Monash Law String Orchestra: A Harmonious Blend of Law and Music
In a unique blend of law and music, the Monash Law String Orchestra recently performed their first concert at Monash University’s Performing Arts Centre. Performing the melodies of Greig, the concert brought together the two great passions of some Monash Law students - music and law.
Co-founded by law students Jasmin Buell and Madeleine Octavianus, the Monash Law String Orchestra is composed of law students who share a passion for music. This is an orchestra with a mandate to do more than create beautiful music. It’s about building a community of like-minded individuals.
Watch the Monash Law String Ensemble's first performance - Grieg's Melodies at the Monash Performing Arts Centre.
Creating Connections Through Music
The idea for the orchestra was born out of a desire to connect with fellow law students who have a love for music interwoven with their academic ambitions.
“I played for the Monash Medical Orchestra, which gave medical students a great way to connect with each other and musicians outside of their year level,” said Octavianus.
“I wanted this for the law faculty. I wanted to meet musicians within my course and make friends.”
Co-founder Jasmin echoes this sentiment, explaining that the orchestra provides a space for people to foster creativity while balancing their studies.
“Music is very creative and all about self-expression, which provides a good balance to the structured nature of law studies,” she said.
Behind the Scenes: The Orchestra’s Formation
The Monash Law String Orchestra emerged from a serendipitous encounter between Jasmin Buell and Madeleine Octavianus during a law lecture. Even though they had met at high school and previously performed in orchestras together, this was the first time that their legal studies crossed over with their love of music
“We both had our instruments with us,” recalled Jasmin.
“I had my violin, and Madeleine had her cello. We struck up a conversation about music, and that’s when the idea sparked.”
Jasmin and Madeleine both have a shared background of performing in musical groups during high school at Presbyterian Ladies College in Burwood.
“A lot of the members of the orchestra actually went to the same high school coincidentally. I'm actually the only student doing a double degree in law and music, but I know that there's a lot of musicians who study law, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to start something like this,” recalled Jasmin.
“Our conductor at PLC, Mr.Bonnici put so much passion into his conducting and that flowed into our music. So I use that as the reference on how we play our music and structure our rehearsals in the Monash Law String Orchestra,” said Madeleine.
They found that a number of Monash Law students played music throughout high school and had a strong desire to continue doing that throughout their university years.
“We realised there were other law students who shared our passion for music. We wanted to create a space where they could express themselves musically while navigating the rigours of legal studies,” added Madeleine.
Like many great ideas, Jasmin and Madeleine realised that this idea required nurturing, love and support and a lot of hard work to make it a reality. They joined forces, combined networks and very quickly found a group of musicians studying at Monash Law who were more than happy to join them.
“We manage the orchestra together,” said Jasmin.
“I look at room bookings, corresponding between the law student society and things like that, while Madeleine takes on more of a role with giving information to the orchestra members.”
Challenges and Triumphs
Running an orchestra alongside their demanding coursework hasn’t been without challenges.
“Law students have packed timetables,” revealed Jasmin.
In fact, most Monash Law students are studying a double degree. In addition, many students are involved with the Law Students Society, undertaking work placements as part of Monash Law Clinics, and/or working part time in a law clerkship.
“Balancing rehearsals, performances, and assignments requires meticulous planning,” said Jasmin.
Regardless, the orchestra has already achieved significant milestones. Their debut concert received enthusiastic applause from fellow students, faculty, and even some legal professionals.
“Seeing our peers appreciate the music was incredibly rewarding,” shared Madeleine.
“It reinforced our belief that this orchestra serves a vital purpose.”
Looking to the Future
The orchestra, which currently has 25 members, is looking to expand in the future.
“We’ve had at least 11 people signing up to join this semester and hopefully more will join soon,” said Madeleine.
They are also considering expanding their ranks to include non-string instruments, if there are enough willing players in the Law Faculty.
“There are quite a few who play brass and woodwinds,” shared Jasmin.
As for their future plans, Jasmin and Madeleine hope to make their concerts more accessible to a wider audience.
“We want to make the concerts more accessible to a wider audience who may not have been to an orchestra concert before. So we might have things like film music that could be quite accessible to more people and more inviting for people to come,” said Jasmin.
While they love the Performing Arts Centre and performing at Clayton campus, the orchestra aims to engage with the wider community and spread their wings.
“We’re exploring collaborations with local schools and community centres,” revealed Jasmin.
Just like that first encounter between Jasmin and Madeleine, the orchestra coordinators believe that connections can be found beyond the boundaries of Monash University.
“Music has the power to connect people across disciplines and backgrounds.”
As for the future, Jasmin and Madeleine dream big. They envision annual concerts, workshops, and perhaps even composing original pieces.
“We hope that as people graduate, they can come back and continue to play with the orchestra,” said Jasmin.
“Not only is music universal, but it's also timeless. Some of the pieces we play are hundreds of years old and so hopefully the orchestra will continue beyond us,” explained Jasmin.
Law and music can coexist harmoniously and that’s something that’s unlikely to change for a long time.
“I feel like there will never be a drought for the love of music. As new law students come, there will always be people who love music and I think that will never stop,” agreed Madeleine.