On the weekend we had four of our students, Summer Rein (violin), Chelsea Brown (violin), Chloe Turnbull (alto saxophone) and Aimee Cullen (clarinet) represent the College at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music SHEP (State Honours Ensemble Program). They were chosen from over 2,300 nominations statewide. SHEP gives young musicians the opportunity to work with a team of eminent Australian and Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University conductors. Participants travelled from many parts of Queensland for this innovative and intensive weekend program. The girls had an amazing weekend of meeting new people, playing with other students of their age from different schools and performing in the beautiful Qld Conservatorium of Music Auditorium. Below are the comments from the girls who participated.

“I really enjoyed this amazing opportunity immensely and have loved the chance to collaborate with students I was unfamiliar with. The weekend was challenging in many ways but we can all agree that this has encouraged us and now we know what we are capable of”. – Aimee Cullen

“SHEP was awesome! Meeting new people, learning new pieces, then performing on a (very big) stage, AKA the Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane. I would definitely do it again if I had the chance!” – Chelsea Brown

“SHEP was heaps of fun, I made some friends and played some challenging pieces and did a great performance. On the first day we played four one and a half hour sessions I think and then on Sunday a one-hour rehearsal, then the performance. It was heaps of fun and I would do it again”. – Chloe Turnbull

“This was my second experience with SHEP, I played senior at Bundaberg earlier this year. It was a wonderful opportunity to be playing with some of the best musicians and conductors in the state. It is amazing what can be achieved with hard effort and focus in such a short time. My mum said the acoustics in the theatre was incredible, she was so proud of us all. I really value these opportunities to better my skills and look forward to hopefully make it into SHEP again next year”. – Summer Rein

Well done girls! You represented the College well.

2020 Instrumental Enrolments and Re-enrolments

Many students at GCC have completed a wonderful year of music making; whether that’s through the Year 3 Smart Strings Program, Year 5 Instrumental Band Program, Year 6 Vocal Program or have chosen to study a musical instrument through private lessons. Everyone associated with the Instrumental Music Program deserves a standing ovation, especially our parents. Because of you, music is an important and respected academic subject in our school and a vital art form in our community. Thank you!

Yes, scheduled classes have come to an end, but the summer holidays offer many musical opportunities. May we suggest:

• Enjoyable, stress-free practice time
• Attendance at live concerts to experience new and interesting musical styles
• Solo or ensemble performances at church or family gatherings; Christmas Day is a lovely time for your child to stand up in front of the family and perform some Christmas carols.
• Growth in musical taste and understanding by listening to a variety of music.

You, as a parent, can serve as a music educator by guiding your child towards musically oriented activities. Please encourage them to find some avenue of musical expression and not let their artistic language become dormant. It is the most important gift you can give to your child.

Does your child want to continue their musical pursuits next year? If so, you will need to enrol or re-enrol your child in lessons for 2020. We will offer be offering instrumental and vocal lessons in the following:

• Piano
• Vocal
• Guitar
• Percussion
• Woodwind – flute, clarinet, saxophone, oboe
• Brass – trumpet, trombone, euphonium
• Strings – violin, viola, cello, double bass.

We can offer lesson types:

• Paired lessons $18/student/week
• Private lessons $30/week
• Group lessons $12/week (only available to students who completed the Year 5 Instrumental Immersion Program, Year 3 Smart Strings program or the Year 6 Vocal Program the year before).

You will, however, have to provide your child with their own instrument. We do have limited instruments available to loan. Please discuss with Miss Hilton instrument options. The College also recommends discussing instrument purchasing and rental options with Shake It Up Music in Nambour or Mooloolaba Music ‘Studio 19 Rentals’.

If your child wishes to continue their musical pursuit, please complete the 2020 Instrumental & Vocal Lesson Enrolment Form.

Students, on reaching an appropriate standard, will be encouraged to become involved in a broad range of musical experiences beyond regular lessons. The College provides opportunities to participate in a number of different ensembles. It does not cost to participate in the ensembles but we do ask that you complete the 2020 Music Ensemble Attendance form.

If you have any further questions regarding instrumental music lessons at GCC, please do not hesitate to contact Ebony Hilton at [email protected].

We have exciting plans for the coming year and we anticipate continued positive growth in our music program.

Thank you again to those parents for being strong advocates of music and, in particular, for your support of the Music Department here at GCC.

Have a lovely Christmas and a safe holiday.

Ebony Hilton