Uncategorised – Hume Conservatorium of Music Ltd.

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Helen Lutz

Violin- Southern Highlands

Despite early promise and success as a violinist, a strong altruistic streak lead Helen to begin her tertiary studies with a B Medicine, B Surgery. After some years, however, she transferred her studies back to music, initially completing studies in violin teaching (Assoc Dip of Music Teaching – Violin), then on to performance (B Mus), at Sydney Conservatorium.

Helen studied pedagogy with Phillippa Paige (Syllabus Consultant, AMEB), and violin with Vojtech Hlinka, Laszlo Kiss, Perry Hart, and finally with Janet Davies, with whom she maintains a close working relationship.

An ongoing interest in pedagogy led Helen to active participation with the Aust String Teachers’ Assoc (AUSTA) for many years, where she organised and attended pedagogy workshops given by teachers such as Sheila Nelson, Mary Cohen, Shirley Givens, Coosje Wijzenbeek and Geza Silvay.

Helen has extensive experience teaching violin in both private and institutional settings, and enjoys working with interested students of all ages. As well as maintaining an active studio, she has taught violin at Sydney Conservatorium (Extension Studies), acted as guest lecturer there, teaching pedagogy, and has taught Chamber Music at the Sydney Conservatorium High School.

After several decades teaching violin at the International Grammar School in Sydney, Helen has relocated to Kangaroo Valley, and is looking forward to contributing to musical life in the Southern Highlands, whilst maintaining her Sydney teaching practice.

When not teaching, Helen enjoys practising and learning new repertoire, ice skating (figure and dance), skiing, riding her bicycle around, spending time with her family, and being with her dog.

13/09/2024

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Eduardo Ruiz

Inspiring Musicians of All Ages through Classical Guitar

Eduardo Ruiz is a dedicated and experienced classical guitar teacher offering lessons to students across the region. With a passion for nurturing talent, Eduardo provides a fun, supportive, and engaging environment for students of all ages to learn classical guitar. Originally from Peru, Eduardo brings a unique blend of traditional classical guitar techniques and vibrant Peruvian influences to his lessons, making them both educational and culturally enriching.

Eduardo believes that learning the classical guitar is more than just mastering an instrument—it’s about building confidence, developing creativity, and fostering a lifelong love for music. His teaching approach focuses on developing three key areas: technical skills, musicianship skills, and music reading skills. These foundational skills help students not only play beautifully but also understand and enjoy the music they are creating.

Eduardo’s students, whether young beginners or adult learners, benefit from his structured and engaging lessons. He teaches a diverse repertoire, ranging from classical compositions to well-known songs by contemporary artists such as Taylor Swift and The Beatles, ensuring that learning is both accessible and enjoyable. Eduardo uses a range of high-quality teaching materials, such as ‘Enjoy Playing Guitar’ by Debbie Crackner, Suzuki Guitar Book 1, and the Alfred Beginner Guitar Course, tailored to meet the needs of students at different levels.

Eduardo’s commitment to his students has led to impressive achievements, with many reaching significant milestones, such as earning scholarships at conservatoriums and performing confidently in concerts. He frequently arranges student concerts, allowing everyone to display their abilities and enjoy the experience of performing music for an audience.
In addition to individual lessons, Eduardo also teaches classroom music programs, including bucket drumming, recorder, and ukulele, providing a well-rounded musical education. His versatile and comprehensive approach makes learning music a rewarding journey for everyone in the region, whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your skills.
If you’re looking to explore the world of classical guitar or deepen your musical journey, Eduardo Ruiz offers the perfect combination of expertise, passion, and a genuine love for teaching music to students of all ages

13/09/2024

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Lee Thornton

Speech, Drama.

Lee Thornton A.T.C.L, A.S.D.A, Diploma of Acting, Post Graduate Certificate in Human Services has over 38 years of experience teaching Speech and Drama both privately and in schools. She gained her Diploma of Acting in 1984, ATCL Trinity College of London Teaching Diploma (Speech and Drama) in 1985 and ASDA Australian Music Examination Board Teaching Drama (Speech and Drama) in 1990. Lee is a member of the Speech and Drama Association of NSW.

