Noosa council aims to help kids get creative
Mon 21 May 2007
Raehanna Ross, Journalism
Noosa Shire Council is giving children the chance to fulfil their musical dreams with its Creative Careers Music Mentoring Program.
The program is part of the Noosa Shire Council’s ‘Creative Noosa Strategy’, which works on the expansion of creative, cultural and artistic capacity in the Shire.
For $200, young people receive 12 months membership into the Creative Careers Music Mentoring Program, which encompasses mentoring, skill development, free access to studio rehearsals and recording studio and regular performances at ‘the j’, Noosa’s Youth and Community Centre.
A group of 12 mentors from diverse musical backgrounds are involved in the program, and are on hand to support and mentor talented youths aged 12 to 25.
One mentor, Henry Glover, said his own musical background consisted of mainly music production, but mentors bring their own unique experience to the program.
“There’s an English guy who flies around the world getting scores that he’s written recorded for film and TV,” Mr Glover said.
“You probably couldn’t pay for lessons from someone like that and it’s great the kids are getting access to those sort of people.”
The Music Mentoring Program had its beginning as a 13-week pilot course in April 2005 before developing into two summer residential camps.
“We’ve done two very successful residential summer camps which have been really popular and we get great feedback from the kids and parents,” Mr Glover said.
The camps were so successful the program became permanent and ongoing, something which is important to all the mentors involved.
“To me, the idea of mentoring is ongoing so we’ve secured space in a recording studio with a mentor,” Mr Glover said.
“We are able to give them (the musicians) an affordable place to rehearse, maybe a recording opportunity during the year and lots of performance opportunities at Noosa’s Youth and Community Centre ‘the j’, which is really important too.”
Although the Creative Careers Music Mentoring Program has been running less than two years, Mr Glover explained it had already had some exciting success stories.
“A young guy called Jack Griffith, who started when he was about 12, and he’s about 13/14 now, he’s an outstanding talent, a great songwriter,” Mr Glover said.
“He’s busked at Woodford Folk Festival and made $350 in half an hour and he comes first or second in any talent competition he goes in.”
The program has also helped bands record albums and secure Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) grants for some on the participants in the program, Mr Glover said.
“At the moment, we’ve got three or four bands in the mentoring fold that are all showing lots of promise.”
“They’re a couple of really good bands, and I’m sure the Sunshine Coast will get to know at least one of them.”
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