By Angus Rae - South West Music Student
I participated in the Youth Opportunities Program run by the South West Music during the summer holidays in January 2023. The summer holiday program worked towards a youth led community music event. The team was made up of cast, crew and band. Participants were a combination of South West Music students and students from the region. We were all supported by South West Music and their partners. Some participants travelled considerable distances take part in this program, some over 300kms. We developed a range of skills including event productions and music performance. As part of the crew I took part in a variety of workshops including eve
nt design & management, photography, videography, sound engineering, production, marketing & communications. The cast leant difficult scores which challenged their exis
ting musical abilities and opened their eyes to new possibilities including part harmony singing, understanding different styles and delivery a confident performance. It was a free event that we put on for our community. We are lucky to live in an area that has such strong community support.
We delivered a musical production that gave us all the opportunity to step outside our comfort zones and learn about a new genre of music. We were all young people from different towns with different skills and interests
. We acknowledged and encouraged each other and made long term friendships in th
e process. We were encouraged and supported by our mentors to learn new skills and music that we can take with us into the future. The sense of pride and achievement in participating in a very successful event increased our confidence.
We are grateful to the South West Music Regional Conservatorium for creating and delivering this program. We also thank the New S
outh Wales Government department communities and justice for giving us the opportunity.
Comments