What do you teach at the Con?

Individual and group lessons in Speech and Drama.

What subjects do you teach?

Relaxation, breathing, mime, movement, phonemic awareness and transcription, articulation, pronunciation, vocal expression and voice production, improvisation, characterisation, acting techniques, prose, poetry, drama, public speaking, interpretation, expressive reading, storytelling, play building, story writing, speech writing, literature appreciation, audition preparation, eisteddfod and examination preparation, speech and performance theory, elements of theatre, correction of speech sounds and job interview techniques.

What is it that you love about teaching Speech and Drama?

It is about the individual student’s needs, as we are all unique. It is experiental learning that is powerful. Speech and Drama opens the imagination that is pivotal in driving creativity, personal growth and problem solving. It builds confidence and reinforces the development of literacy.

Please share a particular career highlight and why it is important.

There are just too many highlights. What is amazing is seeing students creatively express themselves by performing original work. They truly own it and what an achievement! It is empowering and magical. They intergrate their own authentic voice into what they are saying.

22/08/2024

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Student Code of Conduct

2024 Student Code of Conduct

At Hume Conservatorium we value:

Creativity, to foster and support artistic creativity in our community;

Courage, to explore innovative ideas and partnerships and be courageous in our approach to problems and opportunities;

Community, to engage with everyone in an open, accepting, encouraging and welcoming way;

Accountability, to behave with honesty and transparency with our stakeholders, and are accountable for our actions;

Excellence, to encompass quality in all that we do and set high standards for ourselves.

To achieve our goals and abide by our values, we would like to provide you with the key aspects of our Code of Conduct. We expect all students of the Conservatorium to adhere to this Code.

All members of the Conservatorium Community whether staff, students, parents, volunteers or the general public are expected to:

Respect and contribute to the environment of teaching and learning at Hume Conservatorium;
Treat each other with respect, dignity, honesty and integrity (remembering that young people learn best by example);
Acknowledge and affirm success in student, teacher and Conservatorium achievements;
Show proper care and regard for Hume Conservatorium property and the property of others;
Work constructively to raise any areas of concern suggest improvements;
Immediately report any issues relating to the health and safety of any person at the conservatorium promptly to a member of staff; and
Support the Conservatorium’s governing Policies and Procedures.

All Conservatorium students are expected to:

Be punctual for lessons, performances, rehearsals and other activities at the Conservatorium;
Be respectful and friendly to every member of the Conservatorium’s community and welcome new students and families;
Respectfully and responsibly abide by the rules;
Strive for excellence and advancement to maintain the highest standards in their learning;
Have their say about activities they are involved in;
Take care when handling Conservatorium property, such as respecting loaned instruments;
Practice regularly between lessons and rehearsals; and
Present themselves in a respectable manner while learning at the Conservatorium.

All Conservatorium students are expected NOT to:

Bully, harass, intimidate or discriminate against any other member of the community;
Be violent or bring illicit materials such as weapons, drugs or alcohol onto campus;
Leave a group setting or the campus without a responsible adult’s knowledge; or
Interfere with the education of another student.

24/06/2024

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Elizabeth Jones

Piano, Accordian, Theory - Southern Highlands

Elizabeth Jones was born in Sydney, Australia and began her studies on the accordion at the age of five, first with Else Brandman and later with Margaret Brandman. After completing a Bachelor of Music degree at Sydney University, she joined the Advanced Postgraduate Course at the Royal Academy of Music in London where she studied accordion with Professor Owen Murray and piano with Antoinetta Notariello. In 2008 Elizabeth was awarded her Doctor of Creative Arts at the University of Western Sydney, for her portfolio on researching the pedagogical and performance styles of the accordion.

