Trevor Rippingale

TREVOR RIPPINGALE

The story of PCYC is the story of diversity, and a story as diverse as the many young people who have participated and grown through their involvement at a local Club. Achieving change at the individual level is what activities and programs in a successful Club set out to achieve. Change for the better, change that builds personality, self-esteem, skills, camaraderie and resilience - and an ability to deal with the more difficult moments that life throws at us.

For many young people, music has been an inspiration and a major part of their involvement in PCYC.  It has left behind a rich legacy of achievements and pride for the thousands of young people who participated in musical activities over more than four decades. One participant, a student of the inner-west of Sydney in the 1940's was Trevor Rippingale, who first attended PCYC Burwood - then the Burwood Police Citizens Boys Club - in 1946 at age 11. "I was first attracted to the Club because of the organised music there - that, and my friends went there". At the time, music was the core of the Burwood Club, and in fact, most of the Clubs throughout NSW.

 The Club also provided a wide range of cultural activities, which included a substantial library and reading room, a number of choirs, a marching band, an orchestra, a dance band, and ballroom dancing classes. "Boys were given instruments and taught to play, or sing. Instruments included strings, brass, woodwind and percussion. These were free of charge, and they were encouraged to compete with other Clubs at Annual Eisteddfods, for much-sought-after medals and badges. I still have mine" Trevor said. At PCYC Burwood, and in many Clubs, tuition was provided by members of the NSW Police Band & Choir, as well as by local civilian volunteers. At Burwood, these included "new" Australians from the Burwood Migrant Hostel. "These men were very popular with the boys - they often provided fatherly counselling and guidance, and to my memory, they gave of themselves well beyond the basic instructional terms of reference: a wonderful "gift" to a generation of boys".

"In the area of sports, there were a number of kids training at Burwood; we had a few serious ones, some professionals, in boxing, wrestling, and weights, but most were in the bands, or the choirs."

Doyle, Graeme Bell, Ray Price, Bob Barnard, Don Burrows, George Golla and Ed Gaston, as well as leading his own groups. Currently he is the first tenor sax/clarinet with Phillip Sanchez's "Mell-o-tones Dance Orchestra" which has recorded for the ABC, plays the Sydney Opera House's "New Years Eve Celebration", and leads the "New Wolverine Jazz Orchestra".  Trevor has lead this award winning Orchestra on tour throughout Australia, completed six tours of the USA and one UK tour. They have been nominated in the finals of the Australian Entertainment Industry's annual "Mo Awards" four times (1998, 1999, 2000, and 2003) and are the only group to win a US award for musical excellence - The Goldkette Award 2000. They also featured in the annual conventions of the "The International Society of Jazz Record Collectors" (Chicago 1996) and "The American Federation of Jazz Festival Directors" (Iowa USA 1996).

Trevor has played theatre pit and completed studio work for albums, commercials, movie and television sound tracks, and the "Swing into Spring Concert 2003" with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In addition, Trevor leads "Benny's Boys Sextet", prominent at jazz festivals, jazz and licensed clubs and private functions around Australia. They launched twoCDs, one of which won through to the final four in the Australian National "Bell" Jazz CD Awards, 2003.

MUSICAL MAESTRO In 1946, Trevor joined the Drum & Flute Marching Band playing a Bb school flute,subsequentlybecoming ‘Flute Sergeant' of the band. Sgt. Edwards was the band trainer, and boys received instruments and uniforms on loan, until they left the band. Two years later, Trevor began clarinet instruction under Sgt. Reg Bowers, with an instrument on-loan from the Club and played in the marching band, orchestra, and dance band.

Shortly after, he began saxophone instruction under Mr Franze Vorreter, a volunteer instructor from the Burwood

Migrant Hostel. Like Trevor, many other young people "graduated" from PCYC, and went on to have very successful music

careers.

"I'm aware of some well known musicians who received their first training at Burwood and other Police Boys' Clubs. Multi reed players Ray Swinfield and Ray Warleigh from Burwood are now first rank musicians in London. They moved there in the 1950's and work internationally with many different groups. Both are internationally recognised musicians, playing flutes, clarinets and saxophones". "Ray Swinfield has recorded with many orchestras including his own jazz groups, and on soundtracks for the movies including "The Pink Panther", "Chicago" and"De-lovely".  Also Sydney band leader, trombonist, pianist and arranger John Ferguson was with the Leichhardt Police Boys Club Band. I'm sure there are many more"

Trevor remains active in music in many areas. Since 1990, he has been a freelance professional musician and tutors at several Sydney schools, including Sydney College for the Arts.