Teachers

Our teachers

Platinum

Learn from the absolute best – our Platinum teachers are most popular for a reason.
Each with over a decade of experience under their belts, they know how to nurture every student’s musical ability to bring out the best they can achieve.
Beginner students will find they progress quickly with these experts who know what they’re doing, whilst having loads of fun!
Lessons are tailored to your learning style to develop your talent and love of learning your instrument
Students preparing for AMEB exams, school/uni entrance auditions/exams and anyone wanting to attain advanced levels will find these teachers a perfect suit.

Piano

Profession:

Head Music Teacher

Qualifications:

BMUS(PERF.), GRAD. DIP. BUS. ADMIN (UTS)
Sydney Conservatorium

Experience:

16 years music education and tuition

About:

As the Head Music Teacher of All Arts Academy, be rest assured to receive only exceptional music tuition from Meena. Having graduated from the prestigious Sydney Conservatorium of Music, she brings over 20 years of experience in concert performances, competitions, radio broadcasts, festivals and teaching. Meena dedicates herself to each student and is passionate about passing the breadth of her experience and knowledge to the next generation of pupils. She has taught for over 12 years and her students have gone on to achieve wonderful AMEB and competition results. Her approach is both effective and enjoyable.

How can you help me?

  • To prepare for AMEB exams, competitions, auditions and concert preparations.
  • To teach young beginners to attain a solid grounding.
  • To guide and train intermediate level students to become advanced, quality, outstanding young musicians.

Why choose You?

  • Having taught over 80 different students, she has had many years of experience.
  • Uses innovative and fresh teaching methods.
  • Has a set curriculum from beginners to advanced with important skills which has proven to be very effective in all her students.
  • Trains pupils to learn effective practice methods.
  • Supportive to her students, encouraging them to achieve their personal best.
  • Turns notes to music that comes alive!

Anecdotes:

Do you have a favourite song/songs to belt out in the car?
“Britney Spears “Baby One More Time” because she takes me back to when I was 14 yrs young, and carefree. I also like singing Aerosmith “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing”, Mariah Carey’s “Hero” and “Without You” and rapping Gangsta’s Paradise – yes, yes, roll your eyes, I’m definitely still living in the 90s.”

 

Drums, Piano & Guitar

Profession:

Piano, Drums, Guitar, Composition, Maths and Chinese

Experience:

12yrs piano training

About:

Having great passion for all music since a young age, John specialises in a wide range of musical instruments to accompany his devotion to all genres of music. He has been playing piano for over 12 years and has also spread his musical passion into the guitar and drumming. John is bilingual in both Chinese and English and has been exposed to both the western and Chinese educational systems. Taking 4-Unit Maths in high school, he is also very confident in teaching the mathematical and numerical areas of study to both beginner and advanced students. I value the passion and affection towards a subject and aim to utilise this in my teaching. John believes that music is not limited to anybody and he thrive to assist those who have difficulty in their area of study and to allow them to accomplish their absolute best.

Anecdotes:

“I would no doubt play with digital music duo, Daft Punk. Their never ending musical knowledge will never fail to surprise anyone, ranging from Electronic to Funky RnB tracks, and even down to Orchestral pieces. More so, their ability to synthesize parts of known songs and altering the genre completely is something all musicians should admire.”

Musician, Drummer, Writer

Profession:

Musician, Drummer, Writer

Qualifications:

Bachelor of Music Performance

Experience:

Over 3 years teaching experience
Over 10 years performing experience

About:

With an exploratory and curious engagement with music from a young age, Matthew took up different instruments until finally settling as a drummer. Finding his way through rhythm, Matthew completed a Bachelor of Music Performance degree, and up until now has played in a multitude of bands of various genres, including Rock, Blues, Funk, Pop, Punk, Jazz Fusion, Folk, Country, Hip Hop, Trip hop, while also arranging and writing music in collaboration. Over the years Matthew has developed himself to execute his own rhythmical voice in a stealthy, but powerful expression, and his technical skill is characterized by a fluid like style. His development underlines his teaching method; whereby he encourages students own formation of style and character in their musical expression, to deliver a distinct feel to any piece of music they apply themselves to.
Off the kit, Matthew is also majoring in English and philosophy with a deep focus on existentialism, metaphysics, ethics, and other subjects on the human condition in life. His wide openness to experience is a measure of his interest and practice in art, poetry, literature, music and philosophy, which enters in his teaching habits to inspire his students.

Anecdotes:

What inspires you to play music?
“There’s always an invigorating force that makes me want to play when listening to music, and the more I listen, the more I’m inspired to understand what is concealed within each song. To understand the might of music, and find what makes those songs we find endlessly interesting tick.”

What has been a stand out in your life?
“Reaching Everest Base Camp.”

What are some of your favorite bands or artists?
” Black Sabbath, Portishead, Prince, Wu Tang Clan, Miles Davis and many many others.”

