This week we held our Winter Concert for students across the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools. It was a truly extraordinary event that showcased some incredible talent across the School. A highlight included a talented group of Year 10 multi-instrumentalists that each rotated between bass guitar, piano and drums in a rousing version of Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz.

Similarly, the accomplished Year 12 band The Three Amigos completed a highly sophisticated and frenetically paced rendition of Johanne Brahm’s Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor. In what was one of their final performances for their adoring KDS audience, they again demonstrated their unbridled joy and talent.

Another stand out moment was the debut of Riley H’s song, Day One. This was the winning entrant from this year’s Composition Competition. Part of the prize was for the piece to be arranged for a full band and this was performed by our incredibly talented music educators.

In my address at the concert I shared an anecdote which I would like to reproduce here.

I spoke of the origin story for what I have heard referred to as our new ‘National Anthem.’

Just a few months ago, a seven-year-old boy from Sydney named Miles Phillips was feeding birds on a family holiday. He was struck by the bright feathers of one bird in particular, and right then and there, a simple chorus popped into his head: “Eastern rosellas, eastern rosellas, look at the beautiful colours.”

But it’s what happened next that makes this story so special. Miles and his dad, Joel, took that little melody, sat down at their family keyboard, and simply played. Instead of retreating to separate screens, they engaged in the beautiful act of intergenerational play. Father and son workshopped the verses, built a bridge, and nurtured a shared passion for music, eventually recording a full-band version of the song together.

This could not have occurred without previous investment in Joel’s music education. He is clearly a talented muso who is now using his gift to foster the creativity of his beloved son.

There is something just so pure, uplifting and infectious about the song that when they shared it online, the sheer, unbridled positivity it generated was astounding. People didn't just listen - they joined in. The song sparked a wave of joyous collaboration across the music community, with community choirs and individuals posting their own versions. Soon, acclaimed Australian artists like Ben Lee, Ball Park Music and Meg Washington recorded their own covers of this seven-year-old’s tune. Some of these were layered onto one another’s - building and building on this unity. When asked how it made him feel, Miles simply said he felt “really well loved.”

That story is a testament to the true power of music. It’s a bridge between people and it can cross generations. We see the joy of parents and children creating, listening, and playing together. We see strangers finding something powerful in another’s idea and adding their own flourishes to it. It reminds us that a simple, joyful idea can ripple out and bring a whole community together.

At the Winter Concert, as our students took the stage, we celebrated that exact same magic. We were witness to the results of their play, their collaboration, and the joy they’ve found in making music.

Kol Ha’kavod to all our talented students.