The teenagers are learning from one of Australia's most renowned performers.
Opera soprano Deborah Cheetham is leading them through their paces in a course that fosters Aboriginal talent in schools at the Wilin Centre for Indigenous art in Melbourne.
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The participants are also in rehearsal for the Perth season of 'Pecan Summer', written and composed by Deborah Cheetham.
"I really wanted to do something to encourage other indigenous singers to at least think about a career in opera," said Ms Cheetham, "so with the support of the Wilin Centre I did a national tour all around Australia auditioning singers from as far away as Derby in Western Australia."
It's Australia's first indigenous opera, based on the Cummera-gunja walk-off, the 1939 protest by Yorta Yorta people at a southern New South Wales mission.
SBS's Gareth Boreham has more.
