By Peter Douglas
Dandenong Ranges Music Council (DRMC) has announced an exciting program for 2018, with some major community music projects in the works.
Ensembles are expected to resume in early February, with the feature music projects aimed at community wellbeing and wider education.
DRMC member Ray Yates said there was an air of excitement over 2018.
“The DRMC is looking forward to a fantastic year of music-making, with new projects such as ‘Forgotten Heroes’ and ‘The Dutchies of the Dandenongs’,” he said.
“All the orchestras, bands and choirs have begun rehearsals and are gearing up for a great year of music-making for all ages and abilities.”
Among the bigger projects includes ‘Forgotten Heroes – Vietnam Veterans’, which aims to engage Vietnam Veterans and their families.
Planned activities will explore and assist with the wellbeing and validation of the veterans’ experiences, and culminates in an event showcasing the music of the era and a new song expressing thoughts and feelings of present-day vets.
The DRMC is asking for assistance to locate veterans and their families.
Enquiries to Cath Russell at mscathsemail@yahoo.com.
Meanwhile, the DRMC will be holding ‘Penny Drive’, a project that combines history and music to tell the story of the fundraising campaign by Victorian children after World War I.
The campaign helped to build a school at Villers-Bretonneux in France.
The DRMC will also work with the Dutch community in the project, ‘Dutchies of the Dandenongs’.
The project aims to tell stories through music about the journey after World War II, with settlements aplenty in the Dandenong Ranges.
Community members of Dutch decent can register their interest to play a part.
Email drmc@drmc.org or contact (03) 9754 6566.
For more information, contact the DRMC on (03) 9754 6566.
More details at www.drmc.org.au.
