#PostYourYes

Aussies, have you sent back your survey yet? 

Times are pretty tough for LGBTIQA+ people right now. There’ve been quite a few nasty attacks. This whole survey is in a way an attack because why should everyone have the right to decide on the validity of the relationships of a few? … If you were inconvenienced by a text message on the weekend, maybe have a think about that, ey? 

Anyway, here’s a brilliant (polite) video, directed at those who are considering voting no. If you are one of those, please watch and think before you do. 

Also, see this: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/logically-theres-only-one-good-reason-for-voting-no-20170922-gymr7n.html 

Just… think about it, please? 

I – and my funky-toe socks – am a yes. I posted my yes within 12 hours of collecting the survey (filled it out minutes after receiving). Go do that.  

Then watch this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3FkwaMGpnrg

So proud of all of those who made it!  Beautiful. ❤ 

Check this out… Goosebumps!

Wow!! After LaTUCS rehearsal tonight we found this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRfJ6-qkr4 

It gives me goosebumps. There’s something really good about singing in a massed choir. 1500+ people though… :O 

OT uni update: busy skill learning

Hi all. This post is currently being written by my left hand on my mobile while my right arm is held captive by the plasma-collection machine at the local blood donation centre. 

I’m two weeks into my last subject for the year: Paediatrics. It’s been really fun. We’ve covered typical and atypical development (including how to hold low/high babies), early childhood interventions, autism, cerebral palsy and interventions and assessment for these plus more generally. These have included sensory processing, family-centred practice, traffic light self-regulation systems, handwriting interventions – and most recently, this interesting intervention called CO-OP: Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance. 

It’s a cognition based cooperative approach which enables success (ie skill acquisition) through problem-solving. The OT guides the child to use metacognition strategies and discover the skill(s) for themselves. The child uses their own words to create goals, which are then planned, done and checked (GPDC acronym is used with a toy to help the child remember). 

As part of our learning we each chose a skill to learn using this method in class. So I learnt to KNIT! 

Goal: to be able to knit a row. 

Plan (in my own words): I watched a classmate who knew how to knit demonstrate and talked through the steps, as I saw them, in my own words. Then a third classmate wrote them down. 

(I’m right-handed.) 

1. Right needle goes through the thread on the left needle and then goes to the back. 
2. Loop the thread around the back of right needle only, it does not cross the left needle. 
3. Pull down the thread against the needle with right hand keeping needles crossed at back. 
4. Pull the needle from right hand down 
5. With the left hand turn the needle so the right hand pushes needle through the wool.  
6. With the right hand you move the loop off the left needle while the left hand holds the wool steady.
7. Tighten the knot. 

Or something like that. 

Do: you do the plan. 

Check: has the plan worked? We needed to modify a few steps to ensure everything was clear. 

Finished product:

Not much. But it’s a start. Now I need some wool and knitting needles so I can practice – I borrowed those ones above.

Hip hip huzzah for a wonderful Pirates concert

As my post on Friday indicated, on Sunday evening I went off to see The Pirates of Penzance by MonUCS. It was a fantastic show. As I reflected on earlier this year, there’s something really nice about watching your friends perform a great show, knowing that they’ve been working towards it for months. 

It was really, really fun. I’d never seen it before, which made it all the more special. It was both fun and funny, touching on themes of duty, family and choice but mostly just being a jolly good romp. For some time I’d been avoiding spoilers of songs and so on, but since the concert they’ve been running through my head, competing for attention. They were well-sung after all. Acting was also very good. I could tell people enjoyed themselves on stage just as we enjoyed watching them. 😉 

Afterwards (after packing up or “bumping out”) we went off to a choir member’s house for more singing, food and conversation. Fun! 

As I said afterwards, I’m so proud of all my friends. Well done! I can’t wait for the projects to come. 

The Fox and Fool – my friend’s new book!

My friend is an author. She’s got a new book out. I beta-read it a while back…so I’ve got a quote on the back cover! It’s a fun little read. Go buy it! Details below. 

I’m happy for you, Lauren… great work! 

______________________________________

From Lauren: 

I’m delighted to present my latest book, The Fox and the Fool! 

From today, it’s available from Amazon UK, Amazon US, Barnes & Noble, Nook, Kobo, Smashwords and iBooks.

Official press release: 

This refreshing new novella from from Lauren K. Nixon celebrates love and friendship from the very edge of things. Sometimes in Illyria you find yourself in need of a friend, particularly among fools.

