HSC Music Enrichment Camp supported by SCU

Two hundred Year 11 and Year 12 music students attending schools from Kingscliff to Lismore and Coffs Harbour are gathering for a Higher School Certificate Music Enrichment Camp supported by Southern Cross University this Sunday and Monday, June 14 and 15.

The University has had a long-standing relationship with the North Coast Music Teachers’ Association, who put on the event, and has been providing a venue and other support for the music enrichment camp for the past 10 years.

The students attend workshops which take them through all the options for HSC Music - examination papers, performance, musicology, composition and aural skills.

“Our teachers and students consider this the best event in the whole year for music students and they go back to their schools encouraging others to go the following year,” said event coordinator, Alstonville High School music teacher Colleen Bowles.

Two Alstonville High School Year 12 students (pictured) attending the two days are James Titherington, who plays violin with the Lismore Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and Karissa Sparke, a singer/guitarist who writes her own songs and has spent a few months with The Talent Development Project, giving her the opportunity to attend monthly skill development workshops in Sydney.

Students attending the music enrichment camp will have the opportunity to see the LSO perform on Sunday at 2pm, when they give a public performance at Lismore City Hall. The repertoire studied in the Aural Workshops being conducted as part of the music enrichment camp will include works performed by the orchestra.

Parissa Bouas of The Hottentots and Anita Bellman who now works at the Lismore Conservatorium of Music will be providing tutoring in singing. Dave Sanders, a local drumming expert and Southern Cross University lecturer will also tutor.

There will be Performance Workshops during which students will have the opportunity to work with talented musicians to hone their performance skills. Selected students will then get to give a professionally managed stage concert on the final day.

Senior HSC markers from Sydney will be coming to give the students tips to help them understand what will be required of them for the HSC exams including John Hartley, from Cranbrook School, Sydney, Jane Galbraith, from St Andrews Cathedral School, Sydney and Nancy Morvillo, from Canley Vale High School.

Photo: Alstonville High School music students James Titherington and Karissa Sparke are looking forward to the music enrichment camp coordinated by their teacher, Colleen Bowles (back row).