King's Students Attend SHEP
Two of our very talented primary students were successfully selected and participated in SHEP (State Honours Ensemble Program) in late November 2022, held at Griffith University. Sean Sinatra played the cello and Adhinav Itikalapati played the violin. Participating in SHEP is a high honour, and we congratulate the students on this achievement.
Here is a student's account of their experience:
"SHEP stands for State Honours Ensemble Program. SHEP is an educational program for music students that helps extend and encourage the pursuit of musical excellence. It was held in Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University at South Bank campus in South Brisbane.
SHEP Day 1
"In SHEP, you will first be assigned to a group which is represented by a colour. Mine was violet, the ensemble group. Each group has one conductor. I arrived at 7 am and we had to collect a t-shirt and a name tag and the colour of the lanyard represented the group.
"Once we were inside the rehearsal room, we unpacked our instruments (it was total chaos), then the conductor introduced himself and we started playing music.
We were assigned a stand partner or a deskie and we shared one music stand for the whole time. We practised for eight hours, with three breaks that lasted 20 minutes each to eat and go to the bathroom. It was very tiring and I was almost gave up.
SHEP Day 2
"Day two is the performance day or concert day. All participants were wearing their school uniforms. It felt a lot more formal than on day one. We rehearsed for about two hours. Then we were called onto the stage. Our group was the first group to perform in the afternoon concert block.
"Me and the violet ensemble played for 30 minutes, performing six pieces on stage. I was very nervous going up to the stage. Anything could happen, the music can be blown away, I play the wrong tune, and so on. There was a big crowd. According to my mum, the tickets were sold out and the auditorium capacity is up to 800 people.
When I was on the stage and playing the music, I had so much fun, the time flies! The music we played together sounded really nice. I think everyone had a lot of fun. At the end of our performance, we received a big applause from the audience. I learnt so much in these two days and I really enjoyed performing on the stage.
SHEP is a fun and unforgettable experience (and very tiring). If you sing or play an instrument, I recommend to participate in it."
Mr Lindsay Genge
Instrumental Music Coordinator