A gentle, strange romance between two people who spend their lives on the edge of things, set after the events of Twelfth Night. 

Things have settled quite amicably since the marriages of the two great houses of the town. But now there’s a new fool on the scene – and we are all fools in love.

“The Fox and the Fool is a delightfully romantic tale that sweeps you up in an instant and doesn’t let you down until you’ve savoured every last drop. Perfect for fans of Shakespeare, it will also appeal to anyone looking for an enchanting, uplifting read about love and life.” – Jessica Grace Coleman

“A light-hearted tale of fun, mischief and music – a story about the importance of friendship and brave vulnerability, all wrapped up in the setting of a Shakespearean town.” – Clare Keogh

Further information can be found on my website, http://www.laurenknixon.com/books

MonUCS Presents: Pirates of Penzance

I’m going to see a show on the weekend and I. Can’t. Wait!! My boyfriend and a number of friends in a fellow university choir, Monash University Choral Society (MonUCS) are performing in a musical production: The Pirates of Penzance! 😀 I’ve seen some promo shots and it all looks so good… read on for a full description I grabbed from the public Facebook event. Tickets on sale now – see links at the bottom. 

Monash University Choral Society presents Pirates of Penzance! 

Join our rollicking band of pirates, police & beautiful maidens for a familiar tale of love, duty, and a surprising amount of orphans. Our production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s iconic operetta is a highly entertaining mix of ‘classic’ and ‘pop-culture’ jokes and freshly spun hilarity, which will surely engage both new & long term G&S fans alike. Follow the unlikely journey of young Frederic, who is ready to leave his pirating days behind him and learn the ways of the world (and its women). But the seas of life and love are seldom smooth sailing…

Our talented cast will leave you with a smile on your face, and a song in your heart. Book now!
Directed by Robert Dora & Helen Vice

CAST

Frederick – Naomi Hyndman

Mabel – Eloise Wilmann

Pirate King – Rohan Wilksch

Ruth – Alex Lewis

General Stanley – Nick Power

Samuel – Kevin Hendrey

Edith – Beth Stimpson

Kate – Angeline Seow

Police Sergeant – Daniel Yeaman
Ticket Prices

$30 full fee

$25 concession

Available for Purchase via http://www.trybooking.com/RODW

https://www.facebook.com/events/167070257187573/

MIV2018 Update: Free the Freshers!

Another month has flown past! We’re now less than FOUR months away from the festival! Wow!! 

With that in mind, here’s the latest mail-out. It’s announcing a bit of friendly competition to get more freshers to IV, continuing the hunt for a Merch Officer, giving details about the next social event (I helped write that bit 😉 ), and reminding everyone that registration is open (2 months until timely registration ends so get cracking)! 

____________________________________

From the Convenors’ desk…

There’s nothing like being a Fresher at IV. And there’s nothing like a bit of friendly competition between AICSA choirs.

Here at MIV2018, we’re combining the two in our Free the Freshers Competition.

Two FREE Fresher Registrations are up for grabs across two categories. So each choir gets TWO CHANCES TO WIN! 

Category One: Awarded to the choir who registers the most Freshers. 

Category Two: Awarded to the choir who registers the most members (fresh and not so fresh) to attend MIV2018. The figure is calculated as a per capita proportion of the choir (based on the census data recently and generously provided by your committees). 

The competition is open NOW and closes at the end of timely registration (Midnight 11 November). 

After that we’ll be busy notifying the winning choir(s) who can allocate their FREE Fresher Registration however they wish. 

They could nominate one Fresher to have their registration fee reduced to zero; split the credit among multiple Freshers to partially reduce the cost OR… actually we think those are the only two options. 

So get fighting for your Freshers to party at IV! Every registration received before 11 November bring the prize closer to your choir. Keep an eye on the total current registrants from your choir. More detailed breakdowns and current competition winners are visible to registered and logged in users. 

The MIV2018 Committee will determine the competition winners based on registrant information and relevant calculations. Committee decision are final and no debate will be entered into.
Join the MIV2018 team as our Merchandise Officer

MIV2018 committee is currently taking expressions of interest for the role of Merchandise Officer.

If you have a passion for choral fashion (and a deep-seated love of spreadsheets) then we’d love to hear from you.

