New Music Lecturer Cain Gilmour (centre) strikes a chord with students
The next generation of Alice Springs musicians will face their toughest assignment yet when they perform at a lunchtime concert as part of their VET Music studies at Charles Darwin University on 7 March.
The students will perform on Tuesday between 12pm-1pm at the Centralian Senior Secondary College, where they all attend Year 11 and 12.
CDU Music Lecturer Ronny Reinhard says the Certificate II and III courses have attracted record enrolments this year, jumping from approximately 16 last semester to 28.
"We've had so much interest we've taken on a new lecturer, Cain Gilmour, part-time and we're considering night classes in the future," he said.
Cain has extensive music industry experience in Sydney and Alice Springs and has been working with Indigenous students at Alice Springs High School, some of whom have now enrolled to study music through CDU.
"With someone like Cain who is integral in the Alice Springs music scene he'll be helping students move from the school environment into more gigs out in the community," Ronny said.
Many of the students are already in bands such as the emerging youth band Night's Plague, or building a repertiore as solo artists but the students are urged to work all together in class rather than breaking into their established musical groups.
The concert will feature several groups of musicians playing unplugged originals and covers.