On Wednesday morning the Music Hall was a euphony of sound as visiting Professor Steve Peterson led Newington’s Symphonic Winds during their weekly rehearsal session. With over 30 years of teaching and conducting experience in schools in the United States as well as in Canada, Ireland, the People’s Republic of China, Germany, Luxembourg and Qatar, Professor Peterson is currently the Director of Bands at Ithaca University, Ithaca, New York and the President of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA). The CBDNA represents over 1000 university conductors in the United States and is an organisation devoted to the teaching, performance, study and cultivation of music.

As part of the Australian Bands and Orchestra Association’s (ABODA) initiative to bring high quality conductors and educators to Australia, Newington’s Director of Bands and the President of ABODA NSW, Dr Luke Gilmour played a prominent role in bringing Professor Peterson to the College. During his time in Australia, Professor Peterson will not only be conducting rehearsals with schools and music groups, but he will also be providing personal development opportunities for teachers across the country. Professor Peterson will be staying on site at the College which will help provide him with a view of how a band program at Newington operates while also enabling the College’s conducting staff to gain direct access to one of America’s leading wind conductors.

During Newington’s Symphonic Winds rehearsal on Wednesday 7 May Professor Peterson said that he was impressed by the boys’ sound and musicianship, claiming that Newington had one of the finest ensembles he had worked with while he had been in Australia. During the session he conducted the boys through composer John Mackey’s Sheltering the Sky and encouraged them to take their musicality to a higher level of maturity by taking more risks instead of playing “beautifully average”. The boys enjoyed their rehearsal time with Professor Peterson and even had the opportunity to ask him some questions at the end of their session.

According to Dr Luke Gilmour, such learning experiences are valuable opportunities for students to become better musicians.

“Learning is a lifelong process and having the influence of someone like Steve Peterson enables us to learn through rehearsal and leadership. Steve is internationally recognised and it can be difficult to have direct access to these experts.”

“It is always valuable to have expert conductors stand in front of your ensemble… Often guest clinicians reinforce what the boys have already heard from the podium, but perhaps phrased or delivered differently. Sometimes this difference in approach, however slight, can be what is needed to unlock the beautiful musicianship that we all strive for”, said Dr Gilmour.