College Information & Events
27 October By Maria Russell, Performing Arts Coordinator - Music
Our VCE Music Performance class of 2021 featured six students who worked with dedication and commitment on their instrument to produce a 25 minute program which they performed as their final exam over the past three weeks. The cross section of instrument studies and repertoire came from more ‘classical’ genres through to the contemporary genres of music. These included clarinet, violin, contemporary piano and contemporary guitar. Our students dedicated part of each day from the very beginning of the year on top of their other study commitments which also included music theory, aural and listening analysis to put together a program they should all be very proud of. Not only were their performances accessed on their technical skill on the instrument but their ability to shape and interpret the music and make it their own. In the case of group performance, the assessment also includes how the performer interacts and performs with the other members of the ensemble.
This talented group of year 12 students amidst a year where they weren’t able to practice their performance skills live, worked in conjunction with each other to perform remotely and onsite when they could and without the normal feedback from an audience were still able to hone their performance skills to a very competent standard. I congratulate and commend each of our VCE Music Performance students: Eliza Karslake, Madeleine Withers, Caspian Linayao, Zac McCarthy, William Deans and Jarrod O’Brien, for their contribution to the music department as both soloists and ensemble players at Damascus over the past six years as well as their achievements at a VCE level. I feel most privileged to have witnessed their growth and passion for music and hope that it continues to flourish as they move beyond the secondary music classroom.