2025 MID-YEAR APPEAL
6 June 2025
MOTHER & SON: DUSHANI & KELLEN
2 October 2025MOTHER / SON INTERVIEW: PARENT VANESSA & JUNIOR SINGER TEDDY
Photo by Pat Charles
Vanessa and her Junior Singer son Teddy are are members of the Australian Boys Choir community. In this interview, they share some perspectives on their time so far with the Australian Boys Choral Institute and talk a little but about the Choir journey. Please see www.australianboyschoir.com.au/whats-on for more about the ABCI.
Ted, when did you join the ABCI?
I joined ABCI in 2023 when I was 9 years old.
What do you enjoy most about coming to Choir?
I really enjoy singing and also seeing the boys I have made friends with at choir each week.
What have been some favourite pieces you have performed with the ABCI?
Definitely 'Out There' by Dan Walker and our Junior Singer piece 'Little Lamb' from earlier this year.
Can you tell us a bit about your hobbies and activities outside singing?
I love AFL football and the Hawthorn Football Club. I also like playing golf with my dad as well as playing piano and saxophone.
What are the older boys like outside rehearsals?
Outside rehearsals and on camps, the older boys are lots of fun and good to be around.
Lastly, what advice do you have for boys hoping to make it to the rank of Junior Singer?
Definitely keep trying even if you it takes a while to pass your skills.
Vanessa, how did your family come to be part of the ABCI?
Teddy's grandmother saw an advertisement for auditions and suggested that I arrange an audition for Teddy. He had the audition over Zoom and was successful.
How have you found Choir to be different from school?
It is a more intense and focused learning.
Does your family have a musical background?
Yes, Teddy's maternal grandparents were both music teachers and I grew up in a musical household as a result. You don't need to have this for your son to be successful with the ABCI, however.
What have been the most beneficial aspects of pursuing an ABCI education in your view?
The discipline instilled in the boys and the commitment they make from a young age shows them what they are able to achieve. It also provides an opportunity to meet other like-minded children. Hearing all of the boys at various levels of the choir singing together on Weekend Workshops and Summer Schools is amazing.
What’s been the most memorable Institute concert you have experienced so far and why?
The 2024 end of year concert at the Melbourne Recital Centre. It is wonderful to hear the different levels of the choir in a professional concert hall.
What advice would you give to new families, or those looking to join the Choir?
Getting involved in volunteering at concerts and other events gives a special insight into the behind the scenes running of the Choir and is a way to meet other families and see the progress through the stages. You will also definitely need to be committed and organised around rehearsals and performances.
Click below to watch the highlights reel from the ABCI's 2025 performance of J.S. Bach's lost lost St Mark Passion. This work was reconstructed by Dutch musicologist Robert Koolstra and viewed by music lovers around the world via Australian Digital Concert Hall. We were joined by Genesis Baroque on period instruments for this performance, which was conducted by ABCI artistic director. Our singers were also joined by soloists Rachael Joyce, Heather Fletcher, Timothy Reynolds and Jeremy Kleeman. Footage courtesy of Australian Digital Concert Hall.