Music News Australia: 03/06/12

Tuesday, 6 March 2012

Shannon Noll youth music rehabilitation session at Australian Institute of Music

Coca-Cola Australia Foundation funds innovative youth rehabilitation program

Creative arts used to inspire change in marginalised youth

5 March 2012 - With help via $220,000 funding from the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation (CCAF), Mission Australia’s Triple Care Farm (TCF) has expanded their Creative Arts Vocational Education (CAVE) program - a specialist youth rehabilitation and treatment initiative.

The financial support from CCAF to date has rapidly expanded the program, with funding providing new facilities and equipment as well as the employment and training of a full-time CAVE course coordinator. As a result, 156 students completed the program in 2011.

To celebrate the success of the program to date, CCAF advocate, Shannon Noll hosted youth involved in the CAVE program to a private session at the Australian Institute of Music– giving them a behind-the-scenes look into the music industry as well as treated them to a live performance.

Shannon Noll, describes the program and day with the kids as inspirational, commenting on its ability to inspire significant change for youth involved, “As a musician, I know how powerful the arts can be, and that is why I support the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation and Triple Care Farm in their effort to use creative arts as a tool to rehabilitate and inspire youth towards a better future”.

· TCF is a unique and successful residential program for young people experiencing homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness or acute behavioural problems. TCF covers 45 hectares of farmland in NSW's Southern Highlands and offers young people aged 16-24 the chance to develop emotionally, socially and vocationally in a safe and secure environment.

· TCF’s experience shows that creative arts programs are an innovative and effective way of rehabilitating youth; as such, CAVE operates as an integrated aspect of their holistic residential rehabilitation and treatment program.

· CAVE uses the creative arts - including music, visual art, drama and film production – as alternative forms of self expression and education for youth in the program. Further, it provides opportunities for students to increase confidence, employability as well as develop other skills they need to make a successful, and sustainable, reintegration into the community.

Nichole Sullivan, supervising psychologist of CAVE and spokesperson for TCF commented, “Involvement in the CAVE program has seen an increase in positive outcomes for our students across the board.

“Students who intensively participated in the CAVE program tend to have an increased length of stay at TCF, which means they are engaged longer and are therefore more likely to benefit from the other activities and treatments we offer.

“Hence, results for young people involved in the CAVE program indicate reductions in substance use and dependence and increased quality of life.”

“We have also found that these students had better outcomes after leaving TCF, with a higher proportion involved in work or study, including three former students who are now directly employed in a music-related vocation.

Jim Bird, Chairman of CCAF, says “The Coca-Cola Australia Foundation is proud and delighted to support Triple Care Farm and the CAVE program. It is an admirable program, that we believe truly makes a difference to young people in their journey toward rehabilitation”.

http://vimeo.com/channels/130132#37996189

American Reunion Cast Eat Pie At Harry's Cafe de Wheels, Sydney, Australia

Tara Reid

Jason Biggs

Earlier this morning in Sin City Sydney - outside the famous Harry's Cafe de Wheels to be precise, the cast of 'American Reunion' (better known as 'American Pie') congregated to help promote the Australian release of the latest instalment of their movie.

Fans and media gathered and most agreed that it was a breath of fresh air to have a movie premiere outside in such nice and hip surroundings, rather than at a cinema, which is the norm.

It was a marketing masterstroke to team up the 'American Pie' film franchise with Harry's Cafe de Wheels (which is Australia's most famous and respected meat pie brand... since 1945). Harry's pies are 100% pure beef. Harry's director Michael Hannah was on hand also to inform, educate and entertain the well behaved media pack, and kindly posed for a few photos while we waited for the Hollywood movie stars.

Some of the Pie cast has been "down under" before. Pie actress Tara Reid has experienced Australia before and got to know Australian advertising industry legend John Singleton quite well a few years ago thanks to Singo's Magic Millions racing carnival on Australia's Gold Coast, but we didn't see Mr Singleton today so we suspect "Singo" is currently in a relationship.

'Pie' stars including Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott and Tara Reid arrived in black limos before checking out Harry's and posing for photographs, with a couple of the lad's even taking in a few bites of pie with compliments like "f*ing beautiful" coming thick and fast.

'American Reunion' has been described by a number of media agencies and film critics as the "raunchiest" since the the original 1990s flick.

Public thank you to the great folks at Universal Pictures who were so helpful today, as well as to Michael and the team at Harry's who gave us two cool t-shirts.

We look forward to our next bite of pie, be it Australian or Americans - whatever comes first.