BY HAMISH GOULD AS TOLD TO CUTCOMMON
In this series, we introduce you to the participants in the 2019 Young Songmakers program, which is part of Songmakers Australia. They will each perform in the upcoming Schubertiade this October.
It was such an honour to be selected to be a Young Songmaker, and I think for me, achieving this gave me a sense of direction for my future.
When I auditioned for Young Songmakers, I was nearly at the end of my Master’s Degree at Monash University, which was such an all-encompassing aspect of my life, and I was thinking about what I wanted to do afterwards. Getting into Young Songmakers affirmed for me that I could take the next step beyond university, and start to make progress towards a goal of full time performing. It has provided a focus for me that has challenged me to improve as a singer, and think about what I am working towards in my career.
There is certainly an abundance of performing in the Young Songmakers program. We all performed in the Liederfest, and of course the Schubertiade is one of the bigger undertakings; we also have our showcase coming up at the end of the year. But I think the most incredible part of the program is the coachings. Almost every week, we have a masterclass-style rehearsal where we each workshop our pieces and receive feedback. This is usually run by Andrea Katz, but we’ve also had many guests from both inside and outside Songmakers.
The level of depth and breadth with which we explore songs in these sessions is absolutely inspiring. It has taught me a whole new level of appreciation for how much detail can be found in interpreting and performing a song, and my performance has improved leaps and bounds as a result.
University, even a Master’s Degree, is really only the first step for a performer, and these programs are so valuable to really start taking the steps towards a career. Young Songmakers, and most programs like it, allows you to really challenge yourself, to explore things in greater detail than before, and to really grow as a musician.
Another aspect of this is the opportunity to work under the guidance of such amazing people. There are so many world-class performers in Melbourne, and the opportunity to learn from these people such an illuminating experience.
See the Young Songmakers perform at Schubertiade, 5 and 6 October in the Hawthorn Arts Centre.
Image supplied.
