Phil Beverley, Director of Music
If It Were Easy, Everyone Would Do It
Welcome back to Term 3!
Last term, our focus was on ensemble music—making music together. This culminated in our unforgettable Town Hall Concert, where over 700 students from Years 3 to 12 took to the stage in a vibrant celebration of our School motto, Esse Quam Videri—to be rather than to seem.
This term, we turn our attention to the individual. We’re shining a spotlight on solo performance, with hundreds of young Cranbrookians preparing for AMEB examinations and our upcoming Spring Festival Solo Competition. Senior students are also busy fine-tuning their HSC and IB compositions and performance pieces, which will be showcased in our performance series over the coming weeks.
The holidays offered a chance to reflect. Watching my own children balance the joys of flexible screen time—games and movies—with more demanding activities like reading and instrumental practice reminded me of a simple truth: anything worth doing takes time. The video games and films they love weren’t created overnight; they required dedication, creativity, and perseverance—just like learning an instrument or developing any meaningful skill. It’s not always easy. In fact, it can be frustrating. But it’s also deeply rewarding.
So next time you hear signs of struggle in the practice room at home, remind your child that it’s worth the effort. Mastery takes time, and “nothing worth doing is easy”—at least not at first.
We kick off this term’s calendar with our first Performance Plus event this coming Monday. We are thrilled to welcome Karen Carey OAM, who will be leading a masterclass with our Senior Music students. The session will take place on Monday, 28 July from 3.30pm to 5.00pm, and is open to all, with attendance required for students who have selected Music as an elective in Years 9–12.
Key Dates
| Date | Week | Day | Events |
| 28 July | WK 2A | Monday | Performance Plus, Keynote – Yr 12 Focus (3.30pm-5.00pm) Orchestra Room |
| 18 August | WK 5B | Monday | SS Combined Guitar Soiree – Rehearsal (3:30pm -5:30pm) Ascham Packer Theatre. Performance (6-8:30pm) |
| 21 August | WK 5B | Thursday | 1st AMEB Piano Rehearsals Yr 7-12 All day |
| 22 August | WK 5B | Friday | 1st AMEB Piano Rehearsal Yr 7-12 All day |
| 25 August | WK 6A | Monday | Senior Composition recording day and Showcase (6:30pm-8:00pm) Orchestra Room |
| 27 August | WK 6A | Wednesday | SS HSC Performance Showcase (6:30pm-8:30pm) |
| 28 August | WK 6A | Thursday | JS Spring Festival Music Eisteddfod – Performances (1:00pm-5:00pm) |
| 29 August | WK 6A | Friday | Spring Festival Solo Music Competition Performance (2:30pm-6:00pm) |
| 4 September | WK 7B | Thursday | AMEB 2nd Piano Rehearsals Yr 7-12 (8:00am-4:00pm) |
| 5 September | WK 7B | Friday | AMEB 2nd Piano Rehearsals Yr 7-12 (8:00am-4:00pm) |
| 8 September | WK 8B | Monday | AMEB Examinations (8:00am-4:00pm) |
| 11 September | WK 8A | Thursday | AMEB Examinations (8:00am-4:00pm) |
| 12 September | WK 8A | Friday | AMEB Examinations (8:00am-4:00pm) Cranbrook Voices perform at Yr 12 Farewell Assembly (11:30am) JS Gym |
| 13 September | Saturday | AMEB Examinations (8:00am-4:00pm) | |
| 16 September | WK 9B | Tuesday | Spring Festival Finals (6:30pm – 9:00pm) Orchestra Room |
Phillip Beverley
Director of Music