Budding musicians band together
MUSIC educators on the Eastern Shore have formed a new collaboration incorporating budding musicians from Rosny College, Rose Bay High and Clarence High Schools.
The teggana Music Collective is a new initiative that provides students and teachers with opportunities to collaborate through the sharing of music teaching resources across the three schools.
The program seeks to build and inspire current and future musicians while celebrating musical excellence on the Eastern Shore.
Students benefit from teachers and tutors moving between the three schools to provide extra support and specialist musical advice.
Learners are encouraged to work together in ensembles to build their musical knowledge and contribute to the community within school and beyond.
“It is envisaged that these ensembles will diversify and expand over the course of time into classical and jazz genres too,” Rosny College and teggana Music head teacher Jon Cavenagh said.
The program has given students access to some of Tasmania’s best musicians including vocalist Katy Raucher, guitar and rhythm section specialist Simon Patterson and drummer Konrad Park.
“Traditionally, these opportunities just don’t exist for students,” Mr Cavenagh said.
“We are blessed to have such high calibre musicians in Hobart willing and able to teach our students.”
The first year of the collaboration has seen much success and extended learning opportunities for students.
Opportunities have included working and performing in teggana ensembles, including the vocal ensemble and funk band, as well as participating in songwriting and performance workshops.
A highlight of the collaboration happened in September when students performed in the teggana Music Celebration Concert, showcasing the musical talents and diversity found within the collective.
In order to facilitate this, an original work titled teggana was commissioned and conducted by Matt Boden for students from all three schools to perform together.
The performance was a huge success and teggana was also performed at the recent southern band festival Bandscapes at MONA.
On the Eastern Shore, student engagement in excellent music programs ensures that the future of music and music education is bright. This suite of tutors, the collaborative opportunities, and renewed focus on participation in music programs is expected to expand to other Eastern Shore schools from 2018 and beyond. THE spectacular success of Guilford Young College’s 2017 musical production, Grease, is testament to the fulfilment of the hopes and dreams that lay behind the vision and construction of GYC’s stunning Don Bosco Creative Arts Centre, in central Glenorchy.
The large capacity, spacious, community-based facility, just over two years old, is a boon to the performing arts community of southern Tasmania.
Heading the long list of these interests are the drama, theatre production, technical theatre production, dance and music-based courses taught at the College. The centre has now staged three superb College musical productions; is a “second home” to the performing arts and large-scale productions of GYC’s association Catholic colleges in Hobart and is the venue of choice for a growing number of community interests including theatre and dance schools.
The 600-seat capacity auditorium, a huge stage area, modern lighting and sound facilities of excellent quality, extensive backstage and dressing areas in a welcoming, easily accessible environment add to the theatrical experience of cast, crew and audiences, alike.
One of the big advantages for Guilford Young College, itself, is that it has been able to bring “home” its renowned annual musical production. The Music Man (2015), Footloose (2016) and Grease (2017) have been hits for their large audiences.
The director of the last two productions, Ms Chelle Burtt, said there was a huge benefit for all the students involved with the co-curricular production; be they in the cast, the crew or the band.
“Singing, dancing and