Performance and Instrumental News

This Semester, the staff on duty at recess and lunchtimes have been entertained by the many students rehearsing for their up and coming performances.

Our department has been a hive of activity and now with the winter months upon us, rehearsing in the warm rooms is a much better option than fighting the elements.

ASSEMBLY

Under the direction of Mrs Brown, the choir sang the opening hymn beautifully at our first official assembly of the year.

Accompanied by Mr Wilding, VCE Music student, Emily O’Kane, performed one of her VCE works " Sonata for Clarinet and Piano . 3rd Movement “ by Francis Poulenc.

Emily’s performance was appreciated by all ages and hopefully, she has inspired some of our younger budding clarinetists.

Many thanks to her instrumental teacher, Mrs Wilding, for her expert tuition.

Under the banner of Mr Wilding, the Senior band performed “The Incredibles” by M. Giacchino.

Mr Wilding is doing a great job with this ensemble and you will be hearing more from these talented students in the coming months.

VCE MUSIC SOIREE

The Units 1 & 3 Music students entertained the many parents, friends and staff of the college as they performed their works from Semester One at the Geelong Piano Bar last month.

Mrs Brown was so very proud of her students as they had obviously worked very hard to achieve such a high standard.

The Piano Bar was the perfect venue to sit back, relax and just take in the evening.

At the end of the night, the students were thanked and I added that the students weren’t just talented, they were also humble. They always encourage and support each other and this is what I love about our students the most.

YEARS 9 & 10 MUSIC-“EVENING OF TALENT”

Mr Michael Wilding and I were relieved when the night arrived and actually went very smoothly. During the weeks leading up to the concert, there were many students absent due to illness and also the Year 9 camp. With many solos and groups performing, we were delighted to see a number of students arrive and give their best, despite being ill and missing many lessons.

The Potato Shed was rocking, and nerves went out the window for some. For others, this was their very first performance so we do hope this experience will encourage them to do more.

The show does go on!

AUSTRALIAN YOUTH CLASSICAL MUSIC COMPETITION

Last weekend Zachary Jackson in Year 9 performed on Trombone in the final of the Regional Section of the Australian Youth Classical Music Competition held at The Geelong College. He had successfully auditioned earlier in the term and was one of 9 finalists. Whilst he did not gain a place on this occasion it was a great experience for him to play in a competition of this standard, against many older students.

Michael Wilding 

Band Coordinator
Year 7, 8, 9 Music Teacher

PUBLIC SPEAKING RECITAL

Congratulations to Nikki Zhao who presented her students last Tuesday evening to very proud parents and carers. I was amazed at the talent and commented to the parents that there were certainly some potential college captains in the room.

The Public Speaking students of 2022 have recently achieved their first public recital in the brand new building, Loyola Centre. Joined by their parents, carers and siblings, the one hour flew by. I am in awe of what these young speakers are capable of and their attitude towards pushing themselves outside of their comfort zones. Part of the Semester, they have been exploring texts written by other writers and poets, as well as drafting their original speeches inspired by the people around them.
What you saw on stage from these young speakers, in that short 3 minutes of stage time, reflected their efforts and dedication to hours of preparation, discussions and practice. This skillset is multifaceted and it does not go without hard work and talent.
I am so happy to have these young minds as my students, they continue to inspire me to guide them to be the best communicator that they can be.

Warm regards,

Nikki Zhao

Public Speaking Tutor.

COMBINED BANDS EVENT.

On Thursday June 2 the Junior Band attended a combined bands event at St Joseph’s College. The students worked with experienced conductor Amy Wert from Melbourne in rehearsals to perform as a massed band. There was close to 150 students involved from Kardinia International College, Covenant College, Belmont High School, Clonard College, Sacred Heart College and St Joseph’s College plus our Junior Band students.

There was a public concert to end the day where each school performed on their own, finishing with the 2 massed pieces. This was a great opportunity for our students to hear and meet other students playing similar level pieces. The Junior Band played extremely well, led by Janice Wilding, and is building on the experience of performances earlier in the year.

YEAR 7 SHOWCASE

The school community is invited to the Year 7 Showcase concert for Semester 1. We are fortunate to be able to hold this event again after the disruptions of COVID-19 during the past 2 years. It will be held in the Multipurpose Center on Monday June 20 at 6pm.

The concert will feature performances from the Junior Band, Honours Band, Junior Vocal Ensemble as well as a combined band with all students from 7 Miki, 7 Claver, 7 Ward, 7 Lewis and 7 Borgia.

There has been an Operoo notification sent to the students involved. Students performing need to be back at school to warm up by 5:45pm in Winter Uniform. The concert will be finished by approximately 6:45pm.

Michael Wilding

Band Coordinator
Year 7, 8, 9 Music Teacher

As the end of Semester One approaches, instrumental timetables are being organized for Term 3. Please let me know if you are interested in your child taking Instrumental music lessons or Public Speaking.

Lessons are for the Term, so students may not cease lessons mid Term, unless of course there is an extraordinary reason, for example, a long stay in hospital.

We have a couple of vacancies in most instruments so please don’t forget to go onto Operoo and fill out a form if you are interested. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need to have a chat re lessons.

Please stay tuned for the Term 3 Performance dates which will be published at the commencement of Term 3.

Regards,

Mrs Linda Pape

Performance & Instrumental Coordinator.