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Student vocal arts program hits a 10-year high note

Media releases

21 August 2015

More than 60 student singers will take to the stage and showcase their talents at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music on Monday 24 August, marking the 10^th anniversary of The Smith Family’s artistic program CONverge.

Over the past decade more than 600 students from The Smith Family’s partner high schools across Western Sydney have participated in the program offered by the children’s education charity.

The CONverge program runs over two months, exposing student participants to a world of high quality musical education which they may otherwise never experience.

This year, 67 students in Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 from Cranebrook, Mitchell, and Miller Technology High Schools have enjoyed eight weeks of singing workshops hosted by tutors from the esteemed Conservatorium, in their own school settings.

The Smith Family CEO, Dr Lisa O’Brien, said CONverge was developed in response to research by The Smith Family that revealed half of all children living in Australia’s most disadvantaged communities did not receive the chance to participate in cultural activities outside of school hours. This was mainly due to the costs involved.

“CONverge encourages students to express themselves, explore their creative sides and connect with their culture through song – both individually and as part of a vocal ensemble,” Dr O’Brien said.

“Monday’s concert will give the participants the chance to show their talents to family and friends in a formal performance space.”

The CONverge program is designed to support the physical, social and emotional development of students, as well as their emerging personal skills, talents and interests. It is presented by The Smith Family in partnership with the University of Sydney through the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, with the generous financial support of Westpac.

The Westpac Choir and The Smith Family Choir will also perform a piece with the students.

Media contacts:

Andrew Dickson | National Media Manager (National) - 0421 285 529 | andrew.dickson@thesmithfamily.com.au
Carla Horton | Senior Media Advisor (QLD & WA) - 0423 618 776 | carla.horton@thesmithfamily.com.au
Reid Jermyn | Media Advisor (VIC, SA & NT) - 0412 803 566 | reid.jermyn@thesmithfamily.com.au
Ben Chenoweth | Senior Media Advisor (NSW, ACT & TAS) - 0413 346 934 | ben.chenoweth@thesmithfamily.com.au

The Smith Family is a national children’s education charity that helps young Australians experiencing disadvantage to create better futures for themselves through harnessing the power of education. We partner with around 800 Australian schools and work with over 162,000 children and young people experiencing disadvantage access our education support programs to help them overcome . For more information, visit thesmithfamily.com.au