To express your interest please reply to this email or email me directly at secretary@miv.org.au.
Save that (one) day in September

September is a busy month in Melbourne. The wonderful MIV host choirs are preparing for concerts, with LaTUCS and MonUCS performing in September and ROCS performing in October. Meanwhile, there’s sport, sport, sport going on outside.

Come join your choral family to fanatically watch the big game, dip your toes for score updates or ignore it completely with card games, board games and more.

There’ll be BBQs available for pre-game lunch and a tuck shop full of munchies to keep you fuelled for the afternoon.

More details for the Post/Pre Concert Party (that you don’t have to organise) will be released on Facebook and via email soon.
Registration is open.

In less than six months you could be taking the stage with us, a full orchestra and hundreds of fellow choristers to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime musical experience. But you must register to secure your place.

The summer of ’69 will be here before we know it. Register now to be part of the magic. We can’t wait to see you in Melbourne next year!

Peace and love, 

Alex and El xoxo

REGISTER FOR MIV2018

Equip yourself for life…

Front cover of concert program

The title is taken from a quote by Sir John Monash: “Adopt as your creed that you will equip yourself for life, not solely for your own benefit but for the benefit of the whole community.” 

On Saturday evening, after months of hard work (including many rehearsals in the final few weeks), the John Monash concert was held. 

It was an amazing experience. There were 29 songs. 13 of them were massed choir pieces, along with pieces for the children’s choir and soloists, all accompanied by a talented orchestra and conducted magnificently by Dr David Kram. David was also the composer, while lyrics were written by poet Kevin O’Flaherty or taken from speeches or letters from Sir John Monash himself. The soloists were Lisa Ann Robinson (Soprano), Michel LaLoum (Baritone), Kristen Leich (Mezzo Soprano), Eddie Muliaumaseali’l (Bass). The orchestra was a hand-picked selection of Melbourne’s finest. 

The concert celebrated the life and values of Sir John Monash. He was an Australian army general in WWI, whose ingenuity enabled a decisive victory in Amiens, France which hastened the Allies victory. But he was so much more than a general. He was a peace-maker, born of migrant parents, Jewish, educated and intelligent, a firm believer in democracy. He was a keen advocate for those under his command, an engineer, lover of music and languages; a family man. 

The Cantata demonstrated this through song – if only all history was explained this way! 😉 It also had some great songs about the peacemakers and the folly of war – the experiences of nurses, Indigenous men, family waiting back home for news, Turkish and Australian soldiers at Gallipoli, and the children of France. 

It was a wonderful experience to take part in. On one level, I sang with friends and my boyfriend, so had the shared connection of that. But more than that there was the music itself. The songs involved a few tricky-to-master parts like fugues and synchopated timings, as well as some entries on high notes. And the songs are memorable – the way lyrics and music worked together evoked images of the song’s message. Everything from the dread and anguish of a pink telegram (MIA soldier now confirmed dead), violins and the timpani sounding like planes strafing and machine-guns) to the importance of peace. It was beautiful. 

I do mean beautiful. It was a evocative Australian story, told through song. At the end of the Cantata, as we sat down after our final bows, I felt incredibly moved. A sense of awe swept through me. I wanted to sit with the feeling for a few moments, it was that strong. 

I cannot thank More Than Opera, the Melbourne company who supported the concert, enough for the chance to be a part of it. I’ve had concert songs float through my head every day since and they still bring a smile to my face. 

Let there be peace! 

Marriage Equality Survey Starts being Mailed Today

Key Dates for the Marriage Equality Postal Survey:

I’ll be voting yes. I hope you will too.

I’m voting yes for my friends and family and those who want to get married but can’t. I’m voting yes because as a progressive Catholic agnostic woman, I think that love is love, fairness is fairness, and those who rush to judge should take a look in their own eye for the plank of wood before hunting out a supposed speck in someone else’s.

I’m also voting yes because I feel that the arguments of the no side – the most strident, loudest arguments particularly – don’t hold water. They’re obfuscations and distractions. Often they’re downright homophobic and transphobic too. Read my marriage equality essay if you haven’t already – I pull things apart a bit more clearly there.

Tbh, I would have much preferred a free vote in Parliament. Human rights shouldn’t have to be decided by popular vote. But since it’s going to happen…. may love win.I welcome discussion, provided it’s not based on bigotry, on the blog.

Return your form on the day you receive it. This matters. At the end of the day, it’s about celebrating love and commitment.