Violin, Viola, Cello and HSC level English and History

Profession:

Performer, Violin, Viola and Cello teacher and tutor of English and History

Qualifications:

Bachelor of Music (Performance)

Experience:

5 years teaching experience

About:

Showing an interest in music at a young age, Sofie began her studies on Violin at 3 and half years old. She found her passion for the Viola when playing the instrument in a string children the same joy that she gained from playing music at a young age through the Suzuki Method, however her personal teaching style incorporates a mixture of Suzuki and traditional approaches including the use of the AMEB syllabus and focuses on the formation of strong character and encouraging students to be enthusiastic, self-motivated and independent learners.
She currently learns at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under former associate concertmaster of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Marina Robinson and in the studio of Roger Benedict, principal violist of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Anecdotes:

If you could play with any musician (or band), past/present/dead/alive, who it would be?
“If I could play with any musician past or present, it would be virtuoso violinist Niccolo Paganini.”

What are your earliest memories of music?
“My earliest memories of music are first hearing Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” on the radio, and being obsessed with it from then on. I insisted on listening to it every night before I went to bed.”

What inspires you to sit down and make music?
” I am inspired to make music so much because music is what reminds me of everything that is great about life, but it also lets you forget about your worries when you are sit down.”

 

Piano

Profession:

Composer, Professional Classical Pianist and Contemporary Keyboardist

Qualifications:

AMEB Grade 8, BMus (Perf.) Academy of Performing Arts (formerly Australian International Conservatorium of Music)

Experience:

7 years teaching, 6 years professional live performance

About:

Starting his musical journey with piano lessons at the age of 6, Michaels passion for music continues to grow every day. With over 18 years piano experience, he has a comprehensive understanding of all music genres from early Baroque, all the way through to contemporary pop and jazz. Michael has played in multiple ensembles from rock, electronic, pop, jazz, progressive to classical. During his undergraduate studies, Michael focused heavily on musicology, song writing and composition giving him a strong understanding on all aspects of musical theory.

Michael believes that everyone has the ability to learn music and that is an excellent way to express yourself, as well as a great way to keep the mind active and positive. His teaching methods reflect this, in where each of his tailored lessons are to ensure each individual student not only learns a lot, but has a lot of fun in doing so and walks away each week happy and eager for their next lesson.

Anecdotes:

What’s your favourite song you belt out in the car?
“Luminol by Steven Wilson. That bass riff gets me every time.”

If I could play at any venue in the world, where would it be and why?
“I would play a headlining show at Acer Arena; what a pleasure it would be on a stage where my idols have previously played, not to mention the amazing atmosphere of a large stadium.”

 

Piano, Violin, Viola, Clarinet, Composition, French & Japanese

Profession:

Piano, Violin, Viola, Clarinet, Composition, French & Japanese

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Music and Japanese;
  • Violin 8th grade AMEB;

  • Piano 8th grade AMEB;
    Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level One (N1);
    Master in Translation and Interpreting

  • Piano 8th grade AMEB;

  • Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level One (N1);

  • Master in Translation and Interpreting

Experience:

  • 12 years teaching experience;

     

  • 20 years composition experience

About:

Manu is originally from Belgium, where she started piano lessons at age 5, and violin lessons a year later. She did 3 years of solfège, which helped her attain great aural and sight-reading skills. She studied music and Japanese at the University of Sydney, and graduated in 2006 with an Honours year in composition with Anne Boyd. Since then, she has taught in various music schools around Sydney. She has also found great joy in working as a piano accompanist, playing alongside many instrumentalists (strings, brass and woodwinds) as well as choirs and singers.

Over the years, Manu has participated in workshops, concerts, music camps and has played with orchestras, quartets and small ensembles. She picked up the clarinet in her mid-twenties and played in a marching band. In recent years, she has been exploring new techniques on the violin with a Scottish fiddle group led by the great fiddler James Gastineau-Hills.

Manu hopes she can share the joy of music and her passion for languages with students in years to come.

Anecdotes:

How did you come to learn the clarinet?
“I was once walking along a street with my violin while a very kind elderly man walked up to me and asked me whether I was a musician. I said that yes, I was a violin teacher. He asked me whether I would be interested to have his clarinet and some sheet music, for free! He was now too old to play and wanted to give it to someone. Surprised, I said, “Yes, I’ve always loved the clarinet!” And so, we arranged for me to come pick up his instrument and his sheet music – he lived a few streets away from me. I offered to pay him but he was simply not interested! So that’s how I came to play the clarinet!”

Singing and Piano

Profession:

Children’s Entertainer and Teacher

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Music (Musical Theatre)
  • Currently studying Masters of Teaching (Primary)

Experience:

  • 5 years teaching experience
  • Over 15 year’s performance experience

About:

Alison is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Music and holds a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre. She has over 15years experience in the performance industry having performed in Theatre, Musical Theatre, Film and TV, as well as gigging around Sydney and Canberra. She is skilled in a variety of musical styles including jazz, classical, pop, folk and musical theatre, and during her time at AIM trained and performed with some of Australia’s top performers and industry professionals. She began her musical journey at age three and has since studied a variety of instruments including piano, violin, flute, and ukulele, but for the past 12years her focus has been vocal studies.

