Getting the band back together
More than 2500 people will attend Moriah College’s Capital Appeal tomorrow night, as the school seeks to fund a pivotal redevelopment project to meet the current needs of students and staff, and those for decades to come.
Twenty years ago, I graduated from Moriah College. Ten years of my schooling career was spent in the music program, making the most magical memories from band camp to band tour and everything in between.
When I finished school, my clarinet was packed away. And besides from a few little stints here and there, it has been left in its case.
Earlier this year, the music program came knocking once more.
Once again, I seized the opportunity to surround myself with music, this time as part of an alumni band for the 2024 Capital Appeal.
Roberta Goot, Moriah College vice principal and director of music & co-curricular said forming an alumni band was a long-time dream for her. The Capital Appeal seemed like the perfect opportunity to get the band back together. She received an overwhelming amount of ‘yeses’ from musicians.
“When we started calling the alumni we did not know who would take up the invitation. We just kept calling until we felt that we could not fit anyone else into the rehearsal spaces that we had. We did not know who would come. We did not know how the band would balance, and I did not care. We would make it work somehow,” she told The AJN continuing to say that you feel the joy in the room at each rehearsal.
The alumni orchestra is made up of 100 members, with the youngest having graduated last year, and includes eight set of siblings.
While some alumni were nervous to pick up their instruments (I’ll put my hand up and admit this), it was equally as thrilling to be surrounded by music once again.
Yoav Hammerman, class of 1994, was part of the first ever band that Goot formed. He said he was thrilled to get the call. But, he was also petrified at the idea of playing again after 30 years away from the tuba.
“I panicked a little and immediately booked weekly lessons with a tutor to get back into shape,” he said. “The band played such an important role in my school memories, and this event gave me the chance to reconnect – not just with old friends but also with my musical side. Music has been a huge part of my life, and it’s something I’ve passed on to my kids.”
Passing a love of music onto our kids is something many older members of the band have spoken about throughout the rehearsals. And why so many of us have agreed to pick up our instruments once more in honour of building new facilities in the high school.
Russell Hammond, long-time conductor of many Moriah bands, has returned to conduct the alumni orchestra, calling it an honour to be part of the event.
“I’m absolutely knocked out by the response to the idea of having an alumni orchestra. It just goes to show how meaningful music has become for so many thousands of Moriah students over a very long period of time – approaching forty years,” he said. “Given that so many of the alumni have not played their instruments for such a long time I have to say that the result thus far has been outstanding – something that I was not all that confident about before we started.”
For many, staff and alumni alike, walking into the rehearsal space once more was an emotional experience. Hammond refers to the space as a “hall of memories”.
And indeed, it is. Walking back into the rehearsal room felt like coming home, with so many familiar faces and sounds.
“So many fond memories have come flooding back. I played from Year 5 through to Year 11, so the band was a big part of my school life. The program started when I was in Year 5 or 6, back in 1987/88. There was one band, one tuba, and a handful of wind, brass, and percussion players—everyone was playing simple pieces,” Hammerman recalled. “By the time I hit Year 9, it had evolved into something much bigger. We were playing more complex music, supporting school musicals like HMS Pinafore and The Mikado, and even recorded a CD in a sound studio.”
The same goes for Hammond, who said, “for me, walking in there for the first rehearsal and seeing so many past students – now adults and parents – was a very emotional experience and one which I will never forget. I am so grateful to those that knew me for the friendly smiles, the hugs, the handshakes and the best wishes of so many.”
For Goot, it’s special to have so many former students on stage again.
“It is just the best feeling to know that music means this much to them. That their experiences in the program were great, that they are prepared to put themselves out there after many years of not playing just to be together again,” she said.
It is, indeed, a testament to the impact Moriah College had, and continues to have, on so many students.
Prior to the first rehearsal, Hammerman organised a meet and greet for the musicians. While many of us had played together before, given the fact that almost every graduating year since 1994 is represented, many of us had actually never met. Hammerman said it was here when he realised how broad the age spectrum was.
“We were chatting, and one of the musicians asked what year I graduated. When I said 1994, they replied, “Wow, that’s a year before I was born!” That’s when it hit me – I’m officially old,” he joked.
Tomorrow night, more than 2500 community members will attend the 2024 Moriah College Capital Appeal. It is the largest capital campaign in the school’s history, as they raise funds for a pivotal redevelopment project – replacing the college’s high school buildings that were built in the 1980s with modern, multi-purpose, and digital-ready facilities. This will include a spacious, two-storey digitally-enabled new library, 16 smart technology-fitted classrooms, a new eight-lab science centre, a new visual arts centre, a new design technology centre, a multi-purpose hall, and new staff faculty areas, as well as a doubling of existing green space.
College principal Mira Hasofer said it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
“Our future requires an environment where educators can address diverse learning styles, where students take pride in their Jewish identity and accomplishments, and where they are equipped to thrive and prepare themselves to function in a constantly changing world,” she said.
“This is more than just a building project – it’s a testament to the enduring spirit of the Moriah community, and the school’s commitment to providing the best possible education and opportunities, for generations to come.”
For more information and for tickets: riseupmoriah.org.au
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