'Lights, Camera, Music!': The Middle School Music Tour

This year, the Middle School Music cohort returned to Toonallook where they revisited venues they played at last year. The goal is to continue to develop a connection with the community of the areas surrounding the School’s campsite beyond the many comings and goings of our various year-level camps.

Lights, Camera, Music! opened on 1 November in the IWA to a wonderful audience. Featuring a cast and band of 33 Middle School students, the show highlighted many well-known songs from Hollywood movies, from ‘Skyfall’ to ‘Bare Necessities’, and from the theme from Star Wars to ‘Singin’ in the Rain’.

The next day, JSK students were treated to a matinee performance and even got time to ask the cast and band questions afterward.

Next stop: Donvale! The company performed an early morning show for the students and staff there, before getting on the road to Eagle Point.

Eagle Point Primary School was visited last year and they were very excited to have us again. After that, we finally arrived at Toonallook, where the students were assigned to their tents and enjoyed a quiet evening after a long day.

On Saturday, we arrived at the Bairnsdale Library for an audience in attendance as well as passers-by sitting to join us thanks to the excellent spruiking from the cast. Some audience in attendance were return viewers from last year’s production, as well as some parents who made the trip for a getaway.

In the evening, we had what was perhaps our biggest performance of the tour. The Paynesville Community Hall had many attendees who had come last year, as well as students from Eagle Point wanting to see the show again, more parents and double the number of locals from last year. The show was outstanding and the cast and band received well-deserved accolades.

Our final performance was for the Opal HealthCare aged care facility in Paynesville. The residents – so I am told – have never turned out in such numbers for guests as they did on this Sunday performance. Many of them sang and clapped along, some shed tears (especially to hits like ‘Moon River’) and no doubt recalled and shared memories. The cast and band were generous in their time afterward, sharing stories and listening to the audience express joy and gratitude.

On Sunday afternoon, a number of parents joined us for afternoon tea. We had a games night in the evening before taking off on Monday morning and spending some time in Walhalla on the journey home.

The students were a credit to themselves and represented Carey with joy, care and professionalism. They should be incredibly proud of themselves and their show.

Many thanks to the staff in attendance, Emma Ingles, Morgan Phillips, Isa Coello, Jason Digby; future music student leaders, Lucy and Pacey; and our bus driver, Jason.

Mark Dickinson
Music Tour Producer