Year started at NECOM: 2015
Head of Strings, Teacher of violin/viola , Ensemble Director of AYSO, Con Brio, AYO Sinfonia, class ensembles.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WORKING AT NECOM?
The best thing about working at NECOM is that it is a place where community comes together to share in the love of learning a musical instrument and making music together no matter what age. I love that I get to work in such an impressive building and beautiful location with keen and engaged students whose parents understand the educational and lifetime benefits music brings to the individual. One of my other greatest delights each week is working with the adult string ensemble , Con Brio, who embody all that music making should be for a community.
YOUR EARLIEST MUSICAL MEMORY
My first memory growing up in Adelaide in a very musical family environment, is learning the recorder from the age of 5 from an aunty and consequently participating on recorder in the staff children’s ensemble at National Music Camp where my parents where boarding house hosts over several years. I also started learning the piano at around the same age and can still remember the Yellow Tutor book and falling in love with a short extract of ‘’Morning Song’’ by Grieg. I started violin lessons at the age of eight and so began my journey.
WHAT IS ONE MEMORY THAT STANDS OUT AS A HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR?
My time as an orchestral musician with the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra/ Queensland Symphony Orchestra meant countless opera and ballet performances with Queensland Opera and Queensland Ballet. Seasons of Verdi’s ‘’Aida’’ and Wagner’s ‘’The Flying Dutchman’’ stand out as two great musical highlights.
IF YOU COULD ONLY KEEP ONE PIECE OF MUSIC IN YOUR COLLECTION, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Brahms Clarinet Quintet