Alison has always had a passion for education and is currently studying for her Masters of Primary Teaching with a focus in music and performing arts education. She has over 5 years’ experience teaching piano and voice, and has spent the past 2 years teaching music in childcare centres across Sydney. She believes music is incredibly beneficial in building creativity, imagination and confidence thus she tailors lessons to suit each student’s individual talents and unique abilities.

“Where words fail, music speaks” – Hans Christian Anderson

“Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time” – Anon

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent” – Victor Hugo

Gold

Our Gold teachers bring a bound of energy to the lessons. If you’re looking for a more cost-effective solution, our teachers are for you!
Ideal for beginner to intermediate students, our teachers in this category have 1-4 years of teaching experience.
They have been selected for their passion and enthusiasm they bring to their lessons
Students enjoy the exposure to the different music genres whether learning for leisure or for serious study.
All ages and levels welcome!

Piano, English and Essay Writing

Profession:

Piano, English and Essay Writing

Qualifications:

  • Associate Diploma in Music, Australia;

Experience:

  • 5 years experience of teaching fora wide range of ages and levels;

     

About:

Grace began studying piano when she was four years old. She had a creative childhood, filled with books, drawing and music, and she loved learning from her teachers and parents. In her final year of high school, Grace experienced the most academically and creatively challenging year of her life. She had a strong focus on English (4-unit), Music (3-unit) and Art. It was also the year she completed her Associate Diploma in Music, Australia (AMusA). Grace studied Communications (Journalism) for a year at the University of Technology, Sydney, before moving to the Conservatorium of Music, Sydney to pursue music. She first majored in musicology before transferring to a piano major, studying with Gerard Willems. Apart from her studies, Grace provide piano accompaniment for other instrumentalists, teach piano and English, and write regularly for university publications, ranging from reporting and news styles to short stories.

Anecdotes:

What are your earliest memories of study Music?

In my earliest memories of learning music, I remember my mother beside my piano every day. She would help me to read the notes and clapped the tempo as I played along. She sat with me in my lessons every week and listened to what my teacher said, learning with me so she knew how I should improve each week.

Anecdotes:

What has been a stand out in your life?

The most recent standout in my life recently was going to Europe. For the first time I was able to see the origins of the music I had studied for so many years. I spent time at the graves of the composers and walked in the streets they did. In Bonn I saw where Beethoven lived and the room in which he was born, even the last letters he ever wrote. I could understand the historic depth and weight of the pieces I played.

Anecdotes:

What inspires you to sit down and play music?

What always fascinated me about music, and what inspires me to play, is how it is really just a journey into and from the mind—we are able to delve into the psyche of the composer through their music and incorporate our own thoughts and emotions into the music. Furthermore, when we play, we are part of the storytelling that we communicate to the audience.

Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, Piano

Profession:

Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, Piano

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Arts Major in Music;

Experience:

  • 16 years music education ; 
  • 12 years experience in guitar and performance;

About:

Daniel has been playing guitar for more than 10 years.He has got dux and band 6 for HSC Music.Daniel has extensive knowledge in reading and writing music. He’s a session musician at recording studios. Daniel has participated in multiple performances, uni recitals and events.He is a responsible teacher who is very patient and also incorporating a fun and exciting format to ensure the students’ progression.

Anecdotes:

What is your favorite song?
“Ocean by John Butler is a beautiful and technical song which I performed for my HSC I’d have to choose it as my favorite.”
What was the first instrument you played?
“I played piano in my early years of learning music before I diverged into guitar.”
What is your favorite thing about music?
“My favorite thing about music is expressing myself through playing or making songs and using it to connect to others.”

Singing, Sax, Piano, Uke, Guitar

Profession:

Student

Qualifications:

  • A Levels (BCC)

Experience:

  • 7 years of performing
  • 3 years of teaching

About:

I am a huge lover of music, I have grown up always learning and being surrounded by music and have always had a heart for singing especially. Performing arts and creative writing and playing a variety of instruments is something which I find great joy in! I spend a lot of my spare time singing and serving in my local church and I am an extremely extroverted, people person who loves meeting new people and sharing my the same love for music as I do!

Anecdotes:

What’s your favourite song to belt in the car?
“Party In The USA- Miley Cyrus”

What is someone else’s song you wish you had written?
“ABBA – Angel Eyes”

Someone you would love to perform with?
“Tom Odell”

Clarinet & Saxophone

Profession:

Orchestral and band musician, Clarinet & Saxophone teacher, recently completed BMus

Qualifications:

Bachelor of Music Performance

Experience:

Approx. 7 years of teaching and tutoring
Over 15 years of playing and performing

About:

Trish recently completed a classical performance degree at AIM, majoring in Clarinet. She also plays saxophone. She has been actively involved in various orchestras and bands for quite some time. Trish has also been heavily involved in the orchestras and ensembles at AIM. In addition to classical music, she is also into jazz and musical theatre. In the past few years, Trish has doubled on clarinet and saxophone in a number of musical theatre productions. In her teaching, she focuses on finding solutions related to technique, musical concepts and interpretation whilst having lots of fun at the same time. Trish also believes in catering to the goals of each student and work in conjunction with the path that they wish to take in their clarinet / saxophone playing.

Anecdotes:

If you could play at any venue in the world, where would it be and why?
“Lincoln Centre in New York. It is the go-to venue for anything classical and jazz related.”

If you could have written one song that someone else wrote, what song would it be?
“The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky”

What’s your favourite song you belt out in the car?
” Dido’s Lament from the opera, Dido & Aeneas by Henry Purcell”

 

Piano, Vocal, Drama,Maths, English& Mandarin

Profession:

Piano, Pop Vocal, Drama, Maths, Languages (English, Mandarin)

Qualifications:

  • Associate (ATCL) Diploma of Trinity College London in Piano Recital with Distinction

Experience:

  • 3 years of teaching
    6 years musical and theatrical performance

About:

Arts and Languages have been a long-term interest for Stephanie. At the age of 3, she started to learn Piano. In 2016, she was certified with Distinction of the Associate Diploma of Trinity College London in piano recital. Self-taught, singing has also been her passion and equipped herself with vocal techniques in pop/R&B/ jazz songs. Her enthusiasm in Performing Arts expanded and she started participating in various theatrical plays and musicals as actress and director. Stephanie has great communication skills and linguistic knowledge in teaching academic subjects as well.

Anecdotes:

What are your earliest memories of study Piano?
“My teacher put on numerous stickers on the Piano for me to recognize all the notes. It was the most colorful Piano I had ever played on!”

What inspires you to sit down and play music?
“I enjoy expressing myself in music where everyone can have a unique experience and interpretation.”

What’s the weirdest thing you do to calm your nerves before an exam?
“I used to rush into the toilet before exams because I would always have a terrible stomachache! Horrible! Have you ever experienced such things? ”

Guitar, Bass & Ukulele

Profession:

Professional Guitarist

Qualifications:

BMus (Perf.) Academy of Music and Performing Arts (formerly Australian International Conservatorium of Music)

About:

Having begun training at the age of five, Daniel has found a uniquely passionate appreciation for guitar and music. He has developed a strong proficiency in all contemporary genres such as Rock, Blues, Jazz and Pop, appropriating himself as a versatile guitarist. Daniel specialises in guitar tuition, covering all aspects of the guitar in a straight forward yet relaxed style. He firmly believes in his students and aims to find the best approach to achieve their greatest potential.

Daniel has studied with many instructors and lecturers, gaining a vast knowledge base to employ within his students’ lessons. Aside from teaching, Daniel currently works as a professional guitarist in both session work and performances. He is currently working on a contemporary group with a new line up of musicians.

Anecdotes:

Can you give us a rundown of your favourite guitar and gadgets?
“My number one has always been my Fender Stratocaster. I’ve rewired it more than four times and every time it sounds great. Through thick and thin, it has survived equipment falling onto it. It comes with me to nearly every gig, if not as the main guitar, as the backup. The main gadget would have to be my overdrive pedal named the ‘Tube Zone’. Now discontinued, it always wipes my other overdrives off the board!”

 

Guitar, Vocals, Drums, Bass, Composition & Piano

Profession:

Guitar, Vocals, Drums, Bass, Composition & Piano

Qualifications:

  • Australian institute of music

Experience:

  • 10 years teaching experience

About:

27 year old Matthew Dewar writes and performs under the alias “Direwolf”. 2018 will see the release of his debut record “Santa Maria”.He is often likened to artists such as Steve Smyth, The Tallest Man on Earth and Father John Misty. Matthew has been performing and writing music under Direwolf for the past 5 years and has many moons of experience in playing live (touring, festivals etc) recording and developing confidence, love and trust toward what he does.
His passionate and stout mentality toward his own endeavors has also made him a unique and respected teacher over the past 10 years.
Matthew teaches primarily singing, guitar, bass and drums in variable styles – with big focuses on developing personal style.

Anecdotes:

What inspires you to sit down and play music? 
“It’s often indefinable – but I suppose I believe so strongly in what I do, I can’t imagine not being able to give time to music every single day.”

Whats your favorite songs and why?
• Crowded House – Distant Sun – A lyrical masterpiece, one of the first songs that inspired me to write lyrics.
• Leonard Cohen – Hey That’s No Way To Say Goodbye – ALSO a lyrical masterpiece, it makes me weep like a small child.
• The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding (Whole Album) – Because the whole record is a beautiful curating of colors. The continuity of the songwriting is absolutely seamless, meaning that I can listen all those beautifully layered tracks one after another without hesitation of skipping parts or whole songs entirely.
• The Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt/Shallow Grave (Albums) – The tiny Swedish troubadour that rebooted my confidence in music/life. Both of these albums exhibit what it is to be able to sing powerfully, play powerfully and most of all perform even more powerfully.

