The United States is in for some auditory delights from Down Under next month when the top-rated University of Newcastle Chamber Choir arrives in country to showcase vocal music ranging from the 15th Century to Coldplay and Radiohead.

Members of the Chamber Choir of the University of Newcastle, an Australian university partner of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.

Under the baton of internationally renowned director Philip Matthias, the choir will tour the U.S. and Bermuda between June 21 and July 14, marking the first U.S.-focused excursion for the group following successful tours to the United Kingdom, France, South Korea and China.

Comprised of University of Newcastle students, staff and members of the community, the 40-member choir will perform at the ‘Rhythms of One World’ Festival in New York (June 25), with the opening concert at the United Nations headquarters. The choir also will perform in Boston, Washington and Bermuda, and will compete in the World Choir Games July 8-12 in Cincinnati.

Top-rated in Australia, the choir ranked 8th worldwide in the Musica Mundi World Rankings (April 2011) from its excellent results in the 2010 World Choir Games held in Shaoxing, China. The choir also has regularly wowed judges in national competitions across Australia.

Phillippa Miskiewicz, events manager for the choir, talked with the GlobaLinks NewsWire about the upcoming tour:

Q: How many performers will be coming for the U.S./Bermuda performances and World Choir Games competition?

The University of Newcastle Chamber Choir at its Civic Theatre performance in November 2011.

Q: How would you describe the individuals who make up the choir – are they music majors, grad students, a mix of ages and backgrounds?

PM: A very eclectic group. We range in age from 18 to 65. We do have several music majors and music teachers, but about half the choir have no tertiary music background. Because we do have many students we have a fairly large turnover of members.

Q: Will Philip Matthias be directing the choir for the U.S. tour?

PM: Yes. He runs all our rehearsals as well. We are very fortunate to have such a gifted conductor.

Q: What pieces or styles of music will the choir be performing?

PM: Everything! From the 15th century to Coldplay and Radiohead. We will be doing a large selection of music by Australian composers as well.

Q: How would you describe the behind-the-scenes work ethic that gives this choir its special spark?

PM: We all work very hard, sectional practice, as well as rehearsals with the whole choir. We also do quite a lot of performances for the university that pushes us to learn music quickly. We all get on fairly well together. We have a lot of fun as well as hard work. I’m sure that comes across on stage.

Q: What are some of the key ingredients, or “special sauce,” that goes into the choir’s success as a global competitor?

PM: Vocally, the wide range in ages gives our choir a unique sound. The large turnover in choir membership means we never get stale. Also, our very diverse range of musical styles allows us to reach a very wide audience. In one concert it is not unusual for us to sing a Praetorius Motet in three choirs, then sing a rock song with choralography.

Q: What is everyone looking most forward to on the tour? (the
competition, community performances, site-seeing?)

PM: Hearing other choirs, and singing with other choirs.  Of course we are looking forward to the sightseeing as well, but when we came back from China two years ago we were asked to relate the most meaningful time on tour. It was the times we sang with other choirs – particularly where we had very little language in common but could sing together, and hearing other choirs from all over the world – that stood out for most people. I am sure it will be the same in the USA.

Q) Anything else you’d like to add that I haven’t asked about?

PM: It takes so much organization and money to take 37 singers half way across the world. We do feel very privileged that so many people both at Newcastle University and the wider community have enough faith in us to give their time and money for us to do an international tour.

Related posts:

1. Canada’s Acadia University Expands Study Abroad To Include University of Newcastle
2. GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Named 2009 Small Company Of The Year By Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Casey Yanos’ “Delusions of a Small World” Chosen for Study in Australia’s Student Blogger Program

With stories of her “unexpectedly experiential education” in marine sciences, comparisons of U.S. and Aussie cultures, and descriptive excursions across Australia’s geographic wonders, Casey Yanos’ blog caught the attention of the Australian Trade Commission and is now featured in its Study in Australia Student Blogger Program.

Casey Yanos

Yanos, a College of Atlantic (Maine) student, is spending a semester abroad in Australia at James Cook University – Townsville.

