LCSD's Music Office Launches Innovative Music Training Program for Schools, Integrating Music and Technology

Applications open for Music Office's music training programme Innovative Music Making: MO x e-Orch

The Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, in association with the Education University of Hong Kong, will rerun the music training programme, Innovative Music Making: MO x e-Orch, from October to July next year. The training programme aims to promote the integration of music and technology on school campuses and targets students from Primary Four to Primary Six and Secondary One to Secondary Three. Interested primary and secondary schools are invited to join the programme.

Two courses are available in this year's music training programme, namely "e-Orch Music Making" and "e-Orch Training and Co-creative". The "e-Orch Music Making" course welcomes students without any musical background, while the "e-Orch Training and Co-creative" course is targeted at students with required musical qualifications or experience.

Participants from each school will form a digital music orchestra (e-Orch), gain musical knowledge and collaborate in music creation with the use of tablets. Upon completion of the training, each e-Orch will perform its original collaborative work on stage at a public concert to showcase their achievements. In addition, participants of the "e-Orch Training and Co-creative" course will perform with their school instrumental ensembles at the concert. Various awards and certificates of attendance will be presented to participating students at the concert as encouragement.

Interested schools can download application forms from the Music Office's website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/mo/activities/schoolprogrammes/arttech/art/26programme.html). Completed forms must be returned to the Music Office on or before June 11 by e-mail (moarttech@lcsd.gov.hk) or by fax (3104 1352). The Music Office will acknowledge schools' applications by e-mail. For enquiries, please call 2158 6467 or 3842 7776.

Photo source: lcsd.gov.hk

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possession of duty-not-paid cigarettes

An incoming passenger was sentenced to 29 days of imprisonment by the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (May 23) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted the incoming 58-year-old male passenger at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point yesterday (May 22) and seized 1 981 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes from him. The estimated market value of the seized cigarettes was about $8,100, and the duty potential was about $6,500. He was subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentence, noting that even a first-time offender may still be imprisoned. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences. Members of the public should not defy the law.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possession of duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases