Performing Arts

Year 5 Musicians 'Orff' to a Great Start

DRAMA MATTERS

Drama Excursion: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Sydney Theatre Company

Students in Year 9, 10 & 12 travelled to the Roslyn Packer Theatre on Hickson Road to see a new production of Tennessee William’s mighty play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. As soon as we arrived at the theatre we realised we were in for the long haul, with over three hours of entertainment and only two small breaks. Many of the students were particularly excited to see Hugo Weaving on stage as Big Daddy and of course he did not disappoint. In fact his performance and that of Zahra Newman who played Maggie the cat, were the powerhouses of this production. There were many fantastic theatrical moments where the dramatic meaning, sound and lighting effects coalesced to create a wonderful impact on the audience.

The minimalistic set and lack of walls created many opportunities for both lighting and set designers, but this in turn presented a challenge for the actors – particularly in Act 3 when characters were circling each other over a vast and empty stage.

It was wonderful for the students to see this work as it offers numerous opportunities for us to discuss theatrical techniques, acting style, narrative, character, themes and issues. Not only are we left with the thrill of live performance but a play offers us the opportunity to build our critical thinking skills and take part in powerful and reflective discussions.

Tennessee Williams: Life on a hot tin roof.

These notes are taken from the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof directed by Kip Williams.

"It was the decade during which Williams hit the height of his success, whilst also hitting what he described as the “bottom of the pit,” suffering from anxiety, dissatisfaction, loneliness and bouts of ill health exacerbated by his tendency to hypochondria. From the depth of depression and addiction would come one of his most successful works, and into it he poured his ruthless self-examination and raging internal conflict.

In Cat on a Hot Tin Roof the marital struggle between the despondent, self-medicating Brick and the ambitious, frustrated Maggie was a struggle within Williams himself. As John Lair writes in his seminal biography, Tennessee Williams, Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh, “He came to understand the play as ‘a synthesis of all my life”. In Brick and Maggie’s battle, Williams projects the war inside himself between self-destruction and creativity…He was prepared to destroy himself for meaning. Art was his habit, his ‘fatal need’, and his salvation”.

Ms Penny Lindley - Drama Teacher

MUSIC MATTERS

Thank you!

Thank you to all the parents, staff and students who participated in last week’s Performing Arts Review. It was wonderful to welcome Mrs Jaqueline Shields to St Pius X College and have her visit our rehearsals and classrooms. Mrs Shields made particular mention of the calibre of our students, commenting frequently on their manners and exuberance for Music, Drama and Dance. As an experienced Performing Arts Director and Educator, we look forward to hearing Jaqueline’s insights and recommendations for our structures and processes. Our sincere thanks to Mr John Couani and Mrs Judy Black for facilitating our Performing Arts Review.

Jacqueline Shields, from Kinross Wollaroi in Orange, visited the St Pius X Performing Arts Department to review our programs and structures. Photo shows our Year 12 Musicians rehearsing with Noel Cislowski (Chair of the Chatswood Rotary Club).

Music Changes Your Brain

With so much focus on adolescent brains in the age of technology we have all probably read or heard about the rise of anxiety and depression in children. For many kids this is triggered in high school and while some families actively seek help, others muddle along. When I asked my class of Year 8 Week 1 Monday morning how many of them had slept well, only 12 out of 27 hands went up. Responses included, “I couldn’t sleep”, “I was worried about school” and one child said, “I was worrying about worrying.”

While I am no expert, I do notice that children involved in clubs and co-curricular groups seem to show higher levels of self-esteem and increased social skills. Having a group project, a goal to work towards gives children an outward focus, something to look forward to.

A band, choir, drama ensemble or contemporary dance group, is the easiest way to make friends, increase brain activity and receive a boost in happiness. The beautiful thing too is that St Pius X College has an established culture of encouraging Academic, Sporting and Artistic involvement. We have around 380 boys and many staff in the program. When asked as a teacher what makes me proud to work at Pius, it’s the ideal we encourage of the modern Renaissance man. A trombone player, carrying a rugby bag and asking if he can do his maths homework before travelling to the Opera House. This child is smiling, he belongs and he is well, in every sense of the word.

Music Makes Your Child Smarter - Philip Sheppard Chapter 17.pdf

Year 5 Musicians Orff to a Great Start

Our Year 5 Music program follows the Orff Schulwerk philosophy whereby students learn by doing. Here we see musicians working in small groups to create ensemble arrangements of a minor pentatonic song, “Eagle Flies”. Their performances need to contain a bass drone, rhythmic harmony and melodic line. The boys also need to arrange their performances to include an introduction, middle and coda (end). Extension can include adding additional instruments, composing a second verse, adding movement or notating their songs in Musescore.

The style of this open-ended task means boys have autonomy for their musical choices, they have opportunity for higher order thinking and a scaffold for success. When we sit them down and tell them how to do every little thing, they are not engaged. When they get into groups and decide what to do for themselves they get inspired.

You’ve Been Thunderstruck!

Mrs Rawle’s Stage 4 Musicians, Manas Bansal and Michael Turnell Entertain Year 8

As Music teachers we often visit each other’s classrooms to celebrate learning. Last week Mrs Rawle’s class were in peak form working in pairs to prepare for their upcoming performance assessment task. Manas and Michael have been twitching to learn ACDC’s, “Thunderstruck”. Their playing, not to mention their singing, was so good that we made them perform it in front of all of Year 8.

Mr Brannan asked how long they’ve been learning and we were pleased to tell him that they are the fruit of the Stage 4 Music program; self-directed rock stars. Students like Manas and Michael could easily go on to study the contemporary Music 1 course in Years 9-12. Thank you Mrs Rawle for guiding Year 8 Music students to high levels of competence and enjoyment of Music.

Congratulations to St Pius X College Performing Arts Prefect, Lachlan Donlevy for his Performance at the Rotary Club of Chatswood Gordon Waterhouse Memorial Music Scholarship 2019

Last Wednesday May 22 at the Zenith Theatre of Chatswood, Lachlan Donlevy was privileged to perform in the Gordon Waterhouse Memorial Music Scholarship Competition. Lachlan performed alongside musicians from Mercy Catholic College, Roseville College, Glenaeon Rudolph Steiner School, Chatswood High School and Willoughby Girls High School. While Schuyler Boe of Glenaeon took out the top prize, all students were worthy in terms of their performance excellence, citizenship and service to music within their schools. Lachlan was humble in receiving his feedback from the five judges. As is his style, Lachlan made sure he personally thanked the Chair of Rotary Club, Mr. Noel Cislowski and helped the Zenith staff to bump out. A natural showman and man of service. Our huge thanks to the Rotary Club of Chatswood and Willoughby City Council for their support of music in our local schools. We are so proud of Lachlan and hope to see him and all our Year 12 performers on stage again soon. Our sincere thanks to Mr Pawel Lewandowski (drums), Stella Waddington (piano), Steve Cummins (upright bass), Veronica Kuganantham (staff support), Isaac Donlevy (percussion), Miguel Alvarez (jazz piano) and Daniel Mooney (tenor saxophone) for supporting Lachlan on the night.

PERFORMING ARTS DATES FOR THE CALENDAR