The senior music
extension program was established in 2017. Five Year 12 students completed the
course in its first year. The program provides students with the opportunity to
extend their musical talents and excel.
Music Extensions is
taught by Ray Cosgrove. Ray is an accomplished musician himself, a brass
specialist and he has played in a range of bands, ensembles and orchestras.
During his career, Ray Cosgrove has
established, conducted and coordinated numerous ensembles, bands and choirs through
his career with a number of 1st place, gold and silver awards achieved
through various eisteddfods and Fanfare. In 2009 he wrote and directed ‘Blame
it on the Beanstalk’ a musical designed for middle school students, in 2016-18
he has served as a bass singing mentor and core choir manager for Creative
Generations Queensland and in 2017 he co-directed ‘High School Musical’ for
Holland Park State High School with an endeavour to direct many more.
Students are given the
opportunity to focus on one of the three following areas of study:
1.
Performance
– using an instrument on their choosing
2.
Composition
– utilising tools such as: Note Flight and Sound Trap
3.
Musicology
– focusing on a research topic of their choosing
Students have two independent study lessons
and one lesson each week. To be
eligible for entry into Music Extensions, students must be in Year 12 and
already studying the Music as an authority subject.
The culminating event
for the year is the Music extension recital in Term 3, where all students are
given the opportunity to showcase their musical talents by performing and
presenting their final assessment.
The program has been a great success with three
of our five first participating students selected for entry into the prestigious
Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University in 2018.