Her concert performances have taken her to London, Hong Kong, China, New Zealand and throughout Australia, where she has performed as guest artist and recitalist at major venues. Elizabeth has performed with Opera Australia in their production of Wozzeck and also performed a season of Fiddler on the Roof at the Hills Centre. She has given numerous broadcasts for the ABC and 2MBSFM, as well as featuring on recordings and Win News, Wollongong. Elizabeth has collaborated with many composers based in Sydney to promote the accordion as a concert instrument. The composers include Eric Gross, Margaret Brandman, Ko-Ting Sung, Terumi Narashumi, and Andrew McBirnie (U.K.) Amongst her premieres are And The Sun Danced On Easter Morn’ an intermezzo for accordion and organ, Tanghetto con Bandoneon for accordion and mandolins and Concertino for accordion and orchestra all by Eric Gross. Elizabeth has performed with Oz Opera (Midnite), Ensemble Offspring (Menschen am Sonntag), Australia Ensemble (Hindemith’s Kammermusik Nr.1.) the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Chronology Arts

Elizabeth also has a strong interest in performing world music, having performed with Tempo di Tango, Cambalache, Feugo Lento and collaborations with Stephen Lalor. Aside from performances on the accordion Elizabeth also performs on the bandoneon and piano at various venues around Sydney alongside accompanying students for examinations and auditions.

Amongst her academic presentations are published research papers through the International Society of Music Education and the University of Western Sydney.

Elizabeth’s roles have including Head of Accordion Studies at the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music, NSW; Tutor of Accordion studies, Coordinator of Contemporary Performance, General Studies, Classical Music, Music Theatre and Arts Management at the Australian Institute Music, Sydney. In 2010 Elizabeth accepted the role of Head of Classical Performance at the Australia Institute of Music, and at the end of 2014 took on the additional role of Head of Academic Studies (Sydney and Melbourne campuses). After 11 years of leadership roles at the Australian Institute of Music, Elizabeth moved to the Academy of Music and Performing Arts, where she is currently Head of Music and Academics.

What do you teach at the Con?

Piano, Accordion, Theory (Harmony)

What genres do you teach?

Classical, Contemporary, Jazz, World

What is it that you love about teahing music?

I love seeing the joy that music can bring to students of all ages. Young children see a growth in confidence and ability to express emotions, older students can follow a passion. A love of music is the backbone of my philosophy.

Please share a particular career highlight and why it's special to you

Commencing my first accordion lesson in kindergarten. I started music in a musikgarten at three and was promised an accordion when I started school. Day one of kindy I asked for my accordion when I got home, the next week I started a musical journey that has continued through to this day.

20/05/2024

Staff · Uncategorised

Jasper Shields

Drum Kit

Jasper Shields has been playing drums for 14 years and has been a member of the Hume Conservatorium community since moving to the area in 2013.

A two time scholarship holder and 2020 Student Captain, Jasper completed his AMEB Grade 8 in Drums with one of the highest scores in the Con’s history and went on to obtain a Diploma in Musical Performance.

Jasper plays a variety of styles and genres both live with musicians and bands locally and across NSW and ACT and in the studio as a session musician.

What do you teach at the Con?

I teach drums from complete beginner to diploma level.

What genres do you teach?

I specialise in Rock, Punk, Contemporary Pop, Metal, Jazz and Blues.

What is it that you love about teaching music?

Watching and helping people enjoy the process of improving and gaining confidence in their musical skills.

Career Highlights

Michael Jackson’s drummer reposted my Instagram story once, that was pretty awesome.

What's one piece of music you'd recommend people listen to?

11/03/2024

Stories · Uncategorised

An Evening with Simon Napier-Bell

Unfortunately, this event has been cancelled. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

What do George Michael, Sinead O’Connor, WHAM, Marc Bolan, T-Rex, Ultravox, Boney M, Dusty Springfield, John Paul Young, Japan, Candi Staton, Asia, Jimmy Page and the Yardbirds all have in common? They were managed by this guy.

Monday, 11th September, 6:30-8:30pm Hume Conservatorium, 160 Bourke Street GA $35

An unmissable musical opportunity is coming to Goulburn this September that any 70s to 90s music fan won’t want to miss. Simon Napier-Bell, manager of a multitude of talent ranging from Sinead O’Connor to Jimmy Page will be gracing the Hume Con stage with his stories of rock and roll debauchery on Monday, 11th of September for an entertaining, hilarious and insightful few hours with this music industry titan. Simon will be conducting an audience Q&A, along with recounting his showbiz stories.

