Acting Director of Music - Edition 2 - 2021

Music Notes

Kate Cao (Year 6 Abbey) - AMEB Piano Grade 4 - A+ High Distinction

Barad Abdollahpour (Year 6 Wesley) - AMEB Piano Grade 2 - A+ High Distinction

Winston Lam (Year 10 Fereday) - AMEB Theory Grade 1 and 2, 100 percent, High Distinction

Frank Hu-Ao Li has been awarded second place in the Under 8 Section at the recent American International Piano competition. The competitors come from more than 10 countries around the world. Frank has been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall, New York on Tuesday 13 July 2021. An amazing achievement!

Penny He (Year 5 Wesley) - AMEB Grade 6 piano exam - A+, AMEB Grade 2 Music Theory - A+. Penny was also successful in her audition for the Adelaide Youth Orchestra on violin for 2021.

We had many students involved in Pelican Productions Music Theatre Camp for two weeks of January. One of our Year 7 students and two Year 8 students achieved awards. Congratulations to Lily Laan (Year 7 Clark) for winning the ‘spirit of performance’ award, Jack Kuekenmeester (Year 8 Fricker) for winning the ‘outstanding music theatre performance’ award, and Ella Burgess (Year 8 Forder) for winning the ‘director’s’ award.

Freddy Ramly-Peck (Year 9 Jeffries) was chosen from the Adelaide Youth Orchestra to play the snare drum in a performance of The Little Drummer Boy as part of an Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Christmas concert, a great achievement.

Music News

The Music Department is off to a busy start again this year. We are now successfully ensconced in our 2021 temporary accommodation while the new building is developed. If you have not visited yet, we are in the house at 25 Alison Avenue and are using the two green sheds adjacent to the car park on Barry’s Lane as well as Studio 401 (adjacent the Tuck Shop) and the transportables D08 and D10 for classes and instrumental study lessons.

Instrumental Studies have already commenced and we have 27 different music tutors delivering just over 450 instrumental music lessons each week to our students. If you have enrolled your son/daughter in tuition on an instrument and they haven’t commenced lessons yet then please contact us in the Music Department urgently.

Co-curricular Ensembles have also commenced rehearsals and are starting the year well. Student attendance at these co-curricular ensembles has been encouraging, however if your son/daughter has not joined a music ensemble, it’s not too late to start! Please enquire with any Music staff member and we will direct you appropriately.

I am enjoying my time as Acting Director of Music whilst Mike Degenhart is away on leave and I look forward to meeting as many students and parents as possible while I am here this term. If you have any questions relating to music and ensembles please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Darryl J Pope OAM
Acting Director of Music