APATA Member Spotlight - SW Music with Paul Young - APATA - The Australian Performing Arts Teachers Association

APATA Member Spotlight – SW Music with Paul Young

Posted by Team APATA | May 30, 2023

APATA Podcast with Paul Young:

Head of Music, South West Music Regional Conservatorium, on Wamba Wamba Perrepa Perrepa country (Deniliquin), NSW.

Paul joined APATA Manging Director Yolande Smith on the APATA Podcast this month. They talked about all the musical happenings at at Deniliquin’s South West Music Regional Conservatorium, the ethos of the SW Music team, and Paul’s own journey in music as a performer and educator.

South West Music Regional Conservatorium

South West Music’s vision is to inspire and enrich lives through music. They provide leadership, resources and expertise to ensure that every person has the opportunity to make, learn and appreciate music.

The SW Music Team understands music is an essential part of their community and deserves to be elevated and recognised for its social and emotional value.

SW Music wants children to be playing and striving to improve, their talent recognised and nurtured, audiences moved, teachers committed, schools engaged, and music created.

Humble Beginnings of SW Music

In the early 1980s, surveys of local school students were carried out to determine the demand for instrumental tuition. With funding from Australia Council, Arts Council of NSW and the ministry for the Arts students from the Victorian College of Arts were contracted to travel to Deniliquin and Finley, in a hire car, billeting with local families on a fortnightly basis.

They were young, inspiring, enthusiastic musicians and in no time at all they attracted a large number of students eager to learn strings, woodwind and brass instruments.

Paul is excited to be a part a community that rallies to support music education and their crew of teachers and students.

About Paul Young

Paul grew up in bands and played in state and national championships and piano was not his only instrument. He also plays brass, Trombone, euphonium, tuba, tune percussion, and was an accompanist for State and National Band Championships, working with contestants from all over the country.

“I remember one young student I played for, Jonathon Ramsey, he was a brilliant euphonium player and immediately I was like, okay, he’s going to go places. Jonathon decided to switch over to trombone and he just won the principal trombone position for Berlin Philharmonic. Seeing people in that early stage of their development and then looking at what they end up doing. It’s amazing. ”

Paul has extensive experience as a pianist, musical director and educator. He has previously held positions including Staff Accompanist/Performance Coach at Knox Grammar and Redlands, Acting Head of Keyboard and Staff Accompanist at The Scots College, Head of Music Performance at McDonald College of Performing Arts and Head of Performing Arts at Calvary Christian College.

Whilst in these positions he has also toured extensively, performing in Asia, Europe and the United States with both local and international acts and companies.

He has also worked on various musicals including Las Vegas, Wicked, Miss Saigon and Priscilla Queen of the Desert with Australia’s top musical directors including John Foreman, Guy Simpson and Kellie Dickenson and has been appointed Musical Director for over a hundred revue, shows, cabarets and performances.

“I just wanted to have experiences across all genres, which definitely made me a better educator. ” Paul says.

Performance is vital!

Paul’s belief that performance is vital is echoed by the team at SW Music. From the tiniest piano players to ensembles and the rock band, students are encouraged at every turn to show what they can do on stage.

There are really talented kinds in Deniliquin and its surrounding suburbs and Paul and the team work tirelessly to create opportunities for them to show off their talent and hard work! in fact Paul believes the next great talent could be just around the corner playing in their garage!

“Part of our wider philosophy is teaching the kids to do it by themselves. To critique their own performances. To solve problems on their own, Paul says. ” The main goal is to make the students as self-sufficient as possible, as quickly as possible.”

SW Music’s new direction of concept-based learning empowers kids to work through their problems step-by-step, no matter what age or level they are. Consequently, students are coming to them with innovative ideas, asking for minimal help and leading their own rehearsals. Paul and his team act as facilitators guiding the kids through the process, teaching them the skills they need to make things happen.

This is an exciting chapter for SW Music. And next year when they move into the brand new South West Conservatorium facility there will be even more opportunities for growth, performance and community collaboration.

SW Music: Delivering Regional Music Programs

There are of course a number of challenges facing regional arts and music programs. City-based music students and emerging artists have ready access to venues and concerts and professionals from which to learn. There is a music tutor on almost every corner.

Deniliquin, with a population of 7,000 certainly does not have that advantage. But SW Music is undeterred, ensuring they bring in industry professional and leaders to advise and inspire their students. Through that contact with vital industry knowledge and pathways the student’s understand the actual work it takes to build a career in the music industry.

There is a myriad of ways to pave your path in the performing arts. Shared industry knowledge highlights the challenges and complexities, but also the joy found in pursuing creative careers.