Changing the way you learn

My Lived Experience - Australian Girls' Choir (AGC)

Processes
1. Auditions (Stellata)
  1. Auditions make me feel very nervous and scared, as they are the few times the tutors and choir actually hear you - it's like proving your worth and I hate that we only have one chance.
    1. It is also stressful to prepare the necessary pieces in time for these auditions, because we generally have exams around this time, too!
  2. The worst part of Music School - singing in front of the most influential tutors at AGC while trying not to burst into tears from pressure.
  3. There are heaps of solos, but generally everyone loves getting solos (myself included) for the little kid songs because they are adorable!
    1. But, everyone secretly wants the Grande Finale solos because of the amazing costumes and the HUGE spotlight!
      1. Generally only the most talented, senior girls with leadership positions get these solos (not the rest of us!)
2. Travelling to rehearsal
  1. This was a very tough trip - 40-50mins into the city, along Coronation Drive, at 5pm, every Thursday.
    1. There was always a massive debate on whether or not we should go, even on the smallest of inconveniences, given that rehearsal went till 9pm.
      1. Even if one of us was sick, we all didn't go because it was too hard!
    2. My sister and I did homework in the car, like practicing French questions and words or sketching storyboards for Film - anything to make the trip not a waste of time.
    3. Mum almost made us leave choir because of the drive, but still continued to drive us so she could hang out with her friend while we rehearsed!
3. Finances and continuing enrollment
  1. Every year we would get an email asking us if we'd like to return to choir
    1. In the early years, we would laugh and joke, but would still return. When high school studies got difficult, we thought for a bit longer about returning, but always came back. I can't imagine my life without choir, and it's hard to, even now.
People
1. Audience Members
  1. At out 2-3 concerts per year (plus other events), our families/friends, special guests and members of the public come to watch us perform, it's nerve-wracking knowing they're there, but makes me feel so supported.
    1. I remember inviting my friends to one of my final concerts. One of my friends said afterwards that she didn't think it was going to be THAT entertaining (what with us dancing and moving around instead of just standing and singing). It made me feel really good that she appreciated my hobby so much and had fun watching!
2. Tutors
  1. Mrs King is the Artistic Director - everyone is afraid of her because she is very talented and can tell who actually means what they sing
  2. Everyone loves Ms Flook (choreographer) because she accommodates everyone's abilities
3. Choristers
  1. There are distinct groups in choir, and general politics show that you can join any friend group except for one.
  2. AGC has always been my second home - sometimes I feel closer to them than my school friends
    1. We all chose to be there and have something in common (musical theatre). Life worries are left outside rehearsal room!
  3. Music School every year - almost a sense of "trauma bonding" in the choir because we all know how brutal it is
  4. I've had many friends over the years, but the friends I ended with are my favourite.
Barriers
1. Wicked Problems: there aren't many Wicked Problems in choir, but we accept that some come from lower-income families, or have mental health struggles. Choir is a place where we can escape these.
2. Cost
  1. Many friends over the years have pulled out of choir because it's really expensive.
3. Location
  1. Being in the city really makes the trip hard, especially for South-siders. One girl lives in NSW but still goes to Brisbane choir because it's closer!
4. Time
  1. Excluding travel: 3.25hr rehearsal (+ random weekend rehearsals and events) takes heaps of time.
    1. I was constantly working too hard in the week because on the weekends: "I have choir and no time to study".
  2. Whenever we have a concert or production rehearsal, they are full day events. Some people get overwhelmed throughout the day or forget to take care of themselves and wear out.
5. Fear of Judgement
  1. Many friends I've plugged choir to, are too scared to sing in front of others. But really, the only way to fight stage fright is by being on stage.
6. Gender
  1. While everyone is accepted at choir, male-identifying people aren't usually allowed to join, to help support female-identifying people and others, instead.
Policies
1. ASPA must make secure environments for choristers - to foster their learning
2. Choristers must be respectful and kind to others - so everyone feels comfortable
3. ASPA must be accepting of all students' learning styles - to ensure no one gets left behind
Events
1. Moments of Truth
  1. Making it into Performing Choir
    1. A most grateful day (so happy) - finally made my dream since I was 5 of being in the "big girl group"! There was no way I was quitting choir now.
      1. Growing Point: whenever times got tough, or I felt underappreciated, I remembered this feeling and how proud 5yr-old me would be.
  2. My first concert
    1. I don't remember much, except pure joy and the realisation that I'd want to sing forever.
      1. Growing point: I discovered that my happy place didn't need to be a place, it could be an experience, just so long as I was happy.
  3. Audition into Bel Canto + getting in
    1. I was so shaky, nervous and scared - it was my last chance to prove my worth. Reading the email with my acceptance made me so so happy!
