Five aspiring high school music students from the regional NSW town of Boorowa, ranging in age from 15-17 years, visited Wollongong in August (19th) for a unique opportunity to participate in a hands-on music workshop at WollCon and tour the University of Wollongong.
The visit allowed the students from the Merino Wool Capital of Australia to see what facilities and programs there are for students interested in pursuing a career in music and is the first Local Community Partnership event between UOW and WollCon since an MOU was finalised in July.
The students, who are passionate about music and exploring future career pathways, engaged with academics and professional musicians, exploring professional music facilities, and gaining firsthand insight into what it’s like to study music after high school.
The 3-hour workshop at WollCon had a focus on jazz and performance technique by our Jazz Program Lead David Rodriguez-Lovibond.
“We played a broad range of styles and grooves from Blues to Latin to Reggae Ska. We also looked at chord scale relationships for improvising and learning the basic structures employed for jazz and general musical performances.”
Music teacher at Boorowa Central School, and alumna of the University of Wollongong, Lauren Crokett understands the importance of such visits and the whole school community is especially grateful to the staff and organisers at WollCon and UOW for their generosity in coordinating this valuable experience for the regional students.
“Not only will they develop their skills and confidence in a workshop environment led by experienced musicians, but they’ll also see a slice of life on a university campus—something they haven’t seen before.”
The visit aims to bridge the gap between rural and urban learning opportunities, inspiring students to consider music beyond the classroom.
UOW Schools Engagement Specialist Gemma Coleman agrees that these sorts of visits from regional and rural students to UOW are a great way to not only show off the university’s beautiful campus, but to help students envision themselves as university students in the future.
“These types of events are so important for aspiration and information-sharing, and we’re really looking forward to showing Boorowa students around our music facilities in August.” Said Gemma.
Read the University of Wollongong News page
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