2020 School Magazine

CHESS CLUB C hess is an activity that promotes the logical, planning and sequential aspects of the brain. The Chess Club involves members meeting once a week to practise and improve their skills in a relaxed and fun environment. Everyone is invited to join the Chess Club, regardless of their age or Year level. New players are always welcome to come along and learn the rules of chess from other students. Some members play competitively and members have even represented Australia in the past. Bridgette Watkins (11R)

I n June, students were given the opportunity to participate in a song-writing writing workshop with talented musician and Grammar woman, Ms Davie (2012). Ms Davie provided us with two options for the foundation of our songs. From there we had total creative freedom in our writing and production. As we progressed with the project Jo provided us with individual feedback. The experience was so valuable and taught me a lot about musical techniques. It was amazing to get feedback from Jo on my song and it has been extremely beneficial in improving my song writing. Sofia Cirino (10O) COMPOSER’S CLUB

C ollaborating with Ms Davie (2012) and receiving feedback from her was one of the highlights of my music activities this year. The task forced me into some much-needed time for reflection, but also taught me how easy song writing can be. We were given a beautiful inspiration track written by Jo, then had a few weeks to write and record our own song. Due to the relatively short amount of time given—which encouraged us to commit to a single idea and just go with it—I learned that song writing is not the monster of a task I thought it was. Jo then gave us each feedback, which was immensely helpful. There are always ways to improve and having a professional singer-songwriter help was a really precious opportunity. Through this task I have gained invaluable feedback, the courage to write, and a song I love. I could not thank Ms Davie and Ms Cummings enough for giving us this opportunity. Mia Li (12R) Mia Li entered her song ‘I am Confused’ in the songwriters section of the ASME QLD Young Composer’s Competition and won first prize.

C hinese Club is a casual, fun lunchtime get-together designed to improve our Chinese speaking skills. It is particularly helpful for girls with no background in Chinese, giving them an opportunity outside of Chinese class to build their confidence in speaking the language. Also, because we had a large Chinese class this year, the smaller group time we spent with teachers during Chinese Club became especially valuable. Extending our learning about Chinese culture, from the country’s festivals through to traditional food is another great aspect of Chinese Club. Jess Lau (11E) and Natasha Medland (11W) CHINESE CLUB

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2020 | 99