What’s the weirdest thing you do to calm your nerves before an exam?
“I can’t recall the last exam I had, but I can tell you that before a show (no matter what size) I find then nearest bathroom and stare blankly at myself at the mirror repeating things like “You’re gonna’ light this place on fire/YEAH BABY/You’re so pretty/You remind me of Clint Eastwood” to psych up.”

Singing, Dancing, Acting, Violin, German, French, English

Profession:

Singing, Dancing, Acting, Violin, German, French, English

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Music

Experience:

  • 2 yearsteaching experience
  • 5 years performing experience 

About:

Clara is a trained singer, dancer and actress who has also played the violin most of her life. She is trilingual, having spent time in England, Belgium and Germany before moving to Australia in 2017. She has experience performing in London and Berlin as well as Sydney. Clara’s main musical focus for the past ten years has been voice. In 2011, she won the World Championship of Choral Music in Graz (Austria) with her Chamber Choir. She has played in orchestras and sung in choirs for many years, helping and mentoring the younger members.
Since moving to Sydney she has furthered her vocal studies at the Australian Institute of Music and performs regularly in and around Sydney. Her major is Music Theatre but her repertoire includes classical, folk, pop and jazz music as well as musicals.
Clara grew up in a musical family and believes that music is a vital part of childhood that furthers creativity and promotes a child’s confidence. Having taken acting and dance lessons from a very young age, she also remembers these as a healthy and fun way for children to express themselves, and use their energy and imagination. Clara has been influenced by musicschools in 4 different countries and tries to use that experience to adjust each lesson to the child’s specific needs to best harness their unique talents and skills in a fun and productive environment.

Anecdotes:

What are your earliest memories of study Music?
“My earliest memories of music are of my father. He plays guitar and sings Irish and English folk music at gigs in London. When I was little, he used to take me along with him and we would sing together. My father taught me how to perform and sing in harmony from when I was three years old. ”

What inspires you to sit down and play music?
“Music fills my life; it’s how I express myself. Whenever I’m happy, I sing. Whenever I’m sad, I sing. It’s my way of letting my feelings out into the world. It always makes me feel better. I can’t hear music and not want to dance or join in, it’s who I am. ”

What’s the weirdest thing you do to calm your nerves before an exam?
“Before I perform, I usually have too much adrenaline in my body. So I try to get rid of it by jumping around the room and making very weird “scrunchy” faces and noises. Sometimes I even do cartwheels to distract myself. ”

Violin,Piano, Maths, English, Japanese, Mandarin

Profession:

  • Tutor for the following HSC subjects:
    o English Advanced
    o English Extension 1
    o Mathematics
    o Mathematics Extension 1
    o Japanese Continuers
    o Japanese Extension
    o Music 2
  •  Music teacher, Violin and Piano
  •  Mandarin teacher
  • Qualifications:

 

  • 100/100 in HSC Mathematics

  • 97/100 in HSC Information Processes and Technology
    ATAR 99.90
  • HSC State All-Rounder
  • Encore Nomination for Music 2 Musicology Essay
  • Pass with High Distinction, AMEB Violin Grade 8
  • Pass with Honours, AMEB Piano Certificate of Performance

Experience:

  • 2 years’ teaching experience
  • 5 years’ performance experience

About:

Stephen is passionate about helping students achieve their musical and academic goals. He is fluent in English and Mandarin and can tutor a wide range of HSC subjects, having achieved two state rankings and nine courses in the highest possible performance band. Stephen has played violin since the age of 5 and piano since the age of 10, and has had extensive experience in solo and ensemble performance. Highlights include performing at the Opera House and in some of Europe’s finest concert halls with the North Sydney Boys High School Symphony Orchestra, as well as numerous performances with the Sydney University Symphony Orchestra. He has a strong theoretical foundation with his Musicology essay for HSC Music 2 receiving a perfect score and earning a nomination for the HSC Music showcase, ‘Encore’, in 2016. His technical ability and musicality are reflected in his strong AMEB exam results. With his dedication and hard-working attitude, Stephen can guide students to gain the best possible results, whether academically or in music examinations.

Anecdotes:

What are your favourite pieces and why?
“I particularly enjoy listening to and playing Chopin’s compositions, which I think are some of the most amazing works of the Romantic period. The Ballade No.1 in G minor is one of my favourites because it takes both performer and listener on a journey of emotions, with an overall melancholy and contemplative mood interspersed with moments of gentle peace, then joyful triumph,then light-hearted playfulness, before returning to the darkness of the beginning through a coda of fiery and intense passion. I would say it’s definitely worth a listen, it’s also incredibly challenging but a lot of fun to play.

Other favourites include Chopin’s Sonata No.2 in B minor, Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata, Schubert’s Impromptu No.3 in G flat major, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and too many others to list here.

