Daniel Harley

Daniel Harley writes:

I started learning the French Horn in grade five and have participated in various music workshops and honour camps over the following years.

In grade six I was involved in the WestCent Honours Music Camp where I was introduced to a specialist French Horn tutor who was also the conductor of the Corinda Youth Orchestra.

Following the Camp I was invited by the conductor to join the Youth Orchestra and here I was introduced to a type of music that I hadn’t heard before, classical orchestral music. I immediately fell in love with the sounds and the ability of an Orchestra to move people.

When my family moved to Townsville in 2015 I was concerned that I would not be able to continue playing in an Orchestra, but was very happy to discover that North Queensland had a well regarded Orchestra namely the Barrier Reef Orchestra.

The first time I saw and heard the Orchestra play was in Queens Gardens, I was sitting in the audience with the hope one day to be part of the Orchestra. In 2016 I had the opportunity to assist with the T150 Variety Concert and was openly welcomed by all members and continue to enjoy my experiences with the Orchestra. Thank you to BRO for awarding me the Encouragement Award in 2016, I am very grateful and honoured to have been considered.

I have used some of the money to purchase quality mutes to further enhance my individual sound. I intend to use the balance to buy music and assist in participating in the State Honours Ensemble Programs run by the Queensland Conservatorium and AMEB exams.