Sean Woo, Joshua Lewis, and Renee Mullins prepare for the NZCT Chamber Music Contest in June.

Since the end of last year the trio have been working together to perfect Darius Milhaud's difficult piece. Milhaud's Op. 157b is an intricate combination of various musical aspects from different periods and genres, including baroque, jazz, and folk. This piece is an interesting mixture of the playful, sombre, beautiful, and harsh; and demands much of each performer's technical skill and understanding of their instruments.

It is impressive to see these three Year 12 students work so hard in their own time, and come in each week after school to practice together. In a time of cell phones and computers, where so much has become instantaneous, I am reminded of one of the important skills we develop when we learn musical instruments: the ability to persevere.