b'MELBOURNE YOUTH ORCHESTRASMYO Summer School Residential Camp participants are encouraged to take part in a range of social activities. Photos: Meredith OSheaImagine having a gift for music but seeing your dreamsA key initiative is the Summer School Residential Camp, fade because of geography and logistics. There are manywhere the Newsboys Foundation partners with MYO to ways for a gifted child not to reach their potential, buthost kids from rural and regional Victoria to be part of the loneliness is recognised as one of the key likely dream- summer school initiative. crushers. Hosted at camp facilities in the heart of Melbourne, these Theres a lot of research into gifted and talentedaspiring musicians find themselves surrounded by other learning, Dorian Jones, CEO of the Melbourne Youthyoung people who are as passionate about music as they Orchestras, said.are. It can be life changing.People can be born with a gift, but they need work andQuite honestly, it saved his life, one mother told The support to convert that into a talent. One thing they needAge in January, 2024. As a primary-school-aged child, to maintain interest is a connection to a peer network.he was quite a quirky person and struggled to fit into If they dont have that connection with peers, a youngyour average public school. He had some very dark and person will give up on their gift and take up somethingdifficult placeslast year in particular. [The orchestra] more likely to fit in with their community.gave him friends and unconditional support. He always So, if theyre in a country town, for example, and footy ishad something to look forward to.big but music is not, theyll drop their musical gift to playJames, 16, from Bungaree, near Ballarat, was one aspiring footy, to have that connection. musician who attended the camp and told Newsboys that The MYO works hard to stop potential internationalhe had been blown away by the quality of the other young musicians becoming mediocre half-back flankers throughmusicians he was rehearsing with, as they prepared for a a series of programs and initiatives designed to supportconcert finale at the Melbourne Town Hall.and encourage musical talent for those who wouldAll the kids are ridiculously talented, he said. Im so otherwise struggle with geographic, economic or sociallucky to be in the top jazz band because these people barriers. 12NEWSBOYS FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2024'