Music Newsletter – Issue 2, 22 November 2024

Well…  2024 was certainly another great year of music here at Villa!

I would like to take a moment to thank all students, families, and staff involved in our music community across the year and recognise the ongoing effort of all involved.  Our achievements this year are quite impressive, and I am very pleased with how the standard of our program continues to develop.  We are fortunate to be very well resourced and have a wonderful team working together to ensure the best outcomes for our students – well done and thank you.

Over this beginning of this week, we managed to finish the year on a high with our JS Christmas Concert, and the Christmas Extravaganza Concert all on the same day.  With the challenge of a long day of rehearsal and music, and the added level of difficulty with the weather, it was quite an experience!  The morning began with a Year 5 rehearsal followed by a concert for Junior School and Year 5 parents during assembly time.  Both our Band and String Orchestra did an incredible job, spreading Christmas Cheer with some classic carols, almost as good a job as Mr Cav did with his costume!!!

The evening saw Goold Hall transformed into a Christmas Wonderland with students from all Middle and Senior School ensembles performing for a full house.  As always, the event was undertaken in great spirit and a wonderful opportunity for our College to gather, reflect, and celebrate another great year.  Whilst there were a number of musical highlights across the night, I would like to commend Mr Quigley for arranging our finale item – ‘Last Christmas’ – performed by our newly formed Symphony Orchestra and Massed Choir.  It was a great way to end the concert and a very musical rendition of the piece – well done to all involved.

We will now take a hiatus from rehearsal and lessons across the remainder of the year as we clean and pack away equipment.  We thank you all for your engagement across the year and look forward to joining you again in 2025.

Amnesty – Original Music and Lyres

As Ensembles have now concluded rehearsal, it is time for us to send out our annual Original Sheet Music amnesty.  Please check your music folders, cases, under your bed, in your lockers, for any original sheet music and any marching lyres that may be at home.  Can I ask for these to be returned as soon as possible to the Music Office.

College and Personally Owned Instruments

Now that rehearsals have concluded and lessons have if not soon, already concluded, please ensure that all personal instruments make their way home over the end of this week.  Your equipment will be much safer at home under your supervision than here at school.

Conversely, if you have a College instrument at home, please return this as soon as possible so that we may complete our end-of-year tasks before the end of the month.  Thanks for your assistance with both these tasks.

2025 Lessons and Rehearsals

We are currently waiting on almost 80 re-enrolment forms to be submitted for ensembles and tuition in 2025.  Until these are in we are unable to confirm timetables and staffing.  If you are yet to submit a form to advise us of your son’s intentions next year, we would appreciate you taking care of this urgently.  I would like to confirm loads with staff prior to Christmas, and be able to distribute timetables prior to school commencing in 2025.  Thanks for your help here in ensuring we are able to do this before December.

Wishing you all a happy and Holy Christmas.

Mr Michael Jones – Director of Music

Thank you to all our parents who were able to attend our JS Christmas Concert on Tuesday morning in Hanrahan Theatre.  It was the first time we included this as a morning assembly and I feel it was very well received.

The students are to be commended for their performances.  From Jingle Bells to Santa’s Midnight Feast, some great music was shared with all.  I think perhaps the only thing to overshadow the performances was Mr Cav’s costume!

After just over 9 months of music tuition, this year’s cohort achieved an incredible amount and should be proud of their efforts.  The music team have enjoyed working with the students and wish them all the best as they move through their Villanova journey.

Brass News

It’s been a great year! My first year! I’ve really enjoyed seeing all the ups and downs as the boys improve and enjoy making music across all the different ensembles. I love all the different ensembles and opportunities the Villanova Music program provides (when I was in school, we had 1 Concert Band and 1 Big Band). I wholeheartedly appreciate all the efforts that the boys and families put into everything that happens at Villanova College.

Summer Holiday Practice

Please keep the momentum going. It doesn’t have to be a lot – 5 mins a few times a week can make a huge difference.

Here’s a true story….

When I was in Primary and High School, I didn’t do much practice from week to week, and my parents forced me to practice and I didn’t like it. We would have huge arguments. I just wanted to play Cricket and AFL (which in 1 year I got Best and Fairest in both codes). I would argue with them saying that I didn’t want to be a musician so why should I do it…Then eventually in grade 10 things started to ‘click’ and I was able to read music better and produce a nicer tone and I started to enjoy it for the first time since grade 4.

