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Winter School
Tenterfield NSW

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Download the 2023 Brochure here!

Guest Lecturers specialising in the
Kodály Method

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Monday 3rd July – Friday 7th July 2023 – Tenterfield, New South Wales

Director of the Cuskelly College of Music, Dr James Cuskelly OAM invites you to be part of the 2023 Winter School Music Program. Since being involved with the Australian Kodály Training Programs since their inception and President of the International Kodály Society, James is well known as a global leader in terms of the Kodály philosophy of music education.

The 2023 Winter School Brochure can be downloaded here.

The Winter Music Program is a pivotal component of our commitment to Music Education. The key characteristic of this program is the development of requisite skills and knowledge for effective teaching and learning in Music.  Tenterfield High School (89 High Street, Tenterfield, NSW 2372) will be the home base for the program, with special concerts also to be held at the School of Arts during the program.

Featuring highly experienced International and Australian music educators, courses are offered for teachers in Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary classroom music specialists, and instrumental and performance courses for Primary, (years 8-13), Secondary (years 12-18) and tertiary students..

Interested members of the public are also welcome to attend our Community Access Programs which include musicianship, choir, instrumental masterclasses, song writing, theory and performance.

Assisting Dr James Cuskelly OAM, course lecturers include professional musicians, performers, songwriters and conductors from across Australia and the World!

For further information on the Winter School Music Program, please download the 2023 Winter School Brochure. Please Contact us to discuss part-time attendance, levels of participation and individualised programs.

Application for Registration for Winter School Music Program 2023

Applications are now open for 2023! Register HERE.

Course Lecturers

  • Pete Churchill

    Jazz Choir, MegaBand

    Pete Churchill is a composer, pianist, singer and educator. Former Professor of Jazz Studies at the Guildhall School of Music, Head of Jazz Composition at the Royal Academy of Music (London). Pete Churchill is a regular faculty member in the Summer and Winter School Music Programs.
    He is the Director of the London Vocal Project. in 2007, he was awarded the Parliamentary Award for Services to Jazz Education.

  • Kate Schirmer

    Music Theatre

    Highly-experienced singing teacher, and currently works at The University of Canberra/Southbank TAFE in the Bachelor of Acting and Performance, and at QCGU in their Performing Arts department (Musical Theatre).

  • Dr James Cuskelly

    Director, Methods of Teaching, Musicianship

    Director of Winter School (NSW) and Summer School Music Program (QLD). Head of Music, Classroom Music teacher and choral conductor at St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School (QLD), conductor of Queensland Kodály Choir, international lecturer and key note speaker in music education and aural studies, President of the International Kodály Society.

  • Sally Wilson

    Vocal Program

    Soprano Sally Wilson has performed in Europe, Asia, Australia, the UK and the USA for the past twenty years. Her repertoire spans from baroque to contemporary, and includes several world-premiere performances across four continents

  • Phil Ryan

    Brass and Woodwind

    Brass specialist teacher, performer and conductor in Brisbane and Toowoomba, lecturer in the Summer and Winter School Music Programs

  • Annie Lower

    Music Theatre, Vocal Coach

    nnie Lower is a soprano and singing teacher who has sung extensively on both national and international stages in opera, oratorio, chamber music, musical theatre and jazz. Annie brings a wealth of performing and teaching experience to her work with young people. She currently teaches at St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School, and the past director of the Pre-tertiary Classical and Children’s Musical Theatre programs at the Cuskelly College of Music Summer and Winter Schools, Children’s Musical Theatre course for the Pathways to Music program, and Opera Queensland’s educational program.
    Annie toured as soloist across Europe and performed with the English Concert Singers and appeared regularly on BBC television as a supporting vocalist to artists such as Bryn Terfel. In Australia, Annie has performed as soloist with Opera Queensland, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Army Band, Underground Opera and The Seven Sopranos.

  • Dr. Mark Kruger

    Piano Program

    Concert pianist with Bachelor and Masters studies at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Melbourne and various periods abroad in Moscow, London and Germany.

  • Dr. Anna Grinberg

    Piano Program

    Piano Performance Fellow and Lecturer at the School of Music, University of Queensland. She has an international profile as a pianist, teacher, and academic, and collaborates widely with orchestras, composers and other performers.

  • Caroline Ryan

    Brass and Woodwind Program

    Music teacher and Brass specialist in Brisbane and Toowoomba, lecturer in the Summer School Music Program and Winter School Music Programs. Born and raised in the Darling Downs and the Lockyer Valley, Caroline was a performer for theatre shows and with the comedic brass quintet, Brass Razoo. Now a classroom music specialist teacher, she brings to the classroom a fun-loving practical approach to making music.

