Welcome

Welcome and thanks for taking the time to explore my new website. The website has been a long time in the making and it brings together information about who I am and what I do. There are also quite a few samples of my work for you to listen and view. The music I compose is for students to perform and solo works that fit in with the current NSW BOSTES Music Syllabi. I hope you find something you like whether it’s for your school orchestra, chamber ensemble or solo performance. I look forward to hearing from you.

Biography

It’s been almost 30 years since I graduated from Newcastle Conservatorium of Music with a B.Mus.Ed. These years have been spent at Dubbo South High School and for the past 15 years at Newcastle Grammar School where I am currently the Head of Music Performance. While classroom music is my passion, I have always been fortunate enough to have been the musical director of many different types of ensembles from brass bands, big bands and vocal ensembles. Currently, I am the director of the NGS Symphony Orchestra and the award winning NGS Chamber Choir. A few years ago I decided to compose a piece for the orchestra, Peregrini Fortium for the orchestra’s tour of the USA. This work was premiered in 2013 and conducted by Mr George Ellis. The success of this work inspired me to continue composing for student ensembles which is the primary purpose of my work. “Kevin is an innovative composer whose work focuses on beauty of melody and clever harmonic progressions. Use of mixed time signatures and intricate rhythms, sometimes more normally associated with popular music, are also featured’. – George Ellis 2015 I have been privileged to have worked with some of Australia’s finest musicians over many years as a Music Educator and have taken our choral and instrumental ensembles on tours to many parts of Australia and overseas to China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, USA and Singapore. This website is a great opportunity to share my music with you. I am also available for workshops and clinics or for your classroom professional development sessions.

Testimonials

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I have had the privilege of giving the world premiere of two stunning orchestral works by Mr Kevin Young. Peregrini Fortium in 2013 and Gypsy Dance in 2014 were premiered in Newcastle, Australia to rapturous applause. Kevin is an innovative composer whose work focuses on beauty of melody and clever harmonic progressions. Use of mixed time signatures and intricate rhythms, sometimes more normally associated with popular music, are also featured. His new work New Horizons has just been workshopped in Newcastle and will be premiered in November 2015. It is a stunning piece of orchestral writing. I commend Kevin Young to your attention. He is first-rate composer and his music will enrich the arts culture whenever it is performed.

George Ellis www.georgeellis.com.au

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I have been a teacher for K – 8 Music for 20 years and use a great deal of Kodaly based song work, especially in the formative years. I am always searching for new material and Kevin has provided me with exactly what I needed to extend and interest my students without the corny lyrics and over repetition often found in songs for youngsters. He has incorporated humour into his new range of songs from which teachers and students are able to pick out specific melodic concepts such as Soh, Mi. Kevin has hit the nail on the head with titles such as Barney the Elephant, Ho Ho Ho and My Bunny Harry. He has also written some extremely useful repertoire for Christmas and Easter, times when music teachers are so often forced to drop their concept work and learn a song about chocolate or Santa. What I need is all built in to ‘Kevin Young’ songs – great lyrics, fun titles, cute rhythms repetitive intervals and lots of variation. The children gobbled them up. The accompaniments are easy enough to play whilst teaching and the keys are chosen to use with Orff instruments. Thank you so much for providing this music for us. Jane Parkes – Newcastle Grammar School

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Kevin Young’s passion for teaching music knows no boundaries and throughout the many decades I have known him, I have watched him play alongside his students, encourage them, write music for them, and most importantly of all, give them the desire to keep playing for the rest of their lives. What greater gift can there be.

Kevin challenges his students with an adventurous compositional style but at the heart of his work is the idea that learning should be rewarding and fun. Years of teaching experience has allowed him to bring together material that has real relevance amongst the many choices available to music teachers and conductors today.

I can highly recommend Kevin Young and trust that you will enjoy his compositions, his enthusiasm and his gift for the craft of teaching music. – John Morrison 2016