BRASS LESSONS, FARNBOROUGH

Hello and welcome to my brass teaching page. I hope that the biography below provides some insight into what I can offer. Please use the contact form at the bottom of this page if you'd like to set up a lesson.

I was lucky enough to be exposed to music at an early age; my Dad was an amazing folk musician who dragged our family to the barn dances at which he played every weekend. Initially I learnt the piano, but that all changed when I heard the brass band at my high school, St Leo's College (Melbourne). 

For me there was something magical about that sound and those instruments. I count myself lucky to have landed in a place with a strong culture of music-making, and devotion to the tuba dominated my teenage years. 

I played in National and Local Championships, winning several Soloist prizes (including the Victorian Bands League Junior Champion of Champions and second place in the National Finals). I also  joined the Adult Championship Section (then called A Grade) Box Hill City Band, competing all around Australia.  My private teachers  were John Woods (former Principal tuba, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) and Janine Pero,  as well as having lessons and masterclasses with Fabian Russell (Melbourne Symphony), Steve Rosse (Sydney Symphony) and Andrew Jarvis (Adelaide Symphony).

I played in the Melbourne Youth Orchestra for a couple of years, as well as at the Australian National Music Camp and the Easter Brass Academy. I even substituted for my teacher on a couple of recordings with the Melbourne Symphony.

After such a great start my tuba career came to an abrupt halt when I had a major jaw operation at the start of University, meaning that my embouchure was reshaped and, subsequently, rendered unusable for a few years. As I was still obsessed with music, I made the choice to study classical singing and embarked on a career in the opera world which continues to this day, both as a performer and teacher. 

After two decades of travelling the world as a singer - some might say as part of a mid-life crisis - I picked up the tuba to see if I could still play. Whilst I had to relearn many basic skills, my career in another field of music seemed to have enhanced some aspects of interpretation, sight-reading and my understanding of learning methods. That said, just being able to play in bands again has really enriched my life.

I have been playing Eb Bass in the Championship Section as a member of the Sandhurst Silver Band, who have recently qualified for the finals of the National Brass Band Championship of Great Britain at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as winning the 2026 Spring Festival Senior Trophy. I also play Bb bass (the unwieldy beast of the tuba world) with the Camberley and District Silver Band.

I teach in person (or online if absolutely necessary) from my studio in Farnborough, Hampshire.