Aural Skills and Kodaly Group Lessons

PIANO, VOICE and THEORY/MUSICIANSHIP TEACHER: Bachelor of Music Studies (Piano), Graduate Diploma of Psychology, Diploma of Languages, Diploma of Business (Marketing), Cert IV TESOL, Cert IV Business Development, Kodaly Certificate Level 1, Professionally Trained Tomatis Practitioner

I studied Classical Piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Katie Zhukov and then later with Alexandra Vinokurov. After my first degree I continued my studies in Jazz piano with Julie Spithill (from the Sydney Conservatorium), with whom I became familiar with the ABRSM Jazz Piano Syllabus, and vocal studies with International Operatic Vocalists Glenn Winslade and Amanda Thane (also from the Sydney Conservatorium, Opera Australia and Guildhall), with whom I helped the business development of ArtSong NSW. I later trained in accompaniment and Vocal Coaching with Louise Scott. I have enjoyed developing my vocal skills through experience with the Trinity-Guildhall system, and singing in a variety of settings. I have achieved distinctions in AMEB Piano Exams, and take pleasure in seeing my own students enjoy the same success. Many of my singing students enjoy learning to sing in different languages for AMEB, Trinity and ABRSM exams, and experience the feel of Broadway with the very popular AMEB Musical Theatre Syllabus. In addition to my instrumental studies, I have undertaken professional development courses in conducting and musicianship, most notably the music teaching methodologies of the Orff Schulwerk and Kodaly methods. I have played with international orchestras and conducted children’s choirs in the recording of a music CD which I helped produce. I have participated in the Hong Kong Culture Festival with the CCOHK in the performance of a musical, and aided with business planning and marketing for composer’s works throughout the festival. I also accompany String ensembles performing at the Australian String Orchestra Festival (ASOF).

I have worked in primary and music schools, teaching music groups and private piano, vocal tuition, and musicianship. The maximum number of students I have taught at any one time is seventy (in several group settings in addition to private students). In addition to my work at Cammeraygal High School and Ravenswood School for Girls, I have maintained my own private studio for 15 years, teaching Classical and Jazz piano, in addition to voice in a number of styles. Many of my adult students have been with me since they were 5 years old. My students have achieved exceptional results in AMEB exams, often receiving A+ (including 8th Grade), and receiving full marks for their performance assessments at Sydney Grammar Boy’s High School, and in HSC performance assessments. In addition to my musical pursuits, I have also studied languages, an advantage for Classical singers. I am familiar with Italian (a must for musicians, especially singers), and I have completed a Major in Spanish from Macquarie University. I am also in the midst of completing German and French in a part-time double BA/BEd at Macquarie, and I have also studied basic spoken Mandarin, which I intend to pursue further after completing my current degrees. Concurrently, I am studying Psychology part-time at the University of New England as a Post Graduate student. My main areas of interest in my psychological studies are in relation to education for Autistic individuals, as I have much experience with the condition in relation to the sensory and behavioural difficulties and wonderful savant/gifted tendencies. I am also a practitioner of the renown Tomatis Therapy for sensory processing, combining my backgrounds in music, language and psychology in the form of therapeutic integration of the sensory system. Otherwise, I am a parent of three children, all of which enjoy learning music.

My lessons are structured and productive, yet with an emphasis on the individual and their interests. I feel that students need to feel at ease so that they can be relaxed enough to really learn well, and that development of a rapport with each student is vital to any educational success. With the goal in mind for each student to really enjoy the music itself, to get to that point requires much dedication. Therefore, I feel that my job is to facilitate that process in the most enjoyable way. There is a lot of progress, but also laughter in my lessons.