The Arts News
Music Recording
Earlier this term, Working Musicians Program members were given the incredible opportunity to put into practice all they have been learning about sound production and recording artistry. Each WMP member attended an individual recording session with local producer, Dylan Smith and learned how to work, record and perform in a professional studio.
Each artist has come away from their session with a professionally recorded song they will be able to use to help propel themselves forward in their careers as working musicians. Over the course of the back-to-back weekend sessions, these young artists demonstrated professionalism and delivered touching performances of their original work, each one completely unique and authentic. We cannot wait for you to hear. Thank you to CORE Studios for lending their space, Dylan Smith for producing, Eliza Davidson (WMP), Dani McGlynn for helping to supervise the event, and to all WMP students and parents for leaning into this invaluable experience.
Drama Excellence
The Year 9 and 10 Drama Excellence class have been working on The Scene Project. The Scene Project is a great opportunity for students to engage in a newly commissioned text. We have put a 15 minute scene together using physical and ensemble theatre styles.
After reading the play together as a class, the director/teacher Ms Joubert created a new devised script dealing with the play’s major theme, that of anxiety and how one can be trapped by anxiety, depression and worrying thoughts. Through the characters of Frankie and Charlie, the ensemble cast of 28 students creatively tell the characters’ stories through scenes from the original play, as well as using physical theatre and movement motifs with a huge rope to symbolize the suffering caused by one that suffers from anxiety and depression.
We look forward to our day in Brisbane with the Queensland Theatre Company, and performing our piece to them and other schools on the 1 September. We will have a workshop with the company and other students, and we will also see the company perform the entire commissioned word, “We are the mutable”, written by Matthew Whittet.
Cluster Day
Dance Excellence
For the 4th Cluster Day, 60 Dance Excellence students took part in our own version of a So You Think You Can Dance competition. There were 6 groups of 10, all with a mix of students from Year 7-12 and chosen randomly. Each group then chose a Dance Genre out of a hat. Genres chosen were Ballet, Hip Hop, Afro Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical and Musical Theatre. The students were only given 3 lessons to choreograph a dance in their allocated genre, find appropriate costumes and rehearse it in time for the big competition that same afternoon. The pressure was on, but every group did an amazing job to work as a team and create an entertaining dance.
Kelii Grauer from KBOD Fitness was our guest judge. She was so impressed with the calibre of the choreography and couldn’t believe that the students had created 6 amazing dances in such a short time.
But, there could only be one winner…the LYRICAL team won with a beautiful, expressive and very polished dance to a Dermot Kennedy song. Coming in at a close 2nd was the CONTEMPORARY team with a very quirky and innovative take on an underwater theme and the AFRO JAZZ team came in 3rd.
It was wonderful to see the leadership by the senior students, but also how well each group worked as a team under very stressful conditions.
Thank you also to Ms Wahlin for the fabulous trophies!
Drama
During the Week 1 Cluster day, the PBC Drama department invited screen actors Ruby Gonzales Judd (Alumni) and Rainbow Wedell, to engage our students in a film acting master class. The day saw students engage in scene work, two-handers and screen tests. The students performed admirably and a big thanks must be had to Ms. Tara Gonzales-Judd and Ms. Lynette Joubert for offering this exciting experience to our school community.
Music Excellence and Drama Excellence
For our fourth GC5 Cluster day, Music Excellence and Drama Excellence students were fortunate enough to be visited by vocalist and performing arts educator, Kacey Patrick. Some of Kacey’s career highlights include touring Germany and Japan with acclaimed duo stringmansassy, as well as winning an Australian Art Award for ‘Queensland Performance of the Year’ with Linsey Pollak and the ensemble of The Dream of Zedkat Nabu. Her dynamic and intuitive approach to music was well received by our students, taking us through a repertoire of jazz, folk and world music. Students were given some valuable insight into core vocal technique, as well as a crash course into harmony and improvisation. Initially there was some nervousness among non-vocal students, however that quickly dispersed as Kacey orchestrated a high energy call and response African singing circle where students couldn’t help but to let go and immerse themselves in the experience. It could be safely said that by the end of the two-hour workshop as students were belting out The Bee Gee’s ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ in four-part harmony, that students had found their voice.
