AT THREE, Ashleigh Campbell had already fallen in love with performing; prancing around the lounge room in plastic high heels with a hairbrush, putting on concerts for her parents.
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Today, Ashleigh is over the moon as she prepares for the opportunity of a lifetime as a featured performer and backing vocalist in Schools Spectacular.
“I’m just so thrilled to be able to get this position. Like I’m one of 39 people out of 600 people who auditioned,” she said.
“I don’t even know how to feel about it yet. I’m so excited and nervous, but I feel so honoured and privileged to have been able to have this opportunity.
“There’s just so many emotions, because it’s such a huge and wonderful thing that I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Ashleigh is a veteran in Schools Spectacular; a member of the central choir in year seven, part of the dance ensemble in year nine and in the core choir last year.
She said performing for thousands of people was surreal and “such a rush”. She was blown away by this year’s larger scale, moved to the QUDOS Bank Arena in Homebush, which seats over 20,000.
“The choir itself, I think is about 2000 people, there’s a dance troupe of about 3000 kids, plus then all the featured artists and the musicians.
“Before, they used to have two choral conductors, and now they have six.
“It’s just, wow.”
It will be a family event, with Ashleigh’s younger sister Emi performing in the disabled arts ensemble.
“I think having Emi in my life has made me able to appreciate things differently and more,” she said.
“She definitely has a way to touch people, I guess.
“A way to make people appreciate what they have, and appreciate life in general.”
Inverell High School’s captain, Ashleigh is proud of her role in introducing a reverse integration program with the support unit.
“I don’t even see my sister as having a disability because she’s just my sister, and that’s all there is to it, really.”