Dates for you diary

Week 5 – Year 3 Instrumental concert – 2.35pm PT

Week 6 – Last rehearsal for co-curricular ensembles except Koristers

Week 7 – Camps Week

Week 8 – Monday December 3 - 7.45am – Koristers rehearsal for KWS Carol Service

Tuesday December 4 – Prep Celebration Assembly DPA 10am

Tuesday December 4 – KWS Carol Service, DPA 6.30pm (Koristers to arrive at 6pm)

Prep Performing Arts Assembly

Yesterday we were able to acknowledge some of the incredible work that students have been doing in the realm of performing arts this year. Students received awards for contribution to our co-curricular program, private tuition programs and our drama program. Students who undertook their AMEB and IMEB exams over the last few months also received their certificates for achieving these exams which certainly takes commitment, hard work and dedication.

Ex-KWS students Any Stevens was in attendance to hand out some of the medals and addressed the audience candidly sharing why music was important to her throughout her schooling. She spoke very passionately to encourage our young student to work hard to find something they love and work hard at it. We were extremely fortunate to have Amy perform for us demonstrating her wonderful musicality and fascinating looping skills. It was such a treat to have Amy share her passion and talent with us and she was equally amazed at the hard work and talent of our prep school performing arts students.

Amy Stevens Speech

When I started learning the violin in kindergarten at Kinross Wolaroi School, we had no music centre. My violin teacher, John Gould (I would later learn with Lorraine Moxey in Year 10 when she came to the school), would come into the school every week and teach me in the broom closet between two classrooms. It was at this incredibly early age that I experienced the depth of passion and dedication from the teachers around me at this school, and the wider community, that would propel me into life as a professional musician.

A few years later in Year 5, I vividly remember standing on the oval before a game of infamous touch football with Mr Hordynsky, when one of the kids mentioned something about what they wanted to be when they grew up. His spontaneous response has stuck in my mind for 30 years: “do what you love, what you’re passionate about, and find a way to make a living from it”.

I had a rough emotional time when I got to high school, though I hid it really well. When your body changes and your mind is still forming, it can be hard to stay grounded and focused because life seems both incredibly exciting and daunting all at once. I quietly struggled socially in high school and didn’t realise that my sensitivity and openness would one day be the strength that now drives my creativity. Fortunately, I have two very passionate parents that lead by example and seeing them love what they do every day reminded me of Mr H’s advice.

I was never very interested in becoming a violinist when I left school but when I met the viola at the age of 22, I fell in love and my life started to make sense. I was accepted into the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and very soon I was traveling overseas for lessons and performances. I worked for an orchestra in Spain, I was paid $500 for 30 minutes with the world’s top string teacher in London, and I went for tea with the viola section of the Vienna Philhamonia, the world’s most famous orchestra. I backpacked around Europe with my viola, taking lessons and playing where I could. I spent an entire year living on a cruise ship, playing music every day, and travelling across North America, Japan, China, Indonesia, New Zealand, Fiji, New Caledonia. Travel and music seemed to me the perfect dream, and still does.

Yet, interestingly, in between all of my travels, I returned to Orange to visit my family and keep in touch with the community here. Every time I return I’m able to remember where I’ve come from, how much I’ve grown, and be grateful for the incredibly safe, supportive environment we are so blessed to have in this country.

This last visit has been an extended one of a few years, because I’ve finally found my musical voice by combining my great love of singing and playing the viola. You see, before violin became my main musical pursuit, I loved to sing. The first major singing role I ever played was Loretta in Mr H’s production of Best Shot in The West. I won’t tell you what year that was, but it was a long time ago. And the community is still giving me endless opportunities, as I’m excited to announce that the Orange Regional Arts Foundation awarded me their inaugural Jump Start Arts grant to travel to America next year for a month to learn songwriting at the Berklee College of Music. I cannot tell you how excited I am for the future musicians at this school whose ears are listening to this story today, because they are on a journey paved with opportunity, thanks to the passion, dedication and foresight of their teachers, leaders and community organisations in the Central West. I am living proof of this, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to now give back to this community as a teacher.

Thank you to the school for inviting me here today to speak to the students, and in closing, I have a very important message:

To the future musicians, story tellers, content makers and social media influencers sitting in the audience today: your generation is going to change our world. You are learning to communicate in ways that my generation could never have imagined. Your heart and passion is very strong now and you’ll soon enter high school when things might possibly start to cloud your vision, and your passion. Stand strong in what you want to do, and don’t forget it. Listen to your parents and teachers, but don’t forget what you dreamed of during this time in your life, because it will find you again, as it found me at age of 35. Your life, our community and the world will be that much richer for you being a part of it in this way.

