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Recently, 71 ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ Music students and seven staff travelled to Mount Gambier for the annual Generations in Jazz festival—joining more than 5,000 students from across Australia for an unforgettable three days of music, performance and competition.

Despite facing every kind of weather imaginable—hot, dusty, wet, windy and cold—our students showed incredible resilience, dedication and team spirit throughout the entire event. With packed schedules, very little downtime, and accommodation on air beds at the Mount Gambier Racecourse, the weekend was demanding from start to finish. Competition day alone involved more than 14 hours of walking between venues, yet our students remained motivated, focused and endlessly supportive of one another.

Their outstanding results are a testament to the hard work, commitment, and passion.

Choir/Band/Ensemble Results

• 1st Place – Mattson Jazz Choir (Division 1 Large Vocal Ensemble) 
  • Awarded Best Soprano Section
  • Invited to perform at the Gala Awards Concert before an audience of more than 5,000 people

• 1st Place – Prelude Jazz Choir (Division 4 Vocal Ensemble)
• 3rd Place – Big Band 1 (Division 1 Stage Band)

Individual Achievements

• Lani (11RAMO) and Marco (12SBAC) were selected for the Division 1 Superband and performed at the Gala Concert
• Lewis (7RBRO) was selected as Trombone 1 in the Division 3.1 Superband
• Marco (12SBAC) won both the Composition Competition and the Future Finalists Competition and was selected as one of only six Division 1 students to perform an improvised solo at the Final Awards Ceremony

Additional Ensemble Results

• Jazz Combo – 6th Place (Division 1)

• McKenzie Jazz Choir – 7th Place (Division 3 Large Vocal Ensemble)

• Big Band 2 – 16th Place (Division 3 Stage Band)

A special mention must also go to Jackson Mack, Director of Big Band 1, who performed with the Australian Jazz Orchestra on Friday evening as the only drummer in the ensemble—an exceptional professional achievement.

We are incredibly proud of every student and staff member involved. Their musicianship, perseverance and support for one another made this year’s Generations in Jazz an outstanding success.

Kellie Rich
Head of Music ELC–12