The Sapphire Coast Learning Community Stage Band is heading out west on a five-day school tour to take their music to Trundle, Nyghan, Bourke and Cobar.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The tour will culminate in the band being the headline act at a drought fundraiser at Cobar Golf Club on Friday, October 19.
On Tuesday 31 band members, four teachers, two parents and all their musical and camping equipment will squeeze into one truck, a 4WD and two small buses to head off to Trundle.
Members who must audition to get into the band, attend Bemboka PS, Pambula PS, Tathra PS, Bega Valley PS, Eden Marine High School, Bega High and Merimbula PS and are in Years 5-11.
Band conductor Candy McVeity said the main idea was to get the students out of the shire and spread a bit of joy to students out west where they don’t have music and arts programs.
“We’re taking them west to show our support for drought affected communities. Also to show our kids how beautiful yet tough it is out west. They will be doing workshops at schools and performances,” Ms McVeity said.
Wolumla principal Peter Claxton developed the itinerary.
“I lived in Cobar for a few years and friends there messaged me about how bad the drought was and how it was affecting people we know,” he said.
There is a group of band members going on to Year 12 where they will no longer take part in the band because of their studies and Mr Claxton said the road tour was a way of doing something a bit more meaningful for the communities and the kids who were leaving.
“Out of the 31 kids going not one has been out west before; it will be a cultural change, something very different from home,” Mr Claxton said.
“They are all country kids but this will be a very different area and will be a big eye-opener,” he said.
It will be a road trip in the best band tradition with no roadies to help. All of the students must set up their own equipment and at night they will be camping in school halls. Trundle is the first stop and they do not expect to get there until 10pm on Tuesday night.
The SCLC Stage Band is a public schools arts program which takes the more musically capable kids from all primary and high schools in the shire. Auditions are twice a year at the end of term 1 and at the end of term 3.
