Music Teachers' Association
of New South Wales

Linda Berry

Dr Kathryn Hill

Dr Kathryn Hill is a professional teacher of piano, music theory and music history.

She studied jazz piano with Paul McNammara (1978-79) and classical piano with Elizabeth Green (1978-80) obtaining her A.Mus.A in 1980. She studied at the N.S.W. State Conservatorium of Music from 1981 obtaining her Bachelor of Music (Musicology) in 1985. She completed a Master of Arts (Honours) on 20th century music in 1989 at Sydney University supervised by Dr Graham Hardie and Richard Toop for which she received the University Medal. She then undertook a PhD into the use of popular music on television supervised by Dr. Peter Dunbar-Hall which she completed in 2009

From 1989 to 2004 she taught twentieth century music history, theory and music analysis at the Department of Academic Studies (Sydney Conservatorium of Music) and from 1995 to 2004 two electives ‘Radical Rock’ and ‘Romanticism and the Fantastic’. From 1990 to 1997 she offered Adult Education Courses for both Sydney University’s Centre for Continuing Education and the WEA such as ‘Paris 1900’, ‘Fin-de-siecle Vienna: Connections Music, Art and Literature’ and ‘London in the Swinging Sixties’. From 2001 to 2003 She taught various music history courses including the history of popular music at the Australian Institute of Music.

Since 1989 Kathryn has presented many conference papers and published various journal articles including ‘To f-f-f-ade away?’: The blues influence in Pete Townshend’s search for an authentic voice in ‘My Generation’ in the journal Popular Music History (2014)

Kathryn has continued her studies completing her Associate Diploma (Theory, Harmony and Counterpoint) in 2017 and Certificate of Performance (Piano) and Certificate of Performance (Piano for Leisure) (Hons) in 2019.

She has been teaching piano for some 40 years and continues to enjoy teaching all ages from pre-school to adults. She is currently also teaching online incorporating programmes such as Mobile Sheets, Classroom Maestro, Sibelius, MuseScore, Pro Tools, and Band in a Box to enliven the online experience and encourage student interaction and creativity.

Kathryn teaches the AMEB syllabus for Piano, Musicianship and Theory as well as the Piano for Leisure, Music Craft, Rock School Piano and Popular Music Theory.

Creative Kids Provider

Dr Imogen Coward

Dr. Imogen Coward is a Sydney-based scholar-performer and educator, specializing in teaching violin, viola, improvisation, and coaching performance skills for all instruments & voice (both solo and ensemble settings). She is tertiary qualified and a Music Teacher’s Association (NSW) accredited music teacher of violin, viola, piano, improvisation & music theory. An experienced distance educator and assessor, her teaching practice includes both in-person and remote/online music instruction.

Since 2003 Imogen has been in demand as a studio teacher, consultant/coach and workshop presenter. Her students are regularly selected for opportunities and awards including HSC’s ENCORE nominations (performance and composition), Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) workshops, Opera Australia’s Regional Children’s Chorus, and Sydney Youth Orchestra, as well as gaining university placement (bachelors, masters and doctoral) in Australia and Europe.

Imogen is an active performer, musical director, multi-instrumentalist and singer (featured soloist on the award-winning Canadian film 2BR02B:To Be or Naught To Be dir. Marco Checa-Garcia); and in 2014 she became the founding director of the internationally recognised Australian chamber orchestra Camerata Academica of the Antipodes, dubbed ‘musically combustible’ by Criticks (UK). Her appearances as a soloist include guest artist and speaker for the Solomos Society, and soloist for the University of New England, the Queensland sequicentenary celebrations and numerous chamber music appearances. Imogen has also served as an adjudicator for Ryde Eisteddfod’s string section, and as an adviser to schools’ P&C Associations on the founding and successful development of string group programmes, including for Epping West Public and Pymble Public.

Imogen’s qualifications include: Historically Informed Performance and Improvisation studies, PhD (UNE), B.A. Hons First Class (Music), and Diplomas in Suzuki Violin and Viola teaching. She is the recipient of the Commonwealth Government’s prestigious Australian Postgraduate Award for her PhD studies, the Harold Brissenden Memorial Foundation Fellowship and was made a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society for academic brilliance. Her research on music has been published by Cambridge Scholars Press and the University of Otago, New Zealand. Imogen is an active member of the Musicological Society of Australia (MSA) and regularly presents at international academic conferences.

Leonie Cohen

Margaret Brandman

Dr. Margaret Brandman has been teaching piano, musicianship, ear-training, theory, composition and improvisation in a distinguished career spanning over 40 years. Margaret is also a composer of works for voice, piano and instrumental ensembles. In addition she has devised her own 'Contemporary' series of holistic teaching materials, for piano, theory and ear-training. In 2003 she was selected by the International Biographical Society(UK)as International Woman of the Year for Services to Music. In 2012 she received the WPTA Diploma of Excellence for her presentation at the World Piano Teacher's conference in Serbia. Her clientele includes beginners, advanced students and teachers who attend her Professional Development workshops.

Combining her compositional interests with her interest in music education- Margaret has devised many music texts including :

* the Contemporary Piano Method and the supporting publication Pictorial Patterns for Keyboard Scales and Chords
* the Contemporary Theory and Chord Workbooks
* the Contemporary Aural Course (audio and workbook series) and
* the High School Text book - Accent on Music.

The educational materials feature a simplified interval approach to reading,combined with pattern recognition which allows students to become efficient readers in a very short time. (taking the hard work out of learning the piano!) The materials feature many accelerated learning techniques including the use of colour coding to simplify previously difficult topics. (Everyone enjoys this!) These techniques also enhance the ability of students to gain a harmonic understanding of all styles of music from classical to jazz and contemporary and to gain skills in ear-training. (This saves time and effort and allows the fingers to find the right notes by being guided by the ear).

Margaret has composed many original works to demonstrate points made in her music education materials. Several of her works are listed in both the AMEB and ANZCA syllabi as set works. Her concert works for piano-instrumental combinations and orchestra receive regular live and recorded performances internationally.

Phone for an appointment: 0414 185 193