Music manager, songwriter, author and film maker Simon Napier-Bell is hard to match in music industry knowledge, experience and impact. In 1966 he co-wrote Dusty Springfield’s number one “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” which was later covered by Elvis. He’s worked beside peers such as Brian Epstein and Andrew Loog Oldham, managers of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones respectively, where he learnt the skills needed to make his own clients household names too. He was the one who oversaw the entry of Jimmy Page into the Yardbirds, and as credited by the man himself, ‘discovered‘ John Paul Young (at a bar, in fact). On top of managing these music giants, he has also written several books, including ‘Black Vinyl, White Powder’, ‘Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay – The Dodgy Business of Popular Music’ & ‘The Business – A History of Popular Music from Sheet Music to Streaming’ as well as produced several documentaries: ’27 Club: Gone Too Soon’ with Netflix detailing the mythical coincidence of the famous musicians and the psyche of creative music artists, ‘George Michael: Portrait of an Artist” with Amazon Prime, ‘To Be Frank’ with Netflix on Frank Sinatra, ’50 Years Legal’ marking the milestone of the UK decriminalising homosexuality and “Raiding the Rock Vault,” the number one music show in Las Vegas.

28/08/2023

Stories · Uncategorised

Luminescence Chamber Singers

As A Flower Unfurls

A daffodil emerges from beneath the frost. A bird sings; a flower unfurls. The first signs of spring are symbols of hope and promise, rebirth, renewal, and the passage of time. From Renaissance polyphony to contemporary classics, Luminescence Chamber Singers celebrate spring, the blossoming flowers, the shifting tides, and all that the changing seasons can mean to us.

Featuring music by Giaches De Wert, Robert Davidson, James Wade, as well as the premiere of a Leah Blankendaal’s “Lake”, and a new instalment of Andrew Ford’s “Red Dirt Hymns.”

Sunday, 29th October 3pm-4pm

Luminescence is a vocal ensemble of chamber singers based in Ngunnawal country (Canberra) comprised of vocalists mezzo-soprano Aj America, baritone Lucien Fischer, soprano Veronica Milroy, soprano Rachel Mink, bass Alasdair Stretch and tenor Dan Walker who are coming to the Hume Conservatorium to treat Goulburn and surrounds to a musical experience celebratory of the original instrument- the human voice. Luminescence aims to deliver artistic and educational programs to ignite the brain of their audience by providing a voice to the human experience of all kinds. Since 2015 the chamber singers have been performing extensively in Canberra and surrounds with an annual concert program on top of a range of festivals, collaborations and other events. Packing a wide repertoire from renaissance to this century, all while frequently premiering new material from local Australian composers.

Under their belt of experience, the Luminescence Chamber Singers have made appearances at the High Court of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery and Parliament House, as well as performances at the Jewish Archives Festival in Sydney 2017, Enlighten Festival in 2018, Four Winds Festival in Bermagui 2019 & 2020. Since 2017 the Chamber Singers have made annual appearances at the Canberra Intenational Music Festival, performing in over 10 festival programs including the world premiere performance of the 2017 Opening Gala Betty Beaver commission, alongside William Barton and Clive Birch.

16/08/2023

Stories · Uncategorised

Ensemble Offspring: The Surge

The Surge

7pm, Friday 6th October Hume Conservatorium Old Ceramics Hall

Unfortunately for reasons beyond our control we have had to cancel the Ensemble Offspring concert. Refunds have been or will be issued.

Ensemble Offspring are Australia’s leading new music group, standing at the forefront of musical innovation. Uniting the country’s most fearless and virtuosic instrumentalists under the leadership of internationally acclaimed percussionist Claire Edwards OAM, they subvert classical music traditions and deliver concerts that “burst with imagination, energy and inspiration” (Seesaw Magazine). Together, they create “visceral, joyous music” (Sydney Morning Herald) through kaleidoscopically varied performances that blaze a trail for Australian music.