      1. Growing point: I was so confident in myself from then on, like I really could sing, and other people saw that, too.
2. Points of Failure
  1. I skipped a level in grade 3, but then I was too young to audition for Camerata when the time came. It would've been nice to get in straight away, but I was happy with my decision because I met some of my friends in these levels.
  2. I didn't get into Bel Canto the first time, and cried for ages. But, I asked for feedback and work the whole year on it, and made it next time!
  3. Messing up a solo - I didn't prepare very well and was very nervous, in 2023. From then on I made sure I knew the material way before.
Values
1. AGC Values
  1. Support and respect
  2. Musical education
  3. Opportunities, and making them for yourself and others
  4. Talent and skill
  5. Hard work and dedication
  6. That everyone has the ability to perform, and everyone can learn to sing
2. My values
  1. Being able to sing
  2. Being confident in myself
  3. Having close and meaningful relationships with people who have the same interests as me
  4. Having opportunities for new experiences
  5. Having my efforts be rewarded
Technologies/ Artefacts
1. I've had my music folder for 6yrs, and it has heaps of random drawings on the cover and knots & crosses games (which I kept losing)
2. There's two types of music uniforms: junior and senior, and wearing the senior uniform makes me feel powerful during rehearsals with junior choristers!
Emotions
1. Utter Joy
  1. Basically any time on stage, and those moments with your friends when you just can't stop laughing - those are what I remember about choir!
2. Jealousy
  1. Not going to lie, sometimes I convinced myself that "this year is it" and I was going to get a solo... it didn't happen in the end, I was quite jealous of the girls who always got solos or the younger girls who got the ones I wanted. Me not getting ANYTHING didn't seem ethically fair.
3. Sadness/ "grief"
  1. Losing each of the grade 12s every year was really rough - at choir everyone is friends; a community, regardless of grade at school. We would always sing them a goodbye song and everyone would end up crying! Even worse feeling is when we were the ones to leave!
4. Overwhelm
  1. Sometimes at Music School, or even in most stressful times of the term, trying to recall dance moves and songs got complicated, especially when I was also trying to remember a whole lot of maths, too. A few deep breaths and a plan to review what we learnt always helped, though!
Ability (linked to Positionality Statement)
1. Middle-class
  1. Choir is so expensive (around $3k per year), so my middle-class status allows me to be able to do this every year, which I am so grateful for (and Mum is grateful I don't do it anymore!)
2. Able-bodied
  1. AGC is a performing arts program, so singing AND dancing/acting. I am very grateful for being able to move with my legs and arms and do the choreography.
    1. I remember, when I was in a younger level, one of my classmates was in a wheelchair. She really enjoyed choir, but decided to quit because she didn't think she'd be able to keep up with the fast-moving choreography. It doesn't seem right, but was definitely the best choice for her, which is a shame.
Challenges
1. Learning the repertoire
  1. Making time to learn new pieces each year was difficult, as school commitments took priority over choir, and fitting in choir between exam blocks was tricky.
    1. It didn't feel right in my mind to be prioritising an extra-curricular over my actual future and studies, but perhaps a balance would've been good.
  2. We only got a small amount of choreography training each rehearsal, meaning that you had to try and squish yourself into a place for the dancing pieces when you got back.
    1. I get sick when I stress myself out and am exhausted (e.g. around September, near exams), but unfortunately these were the most important times to be at choir because we were polishing routines.
2. Getting noticed + solos
  1. Most choristers are extroverts - trying to get yourself at the front was difficult as there was always people trying to be louder than everyone else. These people definitely got noticed more.
    1. Sometimes I was just too tired to push my way to the front.
Places
1. Rehearsal Room
  1. We'd go here every week to practice songs and dances, until the final concerts. Mixed feelings about the rooms - I loved our lessons, but the temperature was NOT nice!
2. Stages
  1. Being on stage really gives me purpose - it's my way to show my creativity and everything that's built up inside.
    1. In today's stressful society, showing creativity is difficult, so these set concerts each year lets me release my pent up energy.
      1. Juggling school, family, extra-curriculars and friends along with choir is so hard, but on concert days, I think about nothing else except the next song. It is so comforting to know that I've worked hard enough to put everything else on hold, at least for day.
3. Shopping Centres
  1. I've done carols every year since 2018, and they are honestly so tiring - especially after a whole year of performing!
    1. But it makes me so happy to see kids dancing to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!
4. Event Spaces
  1. I remember performing for an ANZ financial event, for Olympians and Paralympians, and on Gina Rinehart's yacht
    1. Sitting backstage at events is always the best part, learning about each other was so fun. We always manage to get ourselves in the strangest backstage rooms!
