12 March 2021
Music leaders share the stage
On the 26th of February, AHOMINGS (Association of Heads of Music in Non-Government Schools)…
On the 26th of February, AHOMINGS (Association of Heads of Music in Non-Government Schools) invited Music Directors and Music Captains to attend a conference held at Loreto College. As Blackfriars Music Captain, I attended the event along with my Vice Captain Dan Heath and our Head of Performing Arts Ms Lucy Pope.
Special guest, Kym Purling, was invited to advise the Music Captains of leadership in the wider music scene. Kym Purling is an Adelaide-raised, world-renowned jazz pianist, entertainer, conductor who has been living overseas for 22 years. Kym held a session with the Music Captains, whilst teachers met separately to discuss school matters such as SACE, online systems, the impacts of COVID-19, and how schools overcame these challenges through alternative approaches to music department operations.
Kym spoke about his life and gave insight into his career, achievements, and experiences. Using personal experiences and work with world renowned artists and companies, Kym accentuated his perspective on what makes a functional band dynamic. He emphasised the importance of a leadership role in a band. Where reverence for one another as well as the conductor is highly important, a band must always establish those liaison relationships from a basis of equality.
After Kym’s deeply inspiring speech to the Music Captains, a jam session commenced. A short 12-bar blues was crafted – the topic of the song being about the struggle that is Year 12, COVID-19 and school.
In summary, the Music Captains had a great time with Kym Purling, even if he didn’t get to showcase his own skills. The AHOMINGS meeting was a good opportunity to meet, network and get to know Music Captains from a range of different schools, especially after the confinement of COVID-19 in 2020.
Kevin Mach
2021 Music Captain