  • Lucinda Geoghegan

    Early Childhood, Music Games, Musicianship

    Lucinda is Creative Learning Director for NYCOS, a theory and musicianship lecturer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, a regular tutor, member of the Trustees and Chair of the Education Planning Board for the British Kodály Academy, Director on the Board of the International Kodály Society and a tutor for the Benedetti Foundation.
    Lucinda’s work involves Staff Development training across Britain presenting workshops on Kodály musicianship and methodology. She is a guest lecturer on the summer and yearly courses at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary, and is a frequent workshop leader in Australia and Singapore. In addition she has delivered workshops in Ireland, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, Qatar, Canada and USA. Publications written by Lucinda for NYCOS include – Singing Games and Rhymes for Tiny Tots, Singing Games and Rhymes for Early Years (Books 1 and 2), Singing Games and Rhymes for Middle Years (Books 1 and 2) and with Dr László Nemes Singing Games and Rhymes for ages 9 to 99. With Christopher Bell she wrote the musicianship programme Go for Bronze, Go for Silver and Go for Gold.

  • Megan Flint

    Children's Choir, Musicianship

  • Mattias Lower

    Music Theatre, Vocal Coach

    Mattias holds a Graduate Diploma in Voice from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and an Honours Degree in music from Elder Conservatorium Adelaide. He has performed as soloist and chorus member with Opera Queensland, State Opera of South Australia, Opera Australia, West London Opera, Guildford Opera, Underground Opera and with the touring companies Co-Opera and Oz Opera.

  • Evalyn Legried

    Strings Program

    Cellist, Evalyn Legried, is a performer, instrumental string specialist, and ensemble conductor. Outside of teaching hours, Evalyn regularly performs repertoire spanning from Baroque to Contemporary music, with groups and artists such as the Qld Ballet, Qld Pops Orchestra, Vera Blue, and Eminem.

  • Maple Egerton

    Strings Program

    Maple is an Instrumental string specialist (violin/viola) with both Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Maple teaches in her private studio and at St. Joseph’s Primary Catholic School, Stanthorpe, Glen Aplin Primary School and Texas P-10 School. Maple is a lover of donkeys and truffles!

  • Vicky Sayles

    Strings Program

    Vicky Sayles is currently Associate Leader of the London Mozart Players and Section Leader at Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm. She divides her time between UK and Sweden and is a busy chamber musician in Europe with ensemble OModernt. Vicky has been concertmaster of BBC Scottish Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, London Mozart Players, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Scottish Chamber, Swedish Radio and Trondheim Symphony Orchestras.
    Vicky is also a passionate educationalist and was Director of Music at Hazlegrove School (2016-2019).

Videos

Testimonials from the 2023 Winter School Music Program

The Value of Choirs

There is a growing body of evidence that singing in a choir is not only good for your musicianship but also good for your health! The combination of many voices into a wholistic ensemble requires that both the conductor and the choristers possess great skill, informed understanding and a sensitivity to the text.

Testimonials from the 2019 Winter School Music Program

Instrumental Performance

Participation in Music is often sabotaged by ideas of giftedness and talent, resulting in piecemeal and disorganised thinking about music education. This preoccupation with the talented has failed to provide most students with meaningful engagement in music; what is needed is a deep understanding of processes which provide logical and measured progress from one level of skill and understanding to the next. Such a conception of music teaching and learning would mean that not only the talented but the majority can be led to a real love of Music in all its forms.

Classroom Methodology

Musicians are performers and it is important that music teaching and learning happens in an authentic manner, one which reflects the actual world of performance. However, successful performing requires much more than mere technique; a true artist demonstrates technical prowess, sophisticated aural musicianship, informed music knowledge and an expressive and sensitive connection with the music itself and with the audience.

Jazz with Peter Churchill

Jazz is a specialised genre of music requiring a sophisticated understanding of harmony and melody matched with great performing skills. Essentially improvisatory in nature, good jazz is recognisable through a personalised interpretation of musical materials. While jazz is characterised by this highly individualised and somewhat spontaneous musical expression, the underlying structures and gestures of the style are best taught and learned in an engaged and participatory fashion, led by musician-educators with great expertise and experience in the style.

Photos

“The course was brilliant to be part of and really helped me improve my own knowledge and musicianship. I look forward to the next one!”

“It was a truly wonderful experience. Thanks again.”

“A fantastic experience I will remember for the rest of my life! Will definitely coming back again and again.”

“Thoroughly enjoyed it, gave me a lot of confidence and motivation to become a more effective and influential teacher.”

“Thank you – as always, this is a truly life-changing and amazing program and I come as often as I can. Well done! I feel proud to be a part of this community.”

“My child was actually deeply disappointed that the experience had to come to an end! He expressed that he would love to go to school like this all year round and is already eagerly anticipating next year’s Summer School!”

“My first time and already I can’t wait till the next summer school! Am resolved and inspired to give a lot of time to improving my Musicianship levels throughout this year!”

“I really enjoyed the summer school. It was full on but I learnt so much and enjoyed every minute. Thank you, will defiantly be back again next year!”