Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2016

/ 15

2016 GALA CONCERT: OUT OF THIS WORLD 2016 GALA CONCERT: OUT OF THIS WORLD

AUTHOR Mr Mark Sullivan Director of Instrumental Music

words. It takes them to a place where collaboration is a must, deep emotional experience, personal reflection, refinement, beauty and joy. The immediate goal of music performance is perfection: a 100 per cent accuracy in the multiple criteria that together make a successful performance. The ultimate goal, however, is to learn, create and express oneself articulately and beautifully. While this sounds like an ambitious goal, I can assure you I have witnessed Girls Grammar students develop these qualities as they have progressed through the School’s music programme and henceforth become fine citizens. This year’s ‘Out of this World’ had many highlights. I congratulate the students who accepted the challenge of participating. It is a year-long process and demands engagement on many levels. The level of musical achievement and personal discipline displayed on the night was astonishing. The 2016 Gala was my final with Brisbane Girls Grammar School. Throughout my twenty-year tenure, it has been an absolute privilege to be involved with creative and passionate staff, talented and receptive students, and generous and supportive parents. The Concert has become one of the great traditions of the School and is a great occasion for staff, students and parents to work together in a spirit of co-operation to enable deep learning experiences, an exceptional level of performance and memories that will last a lifetime.

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL’S TWENTIETH ANNUAL GALA CONCERT, THIS YEAR THEMED ‘OUT OF THIS WORLD’, HELD ON SATURDAY 22 OCTOBER LIVED UP TO ITS TITLE WITH OUTSTANDING SOLO AND ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCES BY STUDENTS FROM ALL YEAR LEVELS. The Concert, hosted at the UQ Centre, marked twenty years since the School chose to present an annual major public concert to showcase the talents and achievements of the Instrumental Music Programme in lieu of participating in music competitions; a bold and visionary move by the then Principal. The Instrumental Music Programme offers an exceptional learning environment where both teacher and student work collaboratively and in equal measure through all stages of the journey. Indeed, final assessment is completely co- dependent and the ultimate success of the performance depends on the confidence and trust that has been forged between students and teachers throughout the programme. While recent research has identified significant cognitive benefits for young musicians, it also shows that music enables students to explore what it is to be human through the emotional complexity of the music that they perform. Through music, students are able to express the intent of their hearts in a way that is not possible with letters and

SPRING ISSUE / 2016