GEORGE MURRAY Proxime Accessit 2018
From classical to jazz to rock, music has played
a big role in George Murray’s enjoyment
of College life, and his academic pursuits over five years have provided the stimulus for his success. “I love my music, but I take my academic work seriously, and that balance between the two has worked well.” Add a liberal dash of sport – tennis, basketball and skiing – and George’s College life has been complete. From 2019 he will be studying for a Bachelor of Commerce and Science at the University of Canterbury, a new four-year conjoint degree which will allow him to major in finance and philosophy. His band mates from the award- winning College rock band Run77 will be there too, and he expects opportunities will continue to open for the group in that setting. A Chapel Prefect, George sang in the Chapel and College choirs and says although he started as a classical musician (he gained his ATCL in piano in 2018), jazz, rock and producing music on his laptop have been natural progressions. He says Director of Music Robert Aburn is great with the choirs, and he thanks rock band tutor Nolan Hungerford for his strengths in contemporary music and “for motivating so many young guys to create rock bands.” George believes his future career will be a combination of practical and theoretical, and doesn’t confine
himself to any single field. “I don’t know what will be out there, but as I learn there will be opportunities to explore, so my future will reveal itself.” He believes life is about taking all the opportunities that are handed to you. “At College you don’t realise all the opportunities you are given, so my advice to students is to take advantage of everything on offer, push yourself out of your comfort zone. You don’t lose anything by
discovering you don’t particularly enjoy it!” Highlights of 2018 were some of the gigs he played with Run77, and taking part in the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Challenge for Scholarship Economics. “I want to thank my teachers – the commitment they show is incredible. They have given me great support and backing. I was that person, particularly when I was younger, who asked as many questions as possible!”
College Issue 36 2019
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