探花视频

High Notes, Vol 24 No 39, December 08 2023

From the Principal

High Talent

Ary Balhero (11T) scored 38 points in High鈥檚 win over Sydney Grammar 81-78. This was the eighth best performance by a High student in a first grade basketball game that we have on record. Congratulations, Ary! Well done to Ioannis Chatzinikolaou (10T) for his short film 鈥撯��The earth dies screaming鈥� 鈥� winner of the People鈥檚 Choice Award at the V-Fest 20 23 screening at the Chauvel Cinema this week.

Music Awards Assembly

Mr Lam spoke about his late beginning as a pianist, taking his first lesson at 15. His passion and drive allowed him to catch up and make a career as a piano teacher. Because he was largely self-taught as a child he had empathy for his students, allowing him to be more effective as a teacher in a career that he is still passionate about after 20 years.   For the first time we presented 鈥榩ockets鈥� for co-curricular programs as well as Performance Music students. Recipients had to have served five continuous years in a sport of activity, as attested to by the appropriate MIC. My speech to the assembly is reprinted below.

"Special guest Mr Scott Lam, members of the Music Committee, participants in our Performance Music Program, staff, tutor, parents and students, welcome to our annual Music Awards Assembly. At this morning鈥檚 assembly, we recognise and honour the accomplishments of our performance music program performers. Many of our students play in our performance music program, mastering a wide variety of instruments even though they came to the school as pianists in many cases. They join a variety of ensembles to perfect and perform a varied collection of compositions in a range of styles. High has produced many good musicians, some of whom will perform for you today. The purpose of the assembly is to honour those current students who are upholding that fine tradition. I congratulate those boys being acknowledged today and urge them to continue their efforts in musical training and performance.

"I want to acknowledge and thank our performance music staff - Sarah Kim, Suzanna Lim and Peter Aoun. Thank you also to Merinda Kavich who has been Administrative Assistant for Music since 2019. Our music staff organise soirees, concerts, music camps, recitals, overseas tours and supply performers for our assemblies and special occasions, such as the Anzac Day marching band. I extend our appreciation to you for your work on behalf of the boys, much of which occurs outside of school hours. Specialist tutors provide expert mentoring for our aspiring musicians. The Music Committee raises funds to purchase large instruments and sheet music to refresh our performance repertoire. Our boys are given many opportunities to perform.

"Music as a co-curricular program has a dedicated assembly at our school because musical performance is such a large co-curricular activity and because music and musicians are integral to the many assemblies, formal occasions and special events that define and build school culture. We seem to have a cultural need to express ourselves through music. Music is always an accompaniment to special occasions. Musical performance is integrated vertically at High and access to ensembles is based on merit. Performing in an ensemble is an activity that builds teamwork, self-confidence, and social cohesion. More importantly, being in an ensemble provides opportunities for students to perform for an audience, which is one important reason why people learn to play instruments. Musical performance publicises the talents of our students to the wider community.

"A genre of music is termed 鈥榖luegrass鈥�. It is named after Poa pretensis (a common grass referred to as Kentucky bluegrass because of the ubiquity of it in Kentucky). The music originated in the 1940s in the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky Tennessee, in the United States, where many Scottish immigrants settled. The founding band was Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys. The name for the musical style was not in common use until the late 1950s. Bluegrass is a derivative of 鈥榦ld-time鈥� string music but is played mainly on acoustic instruments 鈥� violin, five-string banjo, guitar, mandolin, and upright bass. In Monroe鈥檚 words the sound is 鈥渂lues and jazz and has a high lonesome sound鈥�. It emphasizes the off-beat. In Western music double four time, the first beat of the bar is the strongest (the downbeat), while the second and fourth are the 鈥榦ff-beats鈥�. Notes are anticipated, creating the higher energy characteristic of the bluegrass genre. The tunes often form a narrative on the everyday lives of people who are eking out a living in modest circumstances. Like most musical genres bluegrass has evolved over the decades as it was appropriated by mainstream musicians.

"Our special guest today is Mr Scott Lam, would you please give a warm High welcome to him. Scott began learning the piano in high school at the age of 15 years old and has studied in Australia, Hong Kong and Germany. He currently teaches at the University of NSW, Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA), and Sydney Conservatorium of Music High School. Mr Lam is also a senior examiner of the Con Brio Online Music Exams. Many of his students have gained great success in competitions and eisteddfods with over $7000 in prize money won this year. He received the prestigious award; the Teaching Shield, for outstanding private teacher in 2017 for the category 鈥� Pianoforte grade 7 to licentiate from the Australian Music Examinations Board (NSW), and in 2020, Scott established his pedagogy course Active Thinking Piano Method in which he shares his experiences with piano teachers around the world. Please welcome to the stage, our guest speaker, Mr Scott Lam."
Dr K A Jaggar
Principal