Performance and Instrumental News

PERFORMANCE & INSTRUMENTAL NEWS -FEBRUARY

Performing Arts staff and students are very excited to be rehearsing for our up and coming concerts, soirees etc. Over 250 students have signed up for private music and public speaking lessons and the Performing Arts area is once again becoming a hive of activity.

It is wonderful to see that many students are interested in taking private lessons. The Covid-19 music lessons at home were certainly a challenge.

AWARDS ASSEMBLY

It was a treat to once again hear our talented past student, Storm Randall, sing at our Academic Awards and Student Investiture Ceremony. Our students were impressed as Storm sang a beautiful version of “Maria” from West Side Story.

CHOIR

Under the direction of Mrs Marina Brown, the college choir sang at our beginning of the year mass. Many thanks to Mrs Brown and the students who rehearsed the hymns with such little time-being our first week back. Thanks to our resident guitarist, Italian teacher Mr Francesco Meli, who accompanied the hymns so beautifully.

WISE MOVES IN PERFORMING ARTS.

While the choirs, bands and ensembles are rehearsing during lunchtimes, many students are enjoying activities on the lawn. We not only have excellent dance moves but we also have some very impressive chess moves happening in the Performing Arts area.

SUMMER DE VRIES

VCE music student, Summer De Vries, has written many fabulous songs. In early February, you could feel the appreciation when Summer performed one of her songs entitled “ Waiting for you“ to the students and staff at our college assembly.

KIERA MURRAY REACHES TOP CLASS

TOP CLASS THEATRE STUDIES 2023

Saint Ignatius College Geelong congratulates Keira Murray who will perform her outstanding work from 2022 at the Malthouse Theatre in Top Class Theatre Studies on Thursday 16 March, 10:00 AM as part of the Top Class Theatre Studies, VCE Season of Excellence.

Top Class is part of the VCE Season of Excellence managed by Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. The Season showcases work produced by outstanding VCE and VCE VET students who completed performing or visual arts, technology, design, or research studies in 2022. Events are presented at Melbourne’s major cultural venues, alongside associated education programs.

Congratulations Keira on this outstanding achievement. Congratulations also to Kiera’s teacher, Mrs Rhea Green who hasn’t stopped beaming with pride.

THE JUNIOR BAND IS FIRING

The Junior Band has commenced the year with much enthusiasm. Mrs Janice Wilding is very proud of her students and is looking forward to their first performance for the year.

YEAR 10 BAND

Year 7 parents/carers were entertained by the Year 10 band as they proceeded into the MPC for the Year 7 Information Evening. Many thanks to Oliver Watson, Ethan Cromwell, Zack Jackson and MacInley Watson ( Yr 12) who were very generous in giving of their time and talents.

Thanks also to our Arts Captain, Zoe Walter, who sang “On My Own” from Les Miserables. One parent comented to me that he had tears in his eyes –“It was so beautiful”.

“LET US REJOICE”

The National Anthem was sung by Arts Captain, Zoe Walter, at our College House Swimming Sports.

NEW STAFF JOIN OUR TEAM

We are delighted to have five new staff join our team. We welcome Mrs Sally Turner and Mr Billy Mathieson who will teach piano. Ms Britteny Ling will teach trumpet and piano and Ms Kim Cooper will be teaching vocal. Late last year we welcomed Ms Phillipa McQueen and she is enjoying teaching her vocal students.

This year we also welcome a new classroom teacher, Mr Max Rudd, who will be teaching music and Italian. Mr Rudd had already commenced taking a Rock Band each Wednesday lunchtime in PA1. Please contact Mr Rudd if you are interested. ruddm@ignatius.vic.edu.au

MR BILLY MATHIESON

“Billy (Mr. Mathieson) is delighted to introduce himself as one of the new instrumental music teachers at St. Ignatius this year. He is very excited to meet with students new or existing to gauge where they’re at with piano and to see what they might like to achieve – there is no expectation of skill or ability and it is important to understand that everyone starts somewhere!

A few things about him – new to Geelong having just shifted from Carlton with his fiancé to get out of the big smoke and be closer to family. Grew up in Woodend and since 2010 has been living and working in Melbourne teaching music and performing in bands, trios, duos and solo. Billy is jazz-trained and passionate about helping people find their own musical voice. As well as being a teacher, he is a composer and arranger of contemporary works so has a keen interest in the ensemble program at St. Ignatius.

Billy regards sight-reading, music theory, aural skills and rhythmic awareness to be integral components in one’s tool kit for musical success. Whether the individual aims to go down a jazz or classical route seems irrelevant when it comes to the general foundations required to learn piano and gain well-rounded musicality. Billy’s aim is to provide support for which ever style the student leans toward on their own journey.

