Autumn Seminar

Key Presenter

Cathie Neil

Cathie Neil (M.Mus, UQ, Grad Dip Bus Admin QUT, B.Mus. UQ, ATCL,) graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Music (1980) and a Masters in Music (Distinction) 2005 specialising in choral directing and music education and has an A.T.C.L.in piano performance. She gained a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (Arts Admin major) from QUT (Distinction) in 1993. The following year, Cathie was awarded a Rotary Graduate Ambassadorial scholarship to study in the MBA program at York University in Toronto, Canada. Between 1988 and 1999, Cathie was on staff at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Mackay working in the vocal and choral program. Between 2000 and 2006, she was Head of Music at Townsville Grammar School and taught Secondary Music Education to pre-service teachers at James Cook University. Cathie has been teaching in the Sound Thinking Australia Summer School program since 2004 and took a break for four years while working in Hong Kong as Head of Music at the Chinese International School (2007 – 2010) On her return to Australia, Cathie was the musical director of Brisbane’s a cappella male chorus The Rivercity Clippers for four years and currently directs and sings in a 12 voice a cappella ensemble Emanon. She adjudicated at many Eisteddfod over the past 20 years, and has led weekend and day workshops for KMEIA, Musica Viva and other music education organisations in Australia and in Singapore.  Cathie was honoured to be awarded the 1993, Mackay Citizen of the Year for her contributions to Arts Education and Youth. Cathie is currently Head of Culture at All Hallows’ School in Brisbane.

Presenters

Ebony Birch-Hanger

Ebony Birch-Hanger is a qualified Special Education Teacher, Teacher of the Deaf, Neurodevelopmental Therapist & trained Kodaly Music Educator with over 10 years of experience supporting students with additional needs. As the Director of Personalised Approaches, she utilises the power of both music and movement to positively influence brain development, learning and well-being. Ebony uses Kodaly’s philosophy and methodology with her clients, including those with Autism, very limited verbal skills, learning difficulties, auditory processing difficulties and a range of other special needs. She has conducted Southern Voices children’s choir and is now the Music Director of Joyful Strains adult choir. Ebony has also taught classroom music in primary school and early childhood setting and will be presenting at the National Kodaly Conference in Perth, later this year. Her interactive workshops will provide you with innovative ways of seeing the potential and individuality of your students.

Renee Heron

Renee is current Early Years music teacher and choral director at Kostka Hall, Xavier College. She is also Artistic Director of The Yarra Voices, a new children’s choir based in North Fitzroy. Renee has enjoyed stints working with the Australian Boys Choir as Teacher-in-Charge of the Probationer training group, and at Methodist Ladies College, Kew and has taught in a wide range of contexts from Kindergarten to VCE. Renee is one of Melbourne’s leading practitioners of the Kodály music education philosophy and in 2016-17 had the privilege of attending Kodály Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary. In 2018 she will be a musicianship lecturer for the Kodály Music Education Institute of Australia, where she serves on the Victorian Committee and acts as a regular workshop presenter. Renee has received her Bachelor of Music (Hons) from the University of Queensland in Violin Performance, and also has an AMusA in Violin. She holds a Master of Teaching from the University of Melbourne. Renee currently sings for Polyphonic Voices.

Elizabeth O’Leary

Elizabeth is on the junior school music staff at Ruyton Girls School where she teaches preschool and lower primary classroom music, as well as theory and musicianship as a part of the instrumental program. She is an accredited Kodaly lecturer, and has been teaching Musicianship as a part of the AKC Part B Course. Elizabeth has also worked at The Australian Boys Choir, Young Voices of Melbourne and Princes Hill Primary School. She grew up in Young Voices of Melbourne and is currently a member of Exaudi Youth Choir. She was awarded the Australian Kodaly Certificate in 2012 and is a graduate of Monash University.

Mark O’Leary

Mark O’Leary OAM is one of Australia’s most active choral conductors, widely respected for his work with Young Voices of Melbourne, Exaudi youth choir and Gondwana Voices. With these ensembles has produced thirteen CD recordings, toured all states and territories of Australia and made sixteen international tours to Europe, South Africa, North America, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Thailand and Samoa. Mark has presented many workshops on choral music education throughout Australia and internationally and is a regular guest conductor at choral festivals. He publishes Australian choral music for young choirs in the Young Voices of Melbourne Choral Series and is the author of the Sight Singing School books and web site used in more than 40 countries. Mark is a Churchill Fellow, an Honorary Life Member of the Kodály Music Education Institute of Australia and was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to choral music and education in the 2018 Australia Day Honours list.

Susan Searle

Susan Searle has been teaching classroom music in the state and private systems for 30 years. Her music classes are centred in Kodály methodology, while also drawing on a range of other creative sources, especially literature. By attending multiple workshops and seminars in choral and music teaching methodology each year, Susan continues to explore and develop better ways to musically enable and engage all of the students she teaches. She currently teaches at Trinity Grammar School  where she is Coordinator of Junior Music.

Lisa Sheppard

Lisa (B Mus Hons/B Ed) is a primary school music educator who currently teaches ELC to Year 3 at Trinity Grammar School. She has experience implementing music curriculum that combines an aural based methodology within the inquiry based philosophy of the International Baccalaureate. She holds special interests in designing interdisciplinary learning experiences that strengthen students conceptual understandings.

Rowena Tall

A recent immigrant from Armidale in NSW, Rowena Tall has been a primary music specialist for 30 years. She received her AKC in 2011 and introduced many of her colleagues in the country to the Kodaly method. Whilst in Armidale, Rowena worked closely with the New England Conservatorium of Music, in the development and delivery of their highly acclaimed community music programs and conducted the primary massed choir at their regional ‘New England Sings!’ event in 2012 and 2014. She also helped coordinate and lead several professional development workshops in the New England area providing valuable in-servicing for rural teachers. Rowena was recently appointed Head of Junior Music at Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School.

Alex St Vincent Welch

Alex has an honours degree in Music and Education from the University of Queensland. He was head of Preparatory Music at the Anglican Church Grammar School in Brisbane before teaching at St Andrew’s College, in Toronto and then at the London Oratory School in London, known for their Music Scholar program that. He now teaches at Melbourne Girls Grammar. He has a particular interest in engaging great classical music and film music into the music classroom and using IT to further great music teaching.