Last week's South Coast Music Camp came to a melodic end on Friday afternoon.
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Around 130 students combined with 30 tutors for the week long creative exchange, including one local musician who returned to the Bega Valley to share his knowledge and skill with the next generation.
Former Mumbulla School for Rudolf Steiner Education pupil and current Sydney Conservatorium of Music student Mishi Stern returned for yet another year.
“Mishi was one of the students from the conservatorium who volunteered their time for the week,“ member of the organising committee Rosie Yee said.
“He attended the music camp as a participant many years ago and now returns each year as a teacher and helped tutor the beginner ensemble.”
The camp’s youngest participant was just five-years-old while the oldest was grandfather and Septuagenarian, Howard Stourch who travelled from the USA to be there.
“Some are adult students who have taken up instruments later in life and you can see what it means to them to play in front of hundreds of people,” Ms Yee said.
“They were all a foot taller by the end,” she said with a laugh.
“There are a couple of older women from Milton who come every year and this year they brought a friend along.”
Three students from the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne who are also members of the Acadia Quintet, along with six students from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music volunteered their time for the camp.
“There was also many professional musicians from Sydney who volunteered for the week,” Ms Yee said.
The orchestra’s consisted of students of all musical abilities who were divided into groups named after Far South Coast beaches.
“We thought it was better than naming the groups after their level of ability and the coast is such an important part of our local environment,” Ms Yee said.
The visiting tutors were billeted out with local families, making it a truly community based event.
“I think spending the week around professional musicians in a community where everyone is living and loving music really broadens the student’ s minds,” she said.
The camp director is current conductor of the Bega Chamber Orchestra and Bega Valley Children's Choir and founder of the Bega based Heartsong sacred music choir, Geoffrey Badger.
The camp was hosted by the Bega Chamber Orchestra and sponsored by The Mumbulla Foundation, Mumbulla School for Rudolf Steiner Education, Sapphire Coast Anglican College, Bega Cheese, Coles Bega, Wild Rye’s Baking Co, Red Café in Bega and Four Winds.