Scholarship helps musician fine tune skills to give back to community

Pictured: (l-r) 2009 Singleton Mayoral Scholarship recipient Matthew Edwards (pictured in his Singleton Band uniform) with Cate Sims from Coal & Allied and Mayor of Singleton Council, Sue Moore.

A career in music may seem like a pipedream to many, but one Singleton resident is turning that dream a reality, with the support of two Hunter Valley locals.

Trumpet and bass guitar player Matthew Edwards received a $3000 scholarship from Coal & Allied in 2009 as part of Singleton Council's Mayoral Scholarships programme.

Mr Edwards, who is in his final year of a Bachelor of Music at The University of Newcastle, is using the money to make him a better musician and has been reinvesting his skills and knowledge back to the community.

"My scholarship has allowed me to purchase specialist bass guitar books to improve my playing, as well as pay off some of my university fees," Mr Edwards said.

"I also used some of the money to go on an eight day trip to New Zealand to compete in the Christchurch Music Festival as a member of the University of Newcastle's Wind Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble, for which we received gold and silver medals respectively.

"I plan to use the rest of the scholarship to pay for lessons with a bass guitar specialist so I can continue to improve as a musician."

Mr Edwards said while his ultimate goal is to teach music at a university, he is currently enjoying teaching in regional schools.

"I have taught music at Lake Keepit and most recently at Coonabarabran, both in regional New South Wales, as a staff member with the Department of Education," Mr Edwards said.

"Back in the Hunter, I have played in the Singleton Town Band for the past 13 years and often help out playing in other regional bands, for example in Muswellbrook, Denman and Scone.

"The support from Singleton Council and Coal & Allied has been a great help to me. I appreciate their support of my musical abilities, which I am enjoying passing on to the next generation of musicians."

Singleton Council Mayor Sue Moore congratulated Matthew on his progress.

"It's clear Matthew is putting his scholarship money to good use," Councillor Moore said.

"The Council is pleased to see how successful the inaugural Mayoral Scholarship programme has been, and is happy to assist talented members of the Singleton community."

General manager operations Mount Thorley Warkworth Cam Halfpenny said the focus of Coal & Allied's support was on building community capacity.

"At Coal & Allied, we believe strongly in investing in the skills and capabilities of people in our local community," Mr Halfpenny said.

"In doing so, we are building a more prosperous community with skilled people in a variety of areas. Well done to Matthew for making the most of this opportunity."

Singleton Council's Mayoral Scholarships are designed to encourage and celebrate the dedication and commitment of people in Singleton. Coal & Allied is again sponsoring the scholarships this year, in the areas of engineering/mining/professional and environment.

Applications for the 2010 round of scholarships open in mid-June. Visit the council's website: http://www.singleton.nsw.gov.au for more information.

Media Enquiries:
Kathryn Harrigan 07 3361 4155

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