“I chose to study abroad in Australia because I have wanted to go to Australia for as long as I can remember,” Yanos says in her blogger profile. “Now that I am working toward a marine science degree, it is the perfect time to go. The diversity and richness of marine life in Australia, particularly on the Great Barrier Reef is unmatched by any other place that I have had the opportunity to visit. James Cook University’s location in Townsville is ideal, being close to the water and the reef, making it easier to have more hands-on classes, which are the type of classes that I thrive in.”

Here’s an excerpt from her blog:

“Being on a boat is the best cure for anything, not that I’m ailing from anything in Australia except maybe the heat, but there is nothing like the smell of the sea, the wind in your face and the mainland at your back.  The day was spent baiting, setting and hauling in long lines. Anything that was caught, including eels, catfish, travoli and other fish, were accounted for and released. But when we caught a shark we would pull it in, lasso it’s tail and tie it off alongside our little research vessel. We took measurements, tagged and released them. In total we caught 6 Blacktips and 1 Hammerhead, Sphyrna mokarran. Unfortunately the study is mostly focusing on Nervous Sharks, Carcharhinus cautus, and a few other species that we didn’t catch that day, but if we had we would have taken blood samples in addition to the measurements in order to run stable isotope analysis. Either way it was still an awesome experience and it is things like this that make me remember how fortunate I am to be in this awesome country and to be studying something so fascinating.”

Read Casey’s blog in its entirety at Delusions of a Small World.

Related posts:

1. Utrecht University blog highlights first EuroLearn student
2. Student Snapshots: Alumni Photo Contest, Canadian Student Featured By Edith Cowan University and More
3. Student Snapshots: EuroLearn Blogger Says Goodbye, AustraLearn’s Bond University Students Recognized for Academics, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Student Council Learns Leadership Skills

Andrew Finanger's photo of Tasman Lake on the South Island of New Zealand is the winner of the annual GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Alumni Photo Contest.

An exquisite photo demonstrating the personal discovery of New Zealand’s bold mountain scenery is the winner of this year’s GlobaLinks Learning Abroad alumni photo contest.

The winning photo of Tasman Lake on the South Island of New Zealand was taken by Andrew Finanger, an environmental management major at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Finanger studied abroad in 2011 at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. He receive a $110 Chipotle Mexican Grill gift card for his winning photo.

The GlobaLinks Learning Abroad annual photo contest occurs in February/March of each year and is hosted on the Alumni Facebook Page. All GlobaLinks Learning Abroad participants from the previous year are eligible to submit photos from their abroad experience. All details will be sent to eligible program alumni prior to the start of the contest each year.

To see the other Best of Category photos, visit the Facebook photo contest page.

Related posts:

1. Grape Crush: New Zealand Winery Intern Wins Photo Contest
2. Get Out Your Vote! 2011 Alumni Photo/Video Contest Now Underway
3. Drum Roll Please: Alumni Photo Contest Grand Prize Winner Is …

Molly Bloom, who studied abroad in 2009 in New Zealand via AustraLearn, is part of a national championship wheelchair basketball team featured yesterday by the Denver Post sports section.

Bloom, who lost her left leg five years ago in a vehicle accident, was featured last year by the GlobaLinks NewsWire. Bloom, a recent graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Denver resident, overcame many challenges to study abroad and inspired others with the successes and adventure of her journey.

To read the entire May 3, 2011, Denver Post article by Claire Martin, visit here.

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We’re excited to introduce you to GlobaLinksNewsWire.com, a live news site for international education topics and news, photos and videos of interest from staff students, faculty, advisors, parents and alumni with ties to AustraLearn, AsiaLearn and EuroLearn (Educational Programs of GlobaLinks).

We’ll be here each week with several new articles, photos and news items. We’ll also be adding and updating resource links and news feeds from sources across the globe.

We care about a lot of topics, too: Academic Achievement, Adventure & Experience, Arts & Culture
News “From the Field,” Going Green, Internships & Careers, Research & Innovation, Volunteerism and – of course -
World News.

And we want to hear from you, whether you are a world-trekking student, traveling educator or working away in your home city and country, just waiting for the next opportunity to travel abroad.

Let us know what you think, what you’re interested in, and if you have any news, photos, video or comments to share.

Thanks for reading – and contributing.

- Stacey Hartmann, GlobaLinks NewsWire Editor

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