What are your earliest memories of studying music?
“Playing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ from Suzuki Book 1, out of tune, on a quarter-size violin”

What inspires you to sit down and play music?
“o I feel that when things are just not going well, playing music is one of the best ways to have an emotional release. Music speaks to me in a way that little else can, while allowing me to express myself.”

Singing, Yoga, KinderClass

Profession:

Singing, Yoga, KinderClass Teacher. Musician, Singer, Producer, Engineer.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Music

Experience:

  • 5 years teaching experience
  • 8 years performance experience

About:

Sarah Frank has trekked endless km’s of her home soil, performing original tunes and unique arrangements of Soul, Jazz & Funk classics in over 55 venues, and on 15 festival stages. In combining her live experience with her academic pursuits, Sarah Frank brings both an artistic and industry focused approach to teaching and learning how to maximize the gift of song.Also a Producer, Engineer, Songwriter and Yoga teacher, Sarah Frank is capable and well-rounded, passionate and focused.

Anecdotes:

What inspires you to sit down and play music?
“The wholehearted truth that there is nothing I love as much as I love music, and that mastery is the way into your fullest sense of self.”

What are your favourite songs and why?
“My favourite songs are varied and many. There is a song for every feeling, for every point in life. We find ourselves in music, and in stories that ring true through their lyrics, arrangement, and delivery.”

What’s the weirdest thing you do to calm your nerves before an exam?
“The best way to calm your central nervous system is with a Yogic Breath Technique called ‘Circular Breathing’, I use this every day to stay happy and calm in this crazy world. ”

Piano, Trumpet, English

Profession:

Piano, Trumpet and English Teacher and Piano Accompanist

Qualifications:

  • BMus (Major in Composition)

  • AMusA Diploma

  • CeltaTesol Certificate

Experience:

  • 5 years teaching experience

About:

Ben was born in Sydney and has resided here throughout his life. He began learning piano at the age of 6 and began doing AMEB grades at the same time. When Ben went to Chatswood High School he began learning the trumpet because the school’s bands had a very good reputation. He learnt to play improvise and play jazz as a trumpet player.

Benhas graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music major in composition. He wrote numerous pieces with solo piano, string quartets, saxophone octet, carillon and orchestra to name just a few. Ben has been on 2 long-term trips overseas twice; once to New Zealand and once to Japan where he taught English lessons.

Anecdotes:

What inspires you to sit down and play piano?
“There are 2 main inspirations. Firstly is simply the desire to perfect and learn a piece. I particularly enjoy this because I like to experiment with different ways of playing and chose a way which best suits the piece.
I also want to play after hearing a piece of music, which I particularly like (whether from a movie or radio or internet). I want to try to replicate it as best I can and then think of variations on it.”

What are your favourite songs and why?
“Well it changes all the time but there is apiece called ‘Compassion’ written collaboratively by Nigel Westlake and Lior which I saw live at the Opera House. I would recommend it to everyone to have a listen.”

If you could travel all around the world, where is your favourite place and why?
“I have done some travelling (and would love to do more). New Zealand has such amazing natural beauty and I would say that Queenstown is my favourite place because it has an amazing burger place called ‘Fergburger’. ”

Art & Design, Public Speaking and Debate, Creative Writing, English

Profession:

Art & Design, Public Speaking and Debate, Creative Writing, English

Qualifications:

  • Winning first place in Debating competition of Western International School three years in a row

  • Associate Art degree of Royal University of Fine Arts

  • University of Sydney Bachelor of Arts

Experience:

  • 3 years of teaching experience

  • 3 years of design experience  

About:

Brendan’s fascination in arts and design began when Brendan was a young boy and watching action and storyline cartoon animations. He was so fascinated that he aspires to create his own stories and characters through drawing and painting. He learnt how to make those imaginations into works of art. Now Brendan artworks are more focused on realism portrait sketches and landscape paintings. Brendan is also a very outspoken person amongst his peers in High School. Brendan always competed in debate, essay writing and public speaking competitions and always challenging himself in his High School years, winning and holding the championship title in debate for three years in a row. After he finished High School, the School offered Brendan a part time job tutoring kids debate and public speaking.

Anecdotes:

What inspired you to do art as a kid?
“As a kid, I watched a lot of cartoon animations and I always wanted to either change the story or add myself into the story. So I made for myself self-drawn comic books.”

What is the best advice that helped you with your art?
“You have to take time to fall in love with it. It may sound cheesy but the most frustrating thing ever is to push yourself to arts without the patience. Don’t push yourself too hard in the beginning, you will learn to hate it. ”

What make you want to compete in competition in High School?
“When I was in 8th grade, my English teacher put me up against 24 High Schoolers just for fun, since I did pretty well at writing. I surprisingly won third place against all of these higher-grade students and I was addicted to winning and show off. But the best thing ever is to see my parents face after giving them the medals and rewards. ”

Pianist, Music Producer

Profession:

Piano, Music Composition, Music Production, Maths and English

Qualifications:

  • Diploma in Western Classical Piano and Music Production

Experience:

  • 5 years Piano teaching experience

About:

AbrarAyon is a composer, producer and a pianist. He learned Western Classical Piano and Electronic Music Production from KM College of Music and Technology,fascinated by Instrumentals, Classical, Indie, Rock, Pop. He was inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven, LudovicoEinaudi, Hans Zimmer, Johannes Brahms, Nino Rota, A.RRahman.Ayon likes teaching and likes encouraging students to be self-motivated, enthusiastic and independent learners.