Amy’s song writing journey can be followed at www.amyviola.com and on Facebook & Instagram

Bands Concert

As a celebration of all things woodwind, brass and percussion, we hosted our inaugural Band Concert on Tuesday this week. The concert took place in the area outside the back of the PT which, given the beautiful evening, was a lovely place to spend an evening listening to some fantastic music. The concert involved students in Junior Band, Prep Band, Intermediate Woodwind Ensemble, Senior Woodwind Ensemble, Stage Band, Sax ensemble and SWE and included a wide range of band repertoire. It was a wonderful way to see the progression of playing from our junior ensembles through to our most experienced senior school players. We hope to have some of the photos uploaded to Frog in the coming days.

Performing Arts Assembly Awards

Music Medals

Prep Strings - Ruby Coulton

Junior Strings - Angelina McRae

Prep Band - Campbell Miller

Junior Band - Andrew Caskey

Prep Percussion Ensemble - Daisy Wilson

Koristers - Molly Slack-Smith

Junior Dance - Alice Scholte

Speech & Drama - Isabella Lloyd-George

1-2 Choir - George Nash

1-2 Choir - Eliza Lord

3-4 Choir - Lexi Wilkin

3-4 Choir - Austin Schaapveld

5-6 Choir - Charles Gill

5-6 Choir - Nina Smedley

Drama Medals

5-6 Drama 2018 - Charles Gill

5-6 Drama 2018 - Charles Hansen

5-6 Drama 2018 - Lolli-Rose Pasquali

5-6 Drama 2018 - Nina Smedley

Drama Certificates

1-2 Drama 2018 - Vivaan Desai

1-2 Drama 2018 - Ella Kerdic

1-2 Drama 2018 - Eliza Lord

1-2 Drama 2018 - George Nash

1-2 Drama 2018 - Arad Safeer

3-4 Drama 2018 - Drew Carslake

3-4 Drama 2018 - Thomas Hansen

3-4 Drama 2018 - Maddison Lawry

3-4 Drama 2018 - Alice Scholte

5-6 Drama 2018 - Maya Bracks

5-6 Drama 2018 - Angus Croft

5-6 Drama 2018 - Matilda Quigley

5-6 Drama 2018 - William Steventon

5-6 Drama 2018 - Elsie Sutherland

5-6 Drama 2018 - Lachlan Watts

IMEB Speech and Drama Certificates

Pre-Grade 1 - Nicholas Balcomb

Pre-Grade 1 - Janette Proudford-Nalder

Pre-Grade 3 - Mia Essex

Grade 1 - Hamish Buckley

Grade 1 - Anoushka de Brito

Grade 1 - Keeley O’Toole

Grade 1 - Alexandra Whitehead

Grade 2 - Sam Balcomb

Grade 2 - William Garard

Grade 2 - Olive Glover

Grade 2 - Caitlin Reid

Grade 3 - Maya Bracks

Grade 3 - Charlotte Buckley

Grade 3 - Kajan Kandeepan

Grade 3 - Krishan Kandeepan

Grade 3 - Samuel Martin

Grade 3 - Finn O’Toole

Grade 3 - Jack Steventon

Grade 3 - Olivia Watts

Grade 3 - Olivia Wilson

Grade 4 - Alice Commins

Grade 4 - Alice Hansen

Grade 4 - Isabella Lloyd George

Grade 4 - Ava Rouse

Grade 4 - Alice Scholte

Grade 4 - Lachlan Watts

AMEB Music Certificates

Preliminary - Charlotte Buckley (Piano)

Preliminary - Harry Chapman (Piano)

Preliminary - Angus Croft (Piano)

Preliminary - Austin Cutter (Piano)

Preliminary - David King (Piano)

Preliminary - Angelina McRae (Piano)

Preliminary - Thomas Robson (Piano)

Preliminary - Olivia Wilson (Violin)

Grade 1 - Kate Adams (Violin)

Grade 1 - Grace Bylsma (Piano)

Grade 1 - Seamus Dwyer (Trumpet)

Grade 1 - Thomas Goodsir (Euphonium)

Grade 1 - William Karrasch (Clarinet)

Grade 1 - Timothy Lowther (Piano)

Grade 1 - Samuel Martin (Violin)

Grade 1 - Kaydn McLachlan (Trumpet)

Grade 1 - Angelina McRae (Violin)

Grade 1 - James McRae (Piano)

Grade 1 - Georgia Miller (Horn)

Grade 1 - Isobella Montagliani (Violin)

Grade 1 - Cameron Nash (Piano)

Grade 1 - Lolli-Rose Pasquali (Violin)

Grade 1 - Matthew Roper (Trumpet)

Grade 1 - Matthew Roper (Piano)

Grade 1 - Helen Suthers (Violin)