Actions
1. Volunteering
  1. Open Days: encouraging potential choristers to join so they can have as much fun as I did! It's so strange to see that they're as old as I was, and makes me think how much I've learnt since then (of the choir community, and my performance skills).
    1. It's also clear to see which parents are forcing their child to do choir because of the mental/social benefits, rather than enjoyment.
  2. Sorella: in 2023 I helped out every Saturday morning at a younger class, helping them learn their songs!
    1. It was so rewarding teaching younger choristers: it took me back to when I just did choir to play games and sing fun songs.
2. Rehearsals
  1. Every week we practice our pieces in preparation for the concerts. There are moments of complete joy when I love the songs, and sometimes of stress when I struggle to get parts.
    1. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to learn as much as possible in choir, given how much we are paying for it, and how little time I have during the week to catch up. I think this damaged my mental health a little.
3. g-Oz
  1. Girls from Oz is AGC's charity partner, supporting young people in confidence. I was the Ambassador for this, so I (stressfully) organised fundraisers to support.
Groups
1. The cities
  1. It's an unspoken fact the best cities are Sydney/Melbourne. There's more people trying to get into the top levels than other states, so only the best are in Performing Choir. However, sometimes this goes to their heads... I've found that I can just TELL when someone is from Sydney, by the way they talk to me...
2. Bel Canto
  1. A specialist singing group for the best choristers, and my dream since I knew it existed. Every lesson before I got in was me trying to prove myself to the tutors, which undoubtedly, was a lot of pressure.
3. The younger levels
  1. I went through all levels in my journey. I was always competitive when I was younger, and trying to get into all the featured groups! I'm glad I put in effort, though, because otherwise I wouldn't be where I am today. I'm proud of how much I wanted to succeed when I was younger!
    1. I joined choir in grade 1 because of a brochure we got at school. I've always loved musicals (thanks to my Mum) and thought that it would be so cool to sing like musical actors, on amazing stages.
4. Leadership Team
  1. Each year, a set of grade 12s are chosen to be the leadership team
    1. An unspoken fact is that our tutors have favourite choristers, because they are the most talented and enthusiastic. Whenever it gets close to picking new leaders, we just assume we know who it's going to be!
      1. I really wanted the Soprano 1 Section leader role, but just KNEW I wasn't going to get it. A very happy surprise was when I got g-Oz Ambassador role, which is not the top leadership position, but makes me very happy to say.
Impacts
1. Confidence/ speaking
  1. Since choir, I've realised that I am less afraid of talking to new people, or getting up in front of a crowd. I just pretend that it's just another stage!
  2. I trust my creative abilities a bit more, and believe that I CAN create something good!
2. Singing/dancing
  1. Not a day goes by where I don't sing, and now that my voice is way better than what it was, I am excited to try new songs and tricks! Singing makes for a good party trick if there ever is a pop-up talent show!
3. Friends for life
  1. I absolutely adore my choir friends, I can literally tell them anything, which I've only JUST started doing with my school friends. I hope to stay friends with them for a very long time!
4. g-Oz
  1. AGC believes everyone can sing. I remember at one of concerts, a rural Australian town girl performed the most beautiful solo, and the sheer joy on her face told me she'd found her passion. Rural towns don't have these sorts of opportunities, so it felt special to be able to support her dreams through our concert.
    1. I love meeting people with different experiences, and seeing these people from a town I'd hadn't heard of was really interesting.
Services
1. QPAC
  1. Our final concert (Annual Concert, or "AC") has been at QPAC for ages. At least since I was 5yrs old.
    1. It's honestly one of the best parts of being in the AGC - the stage is so beautiful, and moving around backstage makes me feel so professional!
      1. Whenever I think about performing at AC or sitting in our specific room with my friends, it makes me feel so sad that I can't do it anymore! But, I am so grateful for all the times I have spent there.
    2. I've seen a few musicals at QPAC as an audience member, and being able to say that I've been on both sides of the stage just feels incredible.
Goals/needs
1. Making connections/ building relationships
  1. I was never really alone in choir; since the first year I've always been one of those people who likes to make friends immediately, and I did!
    1. Mia, Ciara, Amelie, Caitlin, Bella, Gillian, Ella, Emma and myself is my choir friend group!
    2. Being alone in a CHOIR was seen as kind of embarrassing and lonely.
2. Recognition
  1. "Shoutouts" from tutors is very rewarding, and makes your whole day!
    1. In such a large choir, being singled-out positively makes you feel appreciated and accepted.
3. Developing vocal skills
  1. Since I was 5, I wished to sing like "the big girls"! Being able to stand in the back row in yr12 because I had a 'strong soprano voice" was a testament to hard work.

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My Lived Experience - Australian Girls' Choir (AGC)

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	Created by Rebbecca Stanley about 3 years ago