Music – Hamilton Australia

Creative and educational resource developed by The Arts Unit in partnership with the Michael Cassel Group

Year 11 and 12 music

The following interviews, videos, articles and activities are aimed at supporting senior music students in the following areas:

  • vocal performance skills

  • working as a musician

  • music auditions.

On this page

Aaron Burr dressed in a purple waistcoat, confidently moving forward on the stage, in the centre of 4 ensemble cast members.
Photo: Daniel Boyd

A principal role in musical theatre

Chloe Zuel plays the principal role of Eliza Hamilton in the HAMILTON Australia production.

Watch the interview with Chloe as she discusses how she prepared for the role vocally.

Chloe delves into the strategies she implements during the rehearsal process, vocal training and warm-up to protect her voice for regular performances.

Student activities

  • Explore the various vocal ranges of significant characters in musical theatre.

  • Discuss why ongoing vocal training is helpful as a performer, especially in musical theatre.

  • Discuss the importance of preparing both the vocals and the characterisation for a principal role in musical theatre.

  • Discuss the various vocal skills required as a professional performer in musical theatre and strategies they may use throughout the production processes.

  • Research strategies to manage vocal fatigue as a performer working on a professional musical theatre production.

  • Assess yourself as a performer and consider the skills you have and what areas you could develop further to improve as a performer.

Aaron Burr smiling and holding a letter, standing to the side of the 3 Schuyler sisters, Eliza, Angelica and Peggy, all smiling and each with one arm in the air.
Photo: Daniel Boyd
Eliza Hamilton sitting on a bench, holding a letter, with a lit lantern next to her and soft blue patterned lights on the stage floor during the song ‘Burn’.
Photo: Daniel Boyd

Music team roles

Hayden Barltrop is the music associate for the HAMILTON Australia production.

Watch the interview with Hayden as he discusses his role and experience working specifically for HAMILTON Australia.

HAMILTON Australia - Hayden Barltrop - Music Associate

Duration: 10:25

Student activities

  • Discuss how a music team working on a commercial musical that has already been formed, learns to replicate and maintain the integrity of the production effectively.

  • Research the skills required and the creative process involved in writing and composing a new musical.

  • Discuss the various roles and responsibilities in a music team for a musical theatre production.

  • What strategies are put in place in the professional setting like HAMILTON Australia to ensure each performance is consistent in its quality?

  • Explore the various challenges the HAMILTON Australia production presents to the music team and how they have worked to overcome these, both in the rehearsal process and during performances.

Musician auditions

In this interview, Hayden Barltrop continues his insight and discusses the audition process for musicians.

Student activities

  • While specific music skills are vital to being a member of a band/orchestra in a professional musical theatre production, what are the other skills essential for musicians to develop to work effectively in the industry?

  • Discuss the specific musical skills a musician needs to develop to work in the musical theatre industry and how they can build these skills.

  • Discuss the various steps and processes the music team moves through during rehearsals and performances.

Musical theatre swing role

Olivia Carniato has a swing role in the HAMILTON Australia production.

Watch the interview with Olivia as she discusses what is involved in the role of a swing throughout the rehearsal process and during performances.

Olivia provides strategies for students wanting to work professionally in the industry.

Student activities

  • Define the role of a swing in musical theatre and what responsibilities this role may have?

  • Discuss the various strategies a performer can use to develop a swing's different roles, both throughout rehearsals and during the performances.

  • Discuss the different skills a performer in a swing role needs to have in a musical theatre production.

  • What are the various challenges of being a swing, and how can they overcome them?

  • Assess yourself as a performer and consider the specific skills you have and what areas you could develop further to improve as an overall performer.

Hip-hop and rap in HAMILTON Australia

Explore and research the popular hip-hop and rap styles of music.

Watch the HAMILTON Australia – Yorktown video and discuss how these styles of music are effectively used to bring to life the historical story of the characters in the production.

HAMILTON Australia – Yorktown

Duration: 00:57

Watch the video The music of HAMILTON and explore the following 2 articles to learn about the music of HAMILTON.

The music of HAMILTON

Duration: 01:39

The songs from HAMILTON

Listen to 4 of the iconic songs from the HAMILTON production.

  1. 'Alexander Hamilton' from HAMILTON

Duration: 03:57

2. 'My Shot' from HAMILTON

Duration: 05:33

3. 'The Schyuler Sisters' from HAMILTON

Duration: 03:06

4. 'Burn' from HAMILTON

Duration: 03:45

Third-party content attributions

  • HAMILTON header image, including logo, reproduced and communicated with permission

  • HAMILTON footer image, reproduced and communicated with permission

  • HAMILTON Australia photos 1-3, Sydney Lyric, photographer: Daniel Boud, reproduced and communicated with permission