“As the foremost champions of contemporary music in Australia, Ensemble Offspring have commissioned and premiered over 350 works and have toured new Australian music around the world. Their dedication to excellence and amplifying underrepresented voices has earned multiple APRA Art Music Awards and an ARIA Award nomination. Through their pioneering spirit and relentless commitment to equality, Ensemble Offspring continue to shape a vibrant and diverse artistic future for Australian music.”

The Surge by Ensemble Offspring is an unmissable music experience coming to regional NSW, a multi-layered feast of music, ideas, lessons from the past and hope for the decade ahead. Accompanying them to reignite two 90s classics by iconic Australians Peter Sculthorpe and Nigel Westlake are leading guitarists Andrew Blanch and Vladimir Gorbach, as well as five recent commissions depicting current cultural, political and social situations threatening Australia. Aussies Robert Davidson, Felicity Wilcox and Jessica Wells compose engaging, thoughtful works specially for the Surge that examine everything from human-induced climate change to the pervasive influence of the internet. Paired with stunning live visuals by the creative Peachey & Mosig, be immersed into 90s nostalgia considering poignant social revelations.

Through their pioneering spirit and relentless commitment to equality, Ensemble Offspring continue to shape a vibrant and diverse artistic future for Australian music.

16/08/2023

Stories · Uncategorised

Australian Vocal Ensemble

'Tumbling Like Stars' - using the human voice to tell the stories of our time and place through song

Four of Australia’s finest vocalists come together in a visionary performance combining heavenly vocals in a chamber setting. AVÉ is an elite chamber ensemble that is warm and welcoming to all, using the human voice to tell the stories of our time and place through song. Katie Noonan’s new project, Australian Vocal Ensemble, will intertwine new Australian compositions by Anne Cawrse, Robert Davidson, Thomas Green, Alice Humphries, Zac Hurren, Stephen Leek, Katie Noonan and Jessica Wells, alongside new arrangements of music by Bach, Handel and Tomás Luis de Victoria, exploring the extrodinary vocal music from the late Renaissance and Baroque era, all set to the words of Australian poet David Malouf.

Sunday, October 8

Doors 2pm, Concert 3pm

Don’t miss an opportunity to see a truly unique performance of soaring vocals as they celebrate the release of their debut album ‘Stars’.

AVE intertwines Australian compositions alongside new arrangements of Renaissance and Baroque greats creating a beautiful tension between ties to more traditional European music and modern Australian classical.

AVÉ is four of Australia’s finest, internationally renowned vocalists, a treat to host for Goulburn here at the Hume Conservatorium. On their first national tour this year and soon to record their debut album, this is a concert we know Goulburn and surrounds does not want to miss. Katie Noonan, after extensive yet ambitious planning launched Australian Vocal Ensemble, or AVÉ, recruiting three extraordinarily talented Australian vocalists- Tenor Andrew Goodwin from Sydney, Mezzo-Soprano Fiona Campbell of Perth and Bass Baritone Andrew O’Connor, also of Sydney. Katie set out to illustrate Queensland’s creative leadership in creating a professional, classical vocal quartet, now uniquely the only one like it in Australia. Their uniquely crafted repertoire blends both old and new to demonstrate Australian music history and culture- from the old of spiritual late renaissance and early baroque, or the golden age of vocal polyphonic and quartet writing, to the new Australian music of the 20th and 21st century. This is a unique, valuable experience to explore a talented, crafted blend of new Australian performers, alongside Indigenous songs and Renaissance and Baroque pieces, all blended with brand new works. All programs feature new Australian music and engagement with our First Nations community.

“‘Yes, we are dreaming big- starting a new arts organisation in the middle of a global pandemic, but as Uncle Kev Carmody so eloquently said, from little things, big things grow, and we have big and bold dreams.’ These dreams include employing singers, commissioning 10+ Australian composers per year, working with some 250 vocal students and 450 community singers each year, mentoring an emerging quartet, performing to 3500 regional audience members across Queensland and to a national metropolitan audience of more than 5000 each year.”

16/08/2023

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