Grade 1 - Spencer Williams (Piano)

Grade 1 - Tessa Wong (Piano)

Grade 2 - Ava Buesnel (Violin)

Grade 2 - Joshua de Bruyn (Cello)

Grade 2 - Jack Dunworth (Trombone)

Grade 2 - Finn Dwyer (Trombone)

Grade 2 - Seamus Dwyer (Trumpet)

Grade 2 - Hannah Jones (Piano)

Grade 2 - Kajan Kandeepan (Violin)

Grade 2 - Roger Kircher (Piano)

Grade 2 - Cameron Nash (Cello)

Grade 2 - Lucia Varian (Violin)

Grade 2 - Lachlan Watts (Trumpet)

Grade 3 - Ruby Coulton (Violin)

Grade 3 - Isaac de Bruyn (Violin)

Grade 3 - Krishan Kandeepan (Cello)

Grade 3 - William Knight (Violin)

Grade 3 - Olivia Martin (Trumpet)

Grade 3 - Madeline Sinclair (Violin)

Grade 3 - Molly Slack-Smith (Horn)

Grade 3 - Molly Slack-Smith (Piano)

Studio Certificates

Excellence in Strings 2018 - William Knight

Most Improved in Strings 2018 - Isaac de Bruyn

Outstanding Effort in Strings 2018 - Krishan Kandeepan

Most Improved in Strings 2018 - Cameron Nash

Most Improved in Strings 2018 - Lolli-Rose Pasquali

Excellence in Brass 2018 - Molly Slack-Smith

Excellence in Brass 2018 - Olivia Martin

Excellence in Brass 2018 - Sienna Wilkin

Most Improved in Brass 2018 - Timothy Lowther

Most Improved in Woodwind 2018 - Sarah Choi

Most Improved in Woodwind 2018 - Lara Wheelhouse

Most Improved in Woodwind 2018 - Bridget Horne

Most Improved in Woodwind 2018 - Jessica Thompson

Most Improved in Guitar 2018 - Floriana Jackson-Le Couteur

Excellence in Drums 2018 - Campbell Miller

Most Improved in Drums 2018 - William Payne

Most Improved in Drums 2018 - Oliver Roach

Most Improved in Piano 2018 - James McRae

Most Improved in Piano 2018 - Angus Croft

Most Improved in Piano 2018 - Matthew Roper

Outstanding Application & Effort to Piano 2018 - Charlotte Buckley

Outstanding Application & Effort to Piano 2018 - Spencer Williams

Most Improved in Speech & Drama 2018 - Charlotte Buckley

Most Improved in Speech & Drama 2018 - Finn O'Toole

Application and Effort in Speech and Drama 2018 - Lachlan Watts

Outstanding Effort in Speech and Drama 2018 - Krishan Kandeepan

Most Improved in Prep Strings 2018 - Bonnie McPhee

Excellence in Prep Strings 2018 - Madeline Sinclair

Excellence in Six Strings 2018 - Angus Croft

Excellence in Junior Strings 2018 - Isobella Montagliani

Most Improved in Junior Strings 2018 - Willa Paix

Most Improved in Prep Band 2018 - Jack Dunworth

Outstanding Contribution to Prep Band 2018 - Sarah Choi

Most Improved in Junior Band 2018 - Georgia Philippe

Outstanding Contribution to Junior Band 2018 - Kaydn McLachlan

Outstanding Contribution to Percussion Ensemble 2018 - Emma Aldersey

Outstanding Contribution to Percussion Ensemble 2018 - Oliver Chandler-Sullivan

Excellence in Percussion Ensemble 2018 - Matilda Quigley

Outstanding Contribution to Koristers 2018 - Elsie Sutherland

Outstanding Contribution to Koristers 2018 - Madeline Sinclair

Outstanding Contribution to Junior Dance 2018 - Lucinda Reidy

Outstanding Contribution to Junior Dance 2018 - Olivia Wilson

Most Improved in 1-2 Choir 2018 - Darcie Marshall

Outstanding Contribution to 1-2 Choir 2018 - Annabelle Maslin

Excellence in 1-2 Choir 2018 - Lucas Choi

Outstanding Contribution to 3-4 Choir 2018 - Lily Moe

Excellence in 3-4 Choir 2018 - Julia Bligh

Excellence in 3-4 Choir 2018 - Samuel Martin

Outstanding Contribution to 5-6 Choir 2018 - Helen Suthers

Excellence in 5-6 Choir 2018 - Molly Slack-Smith

Excellence in 5-6 Choir 2018 - Seamus Dwyer

Mrs K Sinclair

Prep Music Co-ordinator

Upcoming Events

TREE Celebration of Learning

STEM Exhibition

Christmas Carols Service