Education
Grafton NSW High School – Did Music as a subject (7th Grade piano and 7th Grade Theory as an external student)
Wollongong Teachers’ College – Primary: two years full time; Music Specialist Course: Choral 4-part singing; Accompanied College Choir; Studied Orchestral Composers and Compositions. High Distinctions in exams.
Sydney Conservatorium of Music – Music Education for teaching in Secondary Schools, University level Music History; University level English Literature. Thesis subject: A Philosophical Analysis of Creativity. Four years full time Dip.Mus.Ed. with Merit. Piano Major: High Distinction.
Piano Teacher Accreditation – Sydney Conservatorium of Music
In-service courses
Dorothy Heathcote Drama
Classroom Art and Creative Colour Techniques
Gifted and Talented Education – Literacy
Orff Schulwerk Music
Kodaly music
Lindemood Literacy
Spalding Literacy
Speech, Poetry and Movement in Creative Performance
Choral Experiences
Member of various choirs from an early age.
Was a chorister in Conservatorium Choir and Orchestra performances conducted by Richard Gill.
Sydney Philharmonia Choir performances in the Sydney Opera House.
President; Accompanist and Musical Concert Programme Co-ordinator, Performing Arts Association Choir adult choir and orchestra for six years, Coffs Harbour NSW.
Teaching summary
Khancoban Public School (Snowy Mountains NSW) class teacher ; choir director and accompanist , church organist.
Manly Public School (Sydney) class teacher.
St Mary’s College, Wollongong – Music HoD; taught Yrs 7 to 10, twenty two classes on eight-day timetable. Cathedral Organist for all school services.
Producer, Director creator and teacher for Wollongong Town Hall fast-paced, variety concert so each student in my twenty classes (totalling 802 students) had a 4-minute full production professionally lit stage experience.
Organised professional opera groups from Sydney to perform at the College; organised and accompanied after-school coach travel to SOH for 6pm yearly subscription ballet performances for five years; was piano rehearsal and concert accompanist for G and S performances.
Ravenswood, Sydney Years 1-4 class music specialist. Teacher, director, writer, conductor and producer for musical play, Fun with Dennis based on C J Dennis Book for Kids set to music by Australian composer, Peter Davies.
Waterloo, Erskineville, Newtown (NSW) – Three-year Disadvantaged Schools Program as a Years K – 6 Creative Arts Demonstration teacher – Art, Music and Drama. Twenty back-to-back demonstration lessons per week; organised public art exhibitions, concerts and drama performances for the three schools)
Knox Grammar School – Yrs 1 to 4 Art teacher and later Year One class teacher; author, composer and producer of end-of-year musical plays; accompanist for musicals and Assembly items.
PLC Melbourne – Year 6 class teacher; commissioned to write and compose a 90 minute multicultural musical play for Years Five and Six I wrote called Riders (We are all riders on the earth).
Ascham, Sydney; Lower primary class music; integration of the creative and performance arts with literacy; consultant to help teachers for their required Assembly items.
Wrote/composed/produced/directed original end-of-year musicals.
Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium – piano teacher Preliminary to Grade 8 – Twelve years part time. Prepared students for AMEB exams, Preliminary to Grade Eight. Accompanied instrumental students for AMEB exams.
Taught Musicianship, Aural to HSC students.
Director/accompanist for Conservatorium Adult Choir; initiated ‘Tone Deaf’ adult choir idea. They reached public concert standard within the year.
Musicianship/Theory/Aural
Small groups, multiple grades as AMEB exam preparation.
Moved to Toowoomba, Queensland in 2015.
My focus is now on writing English literacy resources for teachers, children’s readers; composing and writing children’s poetry.
Author of:
Accurate First Time Piano Scales
Best Ever How to Read Music by Drawing
Composer of pieces for competent through to advanced pianists and choirs/trios.
Websites:
pianoscales.com.au
readingworks.com.au
poetrydrama.com
musicworks.net.au