Warialda High School student Sam Kennedy has been invited to participate in the Hunter Central Coast Regional Wind Ensemble tour of Europe in July next year.
The band will perform in Paris, Vienna and Salzburg. The ensemble will compete in the Vienna Music Festival and perform at the awards ceremony following the competition. As well as performing in each city the ensemble will also include sight seeing, a visit to Euro Disney and participation in the Sound of Music tour.
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Sam has been playing the trumpet since he was 11 years old and has a very long list of credits to his name. He has attended the Country Schools or Secondary Band Camps for the past six years where he received valuable tuition from the tutors of the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music and the North West Coordinator of Music Di Hall. |
Earlier this year, Sam was one of five musicians from Warialda High and seven from the Gwydir Learning Region to be chosen to perform in the Opera House in the State Wind Orchestra. He has also been selected to tour with the Country Schools Band for the past five years.
Sam is a member of the Gwydir Concert and Jazz Bands and for those lucky enough to get tickets, his performance of a trumpet solo at this year’s “Nibbles, Scribbles and Notes” will long be remembered.
This year Sam has been tutored each Monday, by David Brown who travels from Guyra, thanks to a grant from the New England Conservatorium of Music in Armidale. David has performed with the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra in Australia and overseas and has been a wonderful and inspirational tutor for Sam and other students in the music program at Warialda High School.
This year, Sam has been travelling to Tamworth each Monday night to rehearse with the Tamworth Big Band which performed so successfully at the Roxy Theatre in Bingara last Saturday. At that concert, he performed several trumpet solos and improvisations as part of the band.
Sam is very committed to his musical studies and all his hard work is now paying dividends. He is hoping to make a career from his music as a member of the Australian Army Band after leaving school at the end of 2008.
Sam’s parents, Lenore and Peter Kennedy have strongly supported his musical development. Peter has been a wonderful helper to the Country Schools Band, touring with them for the past three years while Lenore has been a tower of strength behind the scenes. Lenore organized all the catering at the Warialda band workshop which was held earlier this year.
They have encouraged their son to make the most of every opportunity on offer and have traveled many kilometres to support him.
It is understood that either Lenore, Peter or both have attended every one of Sam’s performances to date and are hoping to keep their record intact by attending his European tour as well.
Mrs Conway and the music department are extremely proud of Sam’s achievements.
Compliments of The Bingara Advocate
