Year 7 and 8 students enjoyed developing their performance and composition skills. Over several weeks, they completed a formative assessment task, during which they selected an instrument and chose a level of repertoire. It was great to see the boys’ skills develop and witness them challenging themselves in repertoire choices.

Year 9 and 10 students dived into an exciting exploration of various music genres, discovering their unique characteristics and mastering the art of performing in small ensembles, all while honing their technical skills. There have been some very impressive performers emerging within this cohort and we look forward to their increasing participation in showcase events.

Year 11 students, immersed in their Australian Music study, delved into the world of composition, with some very creative and polished pieces being produced. Meanwhile, Year 12 students have been diligently refining their performance pieces and elective selections, including HSC Composition and Viva Voce. This talented group will sit for their Trials in Weeks 3 and 4 before completing their practical HSC exam later in the term.

Drama

Our Year 9 and Year 10 Drama students finished off Term 2 with some outstanding assessment based group performances, re-imagining a scene from Romeo and Juliet, their studied text. The attention to detail, creativity and skills on display were excellent.

For five weeks of Term 2 we were delighted to run “Whose Line is it Anyway” introducing Year 8 students into a sample of improvisation activities and confidence building skills. The boys who elected to take part in this program worked with enthusiasm and creativity each week developing important collaborative, decision making and communication skills.

In Week 5 of this term Drama students will take part in workshops run by Belvoir St Theatre in our College Theatre. Year 9 and 10 students will be immersed in “Performing a Monologue”, developing their understanding and skills in this crucial area of Performance.  Year 8 Students will build on their improvisational techniques and learn a little more about the Drama Course in Stage 5.

VET Entertainment/Screen and Media

Screen and Media students have been busy polishing their Breakfast Interview show and the boys did a great job videoing footage from the Athletics Carnival that was used in the Assembly package shown to the school in Week 9.

Year 11 Entertainment spent much of Term 2 learning about audio live mixing, completing a radio show competency task that will be a very useful reference point for when they go to work placement at the beginning of Term 4 and getting ready for work placement next term at The Skilled Creative.

Year 12 Entertainment are finalising their Specialisation Unit including an Industry Visit from Dan McIvor of Central Coast Youth Services which will take place on Friday 2 August. This visit will be covering Industry contacts and building a career in the Entertainment Industry.

Experiences and Achievements

Term 2 saw some outstanding performers showcased in the Youth in Performing Arts series of concerts at Laycock St Theatre. All up St Edward’s students performed in five items, with a total of 11 students,  additionally, four of our Year 11 Entertainment students worked as part of the stage crew. Our students were celebrated in the Week 9 whole school assembly and a special mention goes to Thomas Schramm for being awarded the Coast Academy of Music Scholarship and Lachlan Herd for an Encouragement Award for technical crew.

More recently student musicians enhanced the Academic Award ceremony with some beautiful repertoire. Max Taylor in Year 9 and Logan Atherton in Year 8 performed an instrumental duo, whilst Vice Captain, Rex Allwood, presented one of his HSC vocal pieces.

Music Enrichment Day

On Tuesday 4 June, the Music department, along with mentor students from St Edward’s and St Jospeh’s, played host to 21 primary school students from our feeder schools. These Year 4 and 5 students participated in an enrichment program that included, a vocal workshop, digital music making and a concert band experience. The day culminated in a joyous performance of Three Little Birds to a very proud group of parents. A big congratulations must go to our Year 9 student helpers who, along with St Joseph’s girls, were fantastic ambassadors and mentors for our schools.

Theatre Visit “& Juliet “

In Week 8, Term 2 our Stage 5 Drama students and Stage 6 VET Entertainment students were treated to a fantastic theatrical experience at the Lyric Theatre in the form of the highly successful Musical production “& Juliet”. For Drama students it was a wonderful opportunity to be exposed to a live theatrical production encompassing all the Elements of Drama. This musical tied in perfectly with the boys’ study of Romeo and Juliet in a theatrical context. For Entertainment students, this was an exceptional look at staging elements including, projection mapping and vision systems, fly systems, stage revolves and lifts, exquisite scenic elements and creative scene changes.

HSC Music Performance Evening

In Week 7 our wonderful Year 12 Music students will perform a selection of their HSC repertoire to their family and friends in the Theatre. This is a special night where the boys get to celebrate their hard work and musicality to an appreciative audience just a few weeks before their actual HSC practical exam takes place.

Year 8 Concert

Following on from the Year 12 Music night, a selection of their pieces and repertoire from our Year 9-11 students will be performed in a special concert for Year 8. This concert is an excellent opportunity for Year 8 students to see first-hand the development of Music skills which takes place in elective music and for our elective Music students to perform to a large appreciative cohort.