Faculty News

Music Faculty

Normally for college musicians, the conclusion of Semester 1 means preparation for recital evenings, ensemble performances and the School Band’s Festival. This year is very different. We will be conducting all our recital assessments online and in class groups. Students and teachers have been preparing for these performances throughout the term, and although our online recitals will lack some of the sparkle of traditional live performance, they will no doubt be rewarding and educational in other ways. 

The adaptation of our students and teachers to the evolving requirements of online performance has been remarkable. Several students have posted online “e-recitals” and have managed to collaborate on music projects using several different platforms and applications.   

Instrumental lessons have continued online via Google Meets. Both instrumental staff and students have been working very hard to ensure that lessons are productive and that performance standards are maintained. Indeed, instrumental teachers and students have been pleasantly surprised with the success of the transition from in-person to online lessons. Student attendance has been consistently high and all teachers have reported enthusiastic and thoughtful engagement. In short, nothing has been lost in delivering meaningful instrumental tuition.  

Finally, a happy bi-product of being “locked down” is that students have had more time to organise their practice. Personally, as a classroom music teacher, I’ve never presided over a series of technical examinations that were presented to such a high standard (a consistent theme across all year levels). My sincere hope is that the isolation experience will lead students to perceive practice as a rewarding meditation – to discover joy in practice further liberates a young man from the constraints of materialism. 

Mr George Melitsis

Director of Music Operations