Who is the biggest kid rocker in town?
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Just like the Gympie kids, Craig Morrison really rocks |
The Gympie Kids Rock program presented its first concert in the Auditorium on Wednesday evening (29/04/09) and an impressive array of music was performed by the students given that they have been playing their instruments for only 10 weeks. As well as playing, a number of students sang, the first time many of them had ever sung in public, let alone through a microphone. Material presented ranged from old standards like "Rock my soul" and "Old time rock 'n' roll" to one of Kasey Chambers and Shane Nickolson's latest songs "Sweetest waste of time".
A very big and pleasant surprise on the night was the arrival of Craig Morrison and his wife Nicole at the concert. Craig and his band The Little Cowboys were in Gympie to make a video for their latest single release. The video was made at Gympie High School on Thursday and on Friday, Craig presented workshops and a concert for the students at the school. It was great to have Craig and Nicole at the concert because, just like the Gympie kids, Craig Morrison really rocks. Check out his Myspace site.
Click here to view a slide show of the photos taken on the night. There are about 50 photos so stick with it. If you would rather look at the gallery of photos try this link.
Certificate IV in Music Starts May 5
After much planning, the Certificate IV in music will commence at the AICM building in Gympie on 5th May 2009. The course will run on Tuesday evenings from 6.30pm - 9.30pm and takes two years part-time to complete. It's a great opportunity for adults and post secondary students to gain an industry qualification. Anyone interested in enrolling in the program should contact Leanne Tompkins at Wide Bay TAFE on 07 5480 3620.
For more information on the content of the Cert IV, follow this link or contact us at the AICM.
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Another class of Gympie Kids Rock!
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Gympie kids really do rock! |
After the great success of the first Gympie Kids Rock class, we would like to start a second class. Gympie Kids Rock is an after school program through which 15 middle school aged children (years 6-8) come together from a variety of schools to learn popular music in a classroom setting. The program is run by well known local music teacher (and Education Director of the AICM) Dr Geoff Walden.
It is an opportunity for students with an interest in playing guitar, bass guitar, keyboard and drums to not only learn their own instrument but to learn how songs are constructed and to play together in a band situation.
The children are also encouraged to sing with the band using microphones and there isn't usually a shortage of volunteers to be the singer. The GKR program is aimed at children who are beginners, or who have limited knowledge and experience. They don't stay that way for long.
The new class will run on Tuesday afternoons from 3.30 to 4.30pm at the AICM building, 26 Channon St Gympie. For more information log onto our website. Or contact Debra on 07 5481 2355.
Interested in learning keyboard?
The AICM is pleased to advise that Diane Cross will be teaching modern piano/keyboard at the AICM in the very near future.
Diane grew up in Gympie, went to school here and left for greener pastures after finishing high school. Much of her adult life has been spent as a musician and a music teacher. While living in Melbourne for example, she worked as a jazz pianist and vocalist in her own trio. After 10 years in the city to the south, she returned to Brisbane where she set up her own modern music school focusing on piano and keyboard and teaching up to 60 students per week.
"I believe that learning music should be fun" said Diane. "It can give us great joy and stimulate our mind to think, create and express our feelings in a healthy way."
Diane has moved back to Gympie for family reasons and is keen to get back into teaching in the town of her birth. Email Debra or phone her on 07 5481 2355 if you would like to know more about learning to play piano the modern/AICM way.
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AICM @ Twitter
Don't forget, you can follow some of the things that are happening here at the AICM through Twitter. Sign up here. You can also keep a track of other things happening here by joining up at cmpeople.com. For instance, the Certificate III students have just completed a piece of assessment which they have submitted as a podcast. You can listen to the podcasts at the cmpeople website.
AICM at the RSL
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Just part of the line-up at the RSL on May 6th |
The next performance of AICM students at the Gympie RSL is on Wednesday 6th May 2009 at 6.30pm. The performances include the young fiddlers, members of the guitar group (see above) and a country rock band. Come along for a great night's entertainment.