His qualifications include -

NMIT: Certificate III (Contemporary Music Performance)
Certificate IV (Contemporary Music Performance)
Advanced Diploma (Music Performance)

Victorian College of the Arts (University of Melbourne): Bachelor of Fine Art (Jazz and Improvisation)

Melbourne Polytechnic HE: Bachelor of Music

Billy urges parents and students to really consider the benefits of getting involved in the Instrumental Music department at St. Ignatius and to enquire with Linda Pape (papel@ignatius.vic.edu.au) regarding availabilities for the remainder of Term One and for the rest of the year.”

MS KIM COOPER

Kim Cooper takes great joy in bringing together her wealth of knowledge and combining it with a gentle and joyful teaching technique to bring out the best in her students. With over 15 years experience singing professionally, including coming 7th on Australian Idol in 2009, 10 years as a vocal coach and a recent completion of a Post Grad in Vocal Pedagogy from world leader Griffith University, Kim is able to offer a unique mix of real world industry experience and the most up to date Contemporary Singing teaching techniques."

"I'm so excited to begin working at St Ignatius College. My ethos is that "The joy of singing belongs to everybody" and I truly believe that with good teaching, practice and lots of encouragement, anyone with a passion can learn to sing! I cannot wait to get started and see the young singers of St Ignatius College flourish in their technique and confidence this year."

MS PHILLIPA MCQUEEN

Phillipa has studied voice and piano since age 8. From the ages of 10-16 she has performed with Gondwana Voices at the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Conservatorium of Music and toured the Kimberly, Tasmania, and Taiwan, also composing and performing a choral installation at the Melbourne White Night Festival, which was voted second most popular installation at the annual event.

She has played several lead roles in music theatre and opera in her hometown of Geelong and at Trinity College, Melbourne (‘Brundibar’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat’, ‘Guys and Dolls’, ‘Urinetown’). In 2022 Phillipa worked as the Music Director on the student film ‘Sparky’ the Musical.

She was invited as a guest soloist with the Geelong Concert Band and held a permanent position as a lead stage band vocalist and competed with them and the Geelong College Pegasus singers at the James Morrison Generations in Jazz Festival. Phillipa has been invited to perform at public festivals, official ceremonies and events, weddings and funerals since a very young age and has a great deal of performance knowledge and experience to share with others.

After winning several local awards and receiving recognition for her talent she has gone onto further her study and training in classical voice at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, through which she has performed at Melba Hall and St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne. She is also a performing member of the prestigious Trinity College Chapel Choir with whom she has toured and recorded in Spain, France, and the UK, singing in iconic venues such as St Paul's Cathedral in London and Windsor Castle. In 2020 the choir did a tour of America and Canada, singing in famous venues such as Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. This year the choir will be touring Italy, Dublin and the UK, performing at notable venues such as St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. With the Trinity choir, Phillipa has recorded three albums (‘Beneath the Incense Tree [2018]’, ‘Land of Dreams [2019], ‘Walking on Waves [2020], ‘Eric Whitacre: The Sacred Veil [2022]’).

Phillipa has been teaching singing and piano since 2017 and is currently studying her Master of Teaching at Swinburne Online.

MRS SALLY TURNER

Sally has been teaching piano for over 30 years, most of those at Sacred Heart College. She loves her work and feels privileged to help students achieve their musical goals. Sally also enjoys working in ensembles, orchestras and choirs. She is excited to be joining the fantastic music team at St Ignatius College. We are so lucky that Sally has managed to fit our students into her busy schedule and we wish her all the best with her new students.

MAX RUDD

Max has come to St Ignatius from teaching instrumental at Melbourne Grammar School and Albert Park College. He grew up in Torquay and went to St Joseph’s College. Within the next few months, Max will submit his PhD in music which he completed at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, with a focus on the guitar music of Brazil. He holds a Master of Music (Performance), Bachelor of Music (Hons) and Diploma of Languages (Italian) from the University of Melbourne, and his A.Mus.A. Max is passionate about teaching and speaking languages and he is thrilled to be working at St Ignatius College Geelong.

AUDITIONS

Auditions for our very exciting musical “Anastasia” are taking place over the next few weeks. Our producer, Marina Brown, will be in touch soon when she will announce the lead roles and ensemble members. My wish is that students who are auditioning, do their very best.

I also want them to understand that if they are not selected this year, we shall be doing more shows in the future. Students need to keep in mind that we have many other exciting concerts that they can be involved in throughout the year.

INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS

Students interested in taking private lessons may still enrol on Operoo. We have just a couple of vacancies in some instruments.

This first term is dedicated to rehearsing for our future concerts and we hope to see many parents and friends attend the many performances in terms two, three and four.

Dates and times of these events will be advertised early in term two.

I am going on Long Service Leave this week and I shall return in term two. If you have any queries or concerns, please contact Mr Michael Wilding, who will be acting Instrumental Coordinator during my absence.

wildingm@ignatius.vic.edu.au

Thank you for supporting our Performing Arts Department and please keep an eye out for our coming performances.

Regards,

Mrs Linda Pape.

Head of Performance & Instrumental Coordinator.

Music is food for the soul.