Anecdotes:

What’s your favourite songs and why?
“I like the Classical Pop songs. It expresses my attitude towards music.”

What’s the weirdest thing you do to calm your nerves before an exam?
“I take naps.”

If you could travel all around the world, where is your favourite place and why?
“It would be my home country, Bangladesh. All my loved ones are living there. I feel so tension free when I visit my country. ”

Singing Teacher, Professional Singer and Actor

Profession:

Singing and Performance

Qualifications:

  • Honours in A.M.E.B Singing Examinations,
  • Sponsored to sing solo by “The Metropolitan Room” NYC, U.S.A
  • Distributor for C.D’s “Eroica Classical Recordings.”
  • Featured in many Films and Television programs, iTunes,.
  • Singing Teacher for “Make Believe” London Theatre Group.
  • Singing Teacher for “Make Believe” London Theatre Group.

Experience:

  • 22 years training experience
  • 15 years teaching experience

About:

Sharon Hayes trained under the guidance of The Late Mr Donald Munro M.B.E. have recorded many C.D’s and have a U.S Distributor. She was sponsored to sing solo by “The Metropolitan Room” NYC and have extensive experience in Stage and Film. She is currently teaching and preparing students for their A.M.E.B Exams. Her style of teaching includes scales and making the song a performance. She makes sure students have lots of laughs also!

Anecdotes:

What are your earliest memories of singing?
“Earliest memories of singing I was 7 years of age. ”

If you could travel all around the world, where is your favourite place and why?
“If I could travel all around the world, my favourite place would have to be NYC.”

What’s the weirdest thing you do to calm your nerves before an exam?
“The weirdest thing I do to calm my nerves is to pray!”

Piano and Drums

Profession:

Drummer and Songwriter

Qualifications:

Bachelor of Music (UWS), Associate Diploma of Performance (AMPA), Currently in a Masters of Teaching Secondary School (UNE)

Experience:

Over 7 years.

About:

Aaron took up the piano for a number of years reaching Grade 8, encountering many styles of music including Classical, Pop, Latin, Jazz, Australian contemporary and Rock. At AMPA, he was under the brief tutelage of session drummer Jamie Casistros. During both degrees, Aaron gained a huge amount of collaborative experience with musicians from all backgrounds. His philosophy? Music communicates. He believes that studying and practising music can establish extra-curricular behaviours and form a positive sense of well-being and happiness with all students: Music is shared! As a teacher, Aaron is devoted to his students. As a tutor for 7 or more years, he has a wealth of experience to utilise. No matter what age, he will strive to work with students in developing musical outcomes and experiences regardless of mood or skill. Communication finds its place within Aaron’s light-hearted and flexible lessons. As a collaborator, Aaron loves to work with like-minded musicians who strive for creativity and quality workmanship.

Anecdotes:

If you could have written one song that someone else wrote, what song would it be? Tell us why…
“Achilles Last Stand by Led Zeppelin: besides the duration of the song, it retains many heavy elements of rock n roll that are uniquely combined amongst, arguably, the most contemporary insturments: drums, guitar, bass and vocals. It is an epic based off an epic that is both higly emotional and supremely technical to play on any layering of the song. It is fast, dramatic and exciting but within its simplicity, it is masterly crafted by Jimmy Pages orchestration. It’s almost like a story within a story and is based off the story of Achilles, the greek hero of the trojan war. It is a fantastic epic and combines both traditional lore with the modernised sounds of the future.”

Singing, Guitar, Composition, Language

Profession:

Singing, Guitar, Composition & Language Teacher

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science (Psychology)
    Masters of Mental Health Practice
    Certificate III in Live Production, Theatre and Events (Technical Operations)

Experience:

  • 16 years music education & 10 years performance
  • 12 years of performance, accompaniment and songwriting

About:

From a very young age Shivani was interested in music and took part in various choirs and aca pella groups as a child in order to quench her thirst for music knowledge. After attempting to learn various instruments, Shivani found her true-calling at 12 years old when she took an interest in guitar. Self-taught, Shivani has since then mastered many a technique and is comfortable with a wide variety of genres, playing both acoustic and electric guitar. Since then, Shivani has been in a range of performance ensembles and bands ranging from jazz to metal where she has honed her performance skills in both vocals and guitar. Shivani is also a Psychology undergraduate and is focused on developmental and child psychology with a particular interest in teaching styles and how they influence childhood learning.

