Position: Head of Percussion
- For how long have you been working at Clarendon? I started working at Clarendon in 1998.
- What does your current role entail?
I teach drum kit and run five school ensembles including Years 5-6 Contemporary Band, Year 7 Contemporary Band, Year 8 Contemporary Band, Feet and Senior School Percussion. - What other roles have you undertaken over time?
I started the Year 10 band, which I ran from 2015 to 2018, and taught a music class covering everything to do with rhythm. I took both the Middle School and Senior School Percussion ensembles until 2021. Overall, I have maintained the same roles my entire time here at Clarendon. - What do you enjoy most about your role at Clarendon?
I love seeing (and hearing) the amazing variety of ensembles, musicals and dance taking place. Seeing the hard work of students and teachers come together in live performances is awesome. The Performing Arts Centre has a great vibe at the moment. - How did music become your passion?
I’m not exactly sure. My family are all musical. I can recall certain moments when I was just fascinated with songs. I would listen to the radio for hours. I started playing drums around age 9. I really liked the idea of recording music and started doing that when I was about 12. - Do you play any other instruments besides percussion?
Drum kit is easily my number one instrument, but I also play a bit of piano, bass, guitar and I sing. The multiple instrument thing kind of came about from wanting to record. I would set aside whole days to record songs with my friends. They didn’t quite have the same level of passion as me, so I ended up playing all of the instruments (badly at first, then a little better over time). This has all come in handy when taking the ensembles at school. I also arrange most of the pieces played. - What else do you do in your spare time?
Music has always been my passion and so much of what I do outside of school is music related. I play in several bands and have been a part of some great projects, including Blues Guitar Roadshow, Mad Cow, Mercy+2, Motor City Sounds and The McNaMarr Project. Mercy+2 consists of my daughter, Mercy, singing, and myself on the keys. The next Blues Guitar Roadshow will be on 27 August 2023 in Ballarat, bringing together blues legends in a mini-festival format. I perform around 75 gigs per year these days in anything from Motown to blues, musical theatre and classic pop covers. I don’t mind a walk through the bush for something different.
