Girton guitarist lands for Top Class show

THE Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s Top Class Regional Bendigo concert, taking place next Thursday at Ulumbarra Theatre, will feature former Girton student turned trainee pilot Oscar Woods.

Other high-scoring 2025 VCE and VCE VET dance, drama, theatre studies and music students from around Victoria will also take the stage, with a question and answer session with examiners and selected performers to follow.

Virtuoso guitarist Woods completed year 12 last year at Girton and scored an almost perfect mark in VCE Music Repertoire (Performance).

He confessed that in the immediate lead-up to last year’s final VCE exam he was “absolutely nervous”.

“My hands were sweating the whole time from beginning to end, from the car ride there to the car ride home,” he said.

“I sort of calmed down during the performance because you get in that mindset where you’re playing and all you’re focusing on is the music, and that was really enjoyable.

“But I was definitely nervous.”

His homecoming Ulumbarra show next week will see Woods performing At First Light by American guitarist Steve Erquiaga.

“It’s a relatively technical, melodic fusion-folk piece,” he said.

“There’s an improvised solo in it, so that requires a different sort of technique.”

The current Bachelor of Aviation/Graduate Certificate in Piloting student said flying frequently is his focus for now, although he’ll definitely keep up his guitar playing pursuit.

“I live on campus and I basically get to study and fly planes at the same time, which is amazing,” he said.

“I’m aiming for international commercial airlines, like Qantas.

“But I’m definitely going to be playing until the end of my days, because what else was the point in learning how to play?

“I love it, so I’m never going to let it go.”

Tickets for the concert are available at Gotix.