By the time I got into grade 11 my parents couldn’t stop me from practicing. I even used the phrase “I can’t do the washing up as I need to practice” and my parents let me until my sister complained about fairness….

Anyway, the moral of the story is, even if you don’t like it, even if you don’t intend on being a musician, the things you are learning through the music program are incredible life skills, huge cross brain functions, imagination, empathy the list goes on.

My friends from school that were with me in band are now Engineers, Accountants, Lawyers, Physiotherapists, Tradesmen, Computer Programmers, and when we get together all they want to talk about is music. While they reminisce about our time in the school band program, they recognise how important making music was to shaping their mind and wellbeing as an adult and now as parents.

Instrument Hires & Loans

Students that have hired or loaned a school owned instrument this year please return it by the end of this week. All instruments need to be checked for maintenance requirements. If you wish to have an instrument at home to practice on the holiday’s we can arrange that for you too.

If anyone is looking to purchase a new/used instrument for their son, please reach out to me as I’m happy to help find one and the best price. I regularly look on Marketplace and eBay and helped out a few families at the start of this year.

Ensembles

All ensembles have wrapped up for the year. Thank you to all students for their efforts in raising the standard of our ensembles this year.

Lesson times

Lessons for most students wrapped up – a handful of boys still have lessons scheduled so please check your emails for a teams meeting/time.

Lessons start again in Week 2.

Chamber Brass

Finished off the year strong and is looking for new members, I’d like to grow this ensemble next year. Please email me or come and see me if you are keen to be in Chamber Brass.

Recommended listening; Wynton Marsalis – Joe Cool’s Blues

Have a wonderful holiday break, I look forward to hearing all of your adventures.

Mr. Quigley – Program Leader – Brass

That’s a wrap!

It has been a wonderful year of music achievement and activities in the String Department. As we wind down this week after our Christmas Concert, I would like to remind boys to collect their instruments after their final lessons. With a long holiday break it can be good to have some down time. I also find it can be a great time to get some practice in and go and enjoy some live music to get inspired!

If you are looking for a holiday activity maybe consider a concert –

Classical Music and orchestra Concerts | Queensland Symphony Orchestra – Queensland Symphony Orchestra

What’s On – Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC)

Instrument maintenance

I would encourage families to look into instrument repairs and maintenance over the break. It can worth checking if strings are tarnished, and whether bows are looking light on for bow hair. I am happy to recommend brands for strings, and stores for maintenance and repairs – please feel free to email me.

Mrs Kristen Duncan – Program Leader – Strings

Woodwind News

It’s been a busy but fun-filled year for the boys in our Woodwind department. Our students have made great strides in their ensembles, and many have started exploring the challenge of doubling instruments – it’s quite common in the professional woodwind scene for musicians to play their main instrument but also double on a larger/smaller variation of that instrument, or even a similar reed instrument (i.e. sax/clarinet). Congratulations to you all, and thank you for helping to make our department so vibrant.

Instrument Hires & Loans

Could any students that have hired or loaned a school owned instrument this year please return it by the end of this week. All instruments need to be checked for maintenance requirements.

Ensembles

Following the Christmas Extravaganza, ensembles have wrapped up for the year. Thank you to all students for their efforts in raising the standard of our ensembles this year.

Lesson times

Lessons for most students wrapped up at the conclusion of Week 7. A handful of boys have lessons scheduled in Week 8 due to being significantly under their annual lesson quota.

Woodwind teachers will communicate Term 1 timetables before the commencement of Term 1. Lessons start again in Week 2.

Chamber Ensembles

We have received healthy interest levels for our new chamber ensembles for 2025 – Flute Ensemble, Clarinet Ensemble, Saxophone Ensemble (we will come up with more interesting names later!) The next step is to ascertain staff availability in order to facilitate the ensembles, find appropriate repertoire, and determine possible rehearsal times.

In early Term 1 of next year, Mr Cav will reach out to those that have listed their name on the expressions of interest sheet to confirm if you are still interested and able to commit to the designated rehearsal time. Please remember that your commitment to a large ensemble (Concert Band/Wind Ensemble/Symphonic Band) takes precedence over smaller chamber groups.

Chamber Winds will continue into 2025 as normal. This is an invitation only ensemble – if there is space to add new members, Mr Cav will be in contact.

Wishing you all a very woodwindy Christmas and a safe holiday season!

Mr Nicholas Cavallaro – Program Leader – Woodwind