Budding musicians from Sounds of the Street, the Creative Youth Initiatives program, took to the stage this February at the live launch of their CD Sticky.
Friends and family, staff and former students packed Heffron Hall in Darlinghurst, to watch graduates from this innovative program perform hip hop, pop, dance, rock and Pacific Islander tracks.
Hosted by Declan Byrne from FBI radio and backed by the Sounds of the Streets Band, the young performers put on an amazing show. For many of the students, this was the first time their friends and family have seen them perform.
The CD and concert represents the culmination of a 20-week TAFE-accredited music course, which taught the students to compose, perform and record their own music.
One of the highlights of the show was a guest performance from talented twins and past students: Joe and Pukz. The brothers completed the program in 2009 and were both awarded acoustic guitars through the Sir David Martin Foundation Scholarship Program to help them work towards a career in music.
From busking in stations to get by, the two brothers have come a long way. Their band “Leisure Bandits” is a regular at popular city venues like Opera Bar and they continue to draw on their life experiences to create music that everyone can relate to.
The launch also featured a session of Sketch the Rhyme – a kind of hip hop Pictionary, which challenged students to a freestyle rapping performance, describing the sketches being drawn by Artworks! students.
After a thrilling performance by both past and present students, the class of 2011 were presented with their graduation certificates. Of the 17 graduates, nine are pursuing music at TAFE, while others are sitting for their HSC or moving into further education and training.
To get your copy of the free Sounds of the Street CD, contact the Sir David Martin Foundation on (02)9219 2002 or email admin@sdmf.org.au.
Read more about Sounds of the Street
Read more about the Sir David Martin Foundation Scholarship Program
