Hands-on experience is centre stage

BALLARAT Grammar staff and students have celebrated the launch of the Academy: Sound and Performance.

The initiative, led by teacher Sarah Barlow, allows students to acquire practical experience in the music industry.

Ms Barlow said her drive to create the Academy: Sound and Performance came from the passion of students.

“It’s always a privilege to be a performing arts or a music teacher because people are very self-motivated,” she said.

“Often, they have to work really hard to get to a point where they are allowed to be involved or that they have a lot of time.

“Particularly during COVID I saw that when everything stopped, but I had people taking gear home.”

Elements of the program include creating and recording albums, undertaking a year 13 where students can begin tertiary study, working in theatre communities, and performing with touring professionals.

The aim is to provide a way for students to build their artistic identity and have real experience in the music industry.

“We work with the Royal South Street Society and we run sound for their vocal section. We’ve been involved with theatre companies such as Ballarat National Theatre, Lyric and BLOC,” said Ms Barlow.

“As well as at the Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts, we get to watch the touring groups come in and do their sound checks, meet the people and sometimes be the supporting act.

“The other things that they will get to do is study the only straight tertiary music course here which is run as a year 13 program.”

Year 12 student Dayne has worked on numerous local productions and has been a DJ at community events.

“After I finished my sound production certificate, over the Christmas holidays I was involved in a variety of productions,” he said.

“I got to help out with sound, micing up peers and helping run the show.”

Dayne said the hands-on learning has allowed him to figure out his interests.

“It gets you real world experience straight away instead of staring at pages and them telling you how it works,” he said.

“You get to experiment with it, see if you like it, and it’s basically simulating what the real industry might be like.”