The Music Department has started Term 2 on a positive note. We are very fortunate to have many talented artists in our school.

Our School of Music students specialise in Music, but their studies are complemented with additional subjects like Media Studies and English. Many of our former School of Music students are known to have excelled since graduation and have thrived in the Music industry, as well as further afield through tertiary education.

Careers Expo

The annual Careers Expo was held at Horncastle Arena earlier this term at which a handful of highly gifted School of Music musicians were selected to perform. The team of students consisted of Liam Makinson, Nikos Kazakos, Austin Standeven, Alyss Burgess, Rongomai Callaghan, Bella Ford and Ciara Comber. Their performances were of a professional standard, and the comments we received were positive. Some of the attendees commented that they thought the music was a CD as they did not realise that it was a live performance. We are very proud of our students.

Click on the link below to see the the School of Music perform at the Careers Expo.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKSL8oJSL2oYKv02s8fugNbZ0VN8exF2m

Ara Songwriting Competition

School of Music students also shone at the 2018 Ara Songwriting Competition. We believe that we support and nurture students’ individuality in our school, and through songwriting, they have definitely shown their unique originality. Our three exceptionally gifted and talented singer-songwriters, Lydia Fay, Rongomai Callaghan and Ciara Comber, were selected in the top 10 at the competition this year where they performed their original songs to the public at an award ceremony at Ara Music Arts building on Sunday, May 20th.

A special congratulations go out to our winners: Ciara Comber, Year 12 School of Music, who received an overall 1st place for the Secondary Student category, and Rongomai Callaghan, Year 13 School of Music, who received the runner-up prize.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKSL8oJSL2oabjecR0hKB9CUFNzd2WH-K

We have a few more music events happening this term:

• Our choir will be participating in the annual singing competition ‘Big Sing’ on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th June. 
• Our solo and group RockQuest bands will be competing their hearts out at the RockQuest regional competition on Saturday 9th June. 
• Our second NCEA Senior students’ solo performance evening will be held at Ara Music Arts on Tuesday 12th June from 6 pm. 
• The Jazz Quartet will be competing at the JazzQuest in the combo category on Friday 22nd June. 
• If the RockQuest regional students get through the qualifying round, they will be competing at the RockQuest final on Friday 29th June.
  

Please add the following music events to your calendar:

• In Term 3, our Jazz Ensemble will be competing at the JazzQuest in the Big Band/Ensemble Category on Saturday 4th August to Sunday 5th August. 
  
• Jazz Quartet will be heading to the Southern Jam Competition from Wednesday 8th August and will come back on Sunday 12th August. 
  
• Our School choir, Theatre Company, and Cabaret choir will be participating in the Voices Festival from Tuesday 14th to Friday 17th August. 
  
• Our third NCEA Senior students’ solo performance evening will be held at Ara Music Arts on Tuesday 4th September from 6 pm. 
  
• Groups Night, at which all the existing music groups perform, will be held at Ara Music Arts on Tuesday 18th September. 
  
• The Annual School of Music event, Hagley on Show, will be held at the Hope Presbyterian Church on Wednesday 19th September. 
  
• In Term 4, the Jazz Ensemble will be performing at the Big Band Festival over Labour weekend.
  

All parents and caregivers are invited to the above events. Please feel free to come and support us.