2024 Winter Workshops

Monday 8 July

Improvised Music |  Soloing and Beyond 5:30pm - 6:30pm | $15
Presented by James Buchanan

Improvising means more than just playing a scale over chord changes, it’s a way to express yourself, to compose, and to explore music. In this session, participants will be led through a series of techniques and concepts to expand their improvisational horizons. They will learn how to construct music from nothing, to shape phrases and explore new harmonic and rhythmic devices. This session is for all instruments and all skill levels, whether you’re interested in blues, jazz, rock, contemporary classical or any other style, you are sure to find these concepts fascinating and enlightening. 
Please bring along your instrument! 

Tuesday 9 July

Intro to Contemporary Musicianship |  5:30pm - 6:30pm  | $15
Presented by James Buchanan

Contemporary music theory, as used in jazz, pop, and rock can at first seem like a foreign language, but in this session you will learn the fundamental concepts to enable you to speak that language fluently. This class will serve as an introductory session for a, hopefully, ongoing contemporary musicianship class at the ORC. Perfect for those wanting to know more about modern chord theory, harmony and key concept areas. 

Wednesday 10 July

Conducting is Communication - Full Day Conducting Workshop |  9:00am - 5:00pm  | $100 full day/$25 per session
Presented by Monica Buckland

Monica Buckland brings a rich diversity of experience to this workshop. As a conductor, she has worked with amateur, student and professional orchestras (including the Tonhalle Zürich and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra), choirs of various sizes and abilities, as well as opera and ballet, and even the backing orchestra for a rock group. In her parallel commitment as an educator she has taught at universities and given courses and masterclasses in Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and most recently Australia.

This full day workshop will be broken up into four sessions:
Session 1: 'Making music out of thin air' | 9am - 10:45am 
Session 2: 'Your Body in Space' | 11:15am-12:30pm 
Session 3: 'Speaking the Right Language' | 1:30pm-2:45pm 
Session 4: 'Do I really Have to Know All That' | 3:15pm-5pm 
Please bring along your instrument, if you play one! 

Recording Basics | For Auditions & Exams 5:30pm - 6:30pm  | $15
Presented by James Buchanan

Musicians and students are increasingly asked to record exams and auditions, which can be a daunting process. But with a few simple tips, anyone can achieve great results with even the most basic of equipment. In this session, participants will learn the fundamentals of acoustics, lighting, video and audio recording to make sure they capture their performance in the truest quality. 

Please bring along your instrument! 

Thursday 11 July

Piano Recital & Lecture | Pictures at an Exhibition by M. Mussorgsky 6:00pm - 7:00pm  | $15
Presented & Performed by Ting Hsu

In this session, the ORC’s new Head of Keyboard, Ting Hsu will present a performance of Mussorgsky’s famed work, Pictures at an Exhibition, in combination with a visual explanation of Viktor Hartmann paintings and how they inspired each  movements. Learn about the intersection of visual art and music with the ORC’s own concert-level pianist!