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CGLLEN Partnership Funding of approximately $5,200 has allowed 20 students from Stawell Secondary College and Marian College to participate in the 2004 Kool Skools Programme in Melbourne.

The project culminated in students spending two days in a top industry-recording studio, Studio 52, to produce a music CD. Twelve tracks were produced for the CD, of which only two were covers, the other ten were original compositions by the students. Bonus material included on the CD included a brief video and slide show produced by the group.

As well as providing students with the opportunity to work in an industry environment the project involved learning outcomes in song writing, performing, recording, multimedia and graphics and marketing.

Project Coordinator, Malcolm Haig, Head of Music at Stawell Secondary College said he was “very pleased with the professional manner that the students adopted to achieve their goals.”

I want to come to school next year just to get the opportunity to do Kool Skools. Its great! (JT)

“At the Kool Skools awards night “Less than Perfection” were awarded “Best Heavy Funk” track for “Disadvantaged Connection and “Silence Broken” by Hannah Ellen and Anna Barham was nominated for Best Indie track.” Mr Haig said.

Students have gone on to form their own event management company and have also taken up work experience at Melbourne Youth Radio Station SynFM.

Mr Haig said the project was targeted at students who may be ‘at risk’ of disengagement and student feedback, by way of a questionnaire, had been very positive:

• I want to come to school next year just to get the opportunity to do Kool Skools. Its great! (JT)
• It was a challenge to get it done on time and please everyone with the finished result. (Timmy)
• I came out of it with more confidence. I will definitely come back to school next year. (Anonymous)
• It has further confirmed my love of music and has helped me decide to be an instrumentalist for life. (Hannah)
• It has shown me how much opportunity there is out there in the music industry. I’m looking forward to next years music. (Kelly)
• Awesome! It’s the only reason I’m coming back [to school]. I am going to be a sound tech. (Jase)

Chief Executive Officer, David Wheaton, congratulated Mr Haig on the project noting the connection the project had made with CGLLEN’s youth resource centre, LenZone!

"I have been thrilled with the way this project has fed into LenZone! activities. Several students involved with Kool Skools have become heavily involved with staging FReeZA events and our project to establish a Youth Radio Station in Stawell.” Mr Wheaton said.