Anecdotes:

What was the first instrument you ever picked up?  
“A very retro Casio keyboard on which I learnt how to play Hoagy Carmichael’s Heart and Soul!”

Your top 5 favourite albums?
Go! • Hysteria – Def Leppard • Hybrid Theory – Linkin Park • Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi
• Eclipse – Yngwie Malmsteen • Passion and Warfare – Steve Vai.

What’s your favorite song you belt out in the car?
“Fantasy by Mariah Carey and any of Carly Rae Jepsen’s songs!”

Singing, Guitar, Dance, Speech, Arts

Profession:

Singing, Guitar, Dance, Speech, Arts

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Music (Majoring in Music Theatre) at the Australian Institute of Music

Experience:

  • 4 years teaching experience

About:

Edan Mcgovern is a trained Singer, Dancer, Actor and Guitarist who is currently studying Music Theatre at the Australian Institute of Music. Edan has been in a variety of Musicals and Plays (Macbeth, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Crazy For You, Spamalot, Seussical, Back to the 80’s, etc.) and also have experience creating original works and Assistant directing productions. Edan has been teaching Dance, Voice and Guitar lessons for four years to both adults and children. In the last year, she has also tutored students for HSC Music and Drama in both the theory and performance elements of these subjects.

Anecdotes:

What are your earliest memories of study Dance? 
“My earliest memories of studying dance include baby Ballet classes at age 5. At the end of year concert I ran on stage and began to dance on my own, and was promptly carried off the stage by one of my teachers.”

What has been a stand out in your life?
“A stand out in my life was studying for three months in Canada. I was able to experience schooling in a completely different country in a small town with an amazing community of people. on this trip I also received my qualifications to be a Snowboard instructor.”

What’s the weirdest thing you do to calm your nerves before an exam?
“Before exams I like to calm my nerves by getting the excess energy out of my body. to do this i have often jumped around or even done push ups to use up all the adrenaline i get when I’m nervous.”

Drums

Profession:

Drums and Percussion Teacher

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Music on drums (Australia National University) School of Music
    Canberra

Experience:

  • Playing drum/percussion since 3 years old
  • 20 years of teaching experience

About:

Born in Peru into a musical family, Giorgio started playing percussion at the age of 3. Growing up playing Bongos, Cajon, Congas, Timbales, Drums, minor important Percussion and styles such as afro Peruvian music, Afro cuban music, Brazilian music, Jazz, latin jazz, Funk, Reggae, Andean Music, Middle eastern music, Rock. At the age of 13 Giorgio moved to Australia, and on 2005 he finished his Bachelor of music (jazz) at the Australian National University in Canberra. Giorgio has been playing professionally since the age of 5, playing around Peru, Chile, Australia. He played for bands such as Mi Tierra, Reyes De la Onda, Mucho Mambo, Krillo Collective, Son Veneno, Oscar Jimenez, Watusi, Mark Levine, Bare Foot Divas, Ministry of Sound Orquestra, Camino, James Ryan Quartet, ANU Faculty Jazz Band. In 2008 Giorgio joined international Dance Show, Burn the floor touring the world until 2017. In 2016 he recorded his Trio Album (Drummer of God) Latin Jazz album.

Anecdotes:

What was the first instrument you ever picked up? 
“The first instrument I learned was the Peruvian instrument Cajon (the box)”.

What has been a stand out in your music career?
“Stand out gig was when my family band –  Mi Tierra won the first Clave contra Clave Latin band competition in Australia”.

What inspires you to sit down and make music?
“To keep music flowing relaxed meaningful I train martial arts because they come from the same soul”.

Pianist, Drummer, Maths and English Tutor

Profession:

Piano, Drum, Ukulele, Composition, English and Maths

Qualifications:

  • ABRSM Grade 7 Piano.

  • ABRSM Grade 5 Music Theory.

  • Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (USyd).

Experience:

  • 6 years of performance and competition. 1 year of teaching, tutoring, and coaching a band.

About:

Tobie was raised in Indonesia and started playing classical piano and drum since he was 6 years old. He competed in piano solo annual competitions against pianists from all over Indonesia and won Top 3 positions every year from 2011 to 2015. He also competed against pianists from all over the South Pacific and won top 3 positions in years 2012 and 2014. He became a drummer for his school band from Year 4 all the way until his high school graduation. In 2016 after graduation, he coached his high school band that won Top 3 positions in both Indonesia and in the South Pacific. He loves the different genres of music ranging from classical to gospel and jazz to Disney. He even likes to beatbox and sing in the shower as well! Ooh la la! Lastly, he enjoys teaching children and also has experience with teaching and taking care of autistic children.

Anecdotes:

What’s your favorite jam to sing to?
“I Want You Back – Jackson 5 and Love Is An Open Door – Frozen”

What are your earliest memories of studying Piano?
“I was crying during my piano lessons. Now I look back and wondered why. Because until this very day, I never regretted learning the piano and I love playing it.”

What is your favorite thing about being able to play music?
“I can jam with my friends wherever and whenever and have heaps of fun with them.”