MUSIC 

A Final Note from Musicland

Term 4 is one of our busiest terms. While many other areas are quietening down, Musicland is full steam ahead with Music Camp, Presentation night, visits to local community groups to play for residents and Q UP, the end of year concert.

This year the second Music Camp, held in October, was particularly successful. Going over three days, it helped the instrumental staff concentrate time in preparing and fine tuning items for both Presentation Night and Q UP.

The Music Camp was timetabled so that we could have sectional rehearsals as well whole ensemble rehearsals. There were visiting speakers including Gerald Marko, a highly experienced vocal coach, who worked with the singing students in teaching them different breathing and vocalisation techniques.  The brass ensemble prepared a fanfare which was played at Presentation Night and this was a huge success, as those of you who attended Melbourne Town Hall would have heard.

Q UP is our annual end of year concert. This year featured smaller ensembles as many students had performed in their larger ensembles during the year and we felt it a good chance to cover a different repertoire. The show started with an amazingly evocative and atmospheric piece from the Percussion Ensemble. This original composition, by the students, featured slides of the natural and urban environment accompanied by a sound scape which complemented the slide show. Students came up with many different sounds, such as whale calls and bird songs, which sounded remarkably like the animals depicted. After this wondrous start to the show, we saw and heard many varied items including the String Orchestra playing a Mendelssohn piece and the Advanced Guitars playing an Astor Piazolla song. Both Training and Intermediate bands performed and students from these groups, and senior concert band students, formed smaller ensembles which also performed during the night. Kevin Whitney, our singing librarian, performed a Lord Huron song: Into The Woods accompanied by The Wall of Guitar: 30 junior guitar students. The vocal students, known as Vox Rox, performed a well-known song: Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder, this song was accompanied by some of our instrumental staff and senior students. The Music Captains for 2017: Isabelle Roberts and Eddy McQueen hosted the night and did a great job cracking jokes and informing the audience about the programme and up-coming items.

Judy Bartosy

Director of Music