90 Music This year could not have been more thrill-filled than it turned out to be. Music continues to grow in popularity and numbers at Kearsney. This year 17 boys were part of the effervescent Music department, offering various instruments ranging from voice to drum kit and violin. It’s a demanding, yet very rewarding, subject and at the end of their grade 12 year every music student can confidently say that they have acquired sample knowledge of every style of music. The subject encompasses a variety of skills and learning outcomes and includes modules about practical music (where the boys study their chosen instrument), music theory, music history (from Bach to Metallica to Muse), aural training, composing, improvisation and music technology (which includes using computer music notation programmes and studio recording techniques). In aiming to enrich the boys’ musical vocabulary as well as broaden their harmonic horizons, the department hosts a variety of visits from local and international musicians and artists. This year was no exception. In the first term, Francois le Roux (the HAman) visited Kearsney. He is a cello player specialising in spontaneous music and gave workshops to the boys on how to become more comfortable with improvisation. During the second term the grade 9 Music elective attended a concert by the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra performing The Planets by Gustav Holst, which gave the boys new insights into the world of orchestral musicians. In the third term Jacques le Roux gave master classes and a concert at the College. Jacques is a South African born tenor now living in Austria and working as a resident performer in the Linz Opera House. The fourth term saw the husband and wife piano duo Pierre van der Westhuizen and Sophia Grobler gracing the stage of the Henderson Hall during the annual Upbeat festival. They are both acclaimed South African pianists who work in the USA: Pierre as the artistic director of the famous Cleveland International Piano Competition; Sophia as a professor of piano at the University of Youngstown in Ohio. Just before the boys commenced their end of year examinations, they attended the show stopping Final Countdown at the Barnyard Theatre in Umhlanga. Apart from proving to be extremely helpful in their knowledge of popular music from the 60’s to today, the boys could also just kick back and enjoy one of the many perks of being a Music student: attending shows while others do prep! It’s been a very eventful year and I want to applaud all the boys for realising that Music is bigger than any one person and for always being willing to put in many extra hours. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed another adrenalin pumping ride on the Music rollercoaster! Junine Krüger The subject encompasses a variety of skills and learning outcomes and includes modules about practical music THE ARTS @ Kearsney
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