BRASS LESSONS, FARNBOROUGH

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 he played every weekend. Initially I learnt the piano, but that all changed when I first 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 such a strong culture of music-making, and an absolute 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 was then invited to join the Adult Championship Section (then called A Grade) Box Hill City Band, playing and competing all around Australia. 

My tuba teachers  were John Woods (former Principal tuba, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) and Fabian Russell (also of the Melbourne Symphony),  but I also had lessons and masterclasses with Steve Rosse (Sydney Symphony Orchestra) and Andrew Jarvis (Adelaide Symphony).

I was the Principal Tuba in the Melbourne Youth Orchestra for a couple of years, chewing through some extraordinary orchestral repertoire, as well as playing Principal Tuba at the Australian National Music Camp and being invited to the Easter Brass Academy. I even stepped in as a substitute for my teacher on a couple of CD recordings with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the tender age of 18.

After such a great start my tuba career came to a bit of an abrupt halt when I had a major jaw operation at the start of University, meaning that my embouchure was radically 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 again to see what was possible. Whilst I had to relearn many basic playing skills, my career in another field of music actually seemed to have enhanced aspects of interpretation, sight-reading and my general understanding of teaching methods and technical progress. That said, just being able to play in bands again has really enriched my life.

After passing my trial period 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) regularly with the Camberley and District Silver Band.

If you'd like to set up a lesson, please contact me here.