teams of players work together to invent scenes from suggestions they are given, while following particular sets of rules we call 'games'. Everything, including dialogue, is made up on the spot then the teams are judged on their ability to follow the rules of each game, deliver a cohesive story line, and entertain the audience. I have absolutely loved being a part of the Mt A Theatresports teams for the past two years and working with creative, like-minded people to develop and perform for an audience in a competitive environment. So come along and join Theatresports! More information soon.

Piano and Voice Tuition

Piano Lessons

Students can access private piano lessons during the school day with teacher Ms Peta Wilson. With a Bachelor and a Masters of Music, Peta has been teaching for twenty years. She performs regularly around Brisbane, predominantly as a jazz musician and accompanist. As well as teaching at Mount Alvernia, Peta also teaches at tertiary level at JMC Academy. She teaches a variety of styles, catering for AMEB exams, from classical through to the contemporary Rock School. Peta also assists beginners with technique and sight reading to start their piano journeys.

Voice Lessons

Students can also access voice lessons, either individually or in pairs, during the school day or before or after school. Ms Hayley Marsh is a Brisbane-based music director, vocal clinician, and performing arts teacher. She has performed with and conducted choirs across Australia, and is the current Director of the Queensland Young Voices, the flagship youth choir of Queensland Show Choir. In 2018 she was nominated twice for Best Musical Director of a Musical by the Gold Palm Theatre Awards for her work on Carrie and Shrek respectively. Hayley is passionate about delivering quality music education in Queensland, and is thrilled to be teaching students to sing safely, confidently, and with joy at Mount Alvernia. To keep her own skills sharp, Hayley is currently preparing to complete an AMEB Associate of Music Australia (AmusA) exam in Music Theatre.

For further information regarding fees and times available for these lessons, please contact me via email: mascl@staff.mta.qld.edu.au or via phone 3357 6000.

Lorella Masci