Music Craft
Posted on: 22 September 2020
Erin Sweetman holds a Bachelor of Music from the Newcastle Conservatorium with First Class Honours, and has achieved the Licentiate and Associate Diploma of Music in both Piano and Clarinet with distinction.
As a piano soloist, Erin toured to China in 2006 and performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Newcastle Wind Orchestra. She has appeared on Banney's Baton Banter on local ABC radio and performed regularly in the Newcastle Art Gallery Concert Series as an associate artist and soloist. Erin also performed in the 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Newcastle Music Festival as both a collaborative artist and soloist.
Since 2012, Erin has accompanied the award-winning ensemble,
Hunter Singers, touring with them to the USA, China, UK and Canada. She has also accompanied the choir during national tours to Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and Central Australia. Erin has performed with the choir for a Classic FM Live recital, and has had the privilege of playing for premieres of repertoire by prominent Australian choral composers.
In 2016, Erin attended the Music Director Intensive at Goodspeed Opera House in New York. She has a passion for musicals and enjoyed collaborating with International Music Directors during this course. Later that year, Erin recorded an album with cellist Anthea Scott-Mitchell, Into the Silence.
Erin served as a member of the Music Staff at Newcastle Grammar School for ten years until 2020, where she taught classroom music, piano, accompanied the Chamber Choir and tutored woodwind students in the Symphony Orchestra. Erin participated in school international music tours to China, USA, Singapore and Japan, and conducted the annual Year 10 musical.
Erin is now a member of staff at St Francis Xavier College, Hamilton. She has experienced success in the classroom with many students achieving outstanding results in HSC Music 1, Music 2 and Extension. Erin also continues to teach piano at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music.
Posted on: 3 October 2018
Rodney Wikstrom in an Australian violin & viola performer and teacher based in Newcastle, NSW. His vision is to educate children to develop sensitivity, discipline, self esteem, creativity and patience, so that they may recognise and appreciate the beauty of music.
Rodney combines the philosophy of Dr Suzuki with the technical principles of Ivan Galamian to establish the foundations of correct posture, technique, musicality and practise.
Parents form an integral part of the learning process. A sequenced range of repertoire is used from books including Fiddle Time Joggers, Suzuki and AMEB. Students have access to accompanying video demonstrations, and are encouraged to participate in studio concerts, exams, competitions, scholarships and ensembles.
Lessons are at Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, selected schools, or online using Zoom and WeChat.
Rodney began learning Suzuki violin at age 3. He gained a music scholarship to Kinross Wolaroi School and later attended the Sydney Conservatorium High School. In 1997 he achieved the A.Mus.A and in 2002 graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He enjoyed playing and touring with the SBS Television & Radio Youth Orchestra, SYO, Youth Music Australia Orchestras and the Sydney Conservatorium Orchestra.
Rodney has performed and toured nationally and internationally with the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Victor Valdes Mariachi Band, Jimmy Barnes and Katie Noonan. Rodney currently performs with Christ Church Camerata Orchestra, Sydney Ensemble, and The Victor Valdes Mariachi band. He is a conductor with Newcastle Youth Orchestras.
Posted on: 4 September 2018
"Anne is a fully qualified, experienced music teacher, specializing in piano, theory, musicianship, composition, and aural skills.
She completed her degree in both music and pedagogy at Newcastle Conservatorium of Music in 1989. During this time, she majored in piano performance with Dr David Jones. This was a highlight of her studies, and means her teaching line traces back through Gordon Watson to Egon Petri, Busoni and Liszt.
Over the last 30 years Anne's students have achieved excellent exam results from elementary levels right through to advanced diploma levels, in both AMEB and Trinity College exams. Anne's students have also won piano championships and major prizes in various eisteddfods throughout NSW, including: Tamworth, Taree, Coffs Harbour, Gunnedah, Cowra, Orange, Wagga, Muswellbrook, and Lake Macquarie, and also in various online piano competitions.
Anne likes to keep up to date and has participated in masterclasses with Gordon Watson, Gerard Willems, Philip Shovk, Warren Thompson, Clemens Leschke, Danielle Salamon, Richard Morphew, James Muir, Gian-Franco & Natalia Ricci, Catriona Stafford, Elizabeth Jacobs, Simon Tedeschi, and Gilbert de Greeve. She has also enjoyed professional development courses online with Dr Noa Kageyama, specialist performance psychologist at Juillard School of Music, New York, and with Róża Kostrzewska Yoder, from the Chopin Academy.
Anne prioritizes nurturing her students musicality, developing thinking musicians, and inspiring students with confidence through their own solid musical achievements."
Posted on: 4 September 2018
I love sharing my knowledge of music, and watching students try something new for the first time. Students and parents often comment that I am patient and kind.
I completed my Bachelor of Music Education at Newcastle University studying with Carmel Lutton. One of the highlights of this time was winning the Open Section of the National Australia Eisteddfod in 1988, performing a programme of Bach, Beethoven and Debussy. I also studied Alexander Technique as I could see the benefits of playing the piano with freedom from un-necessary muscular tension.
I currently play the piano for dancers sitting exams through the Royal Academy of Dance.
Posted on: 4 September 2018
Posted on: 18 April 2016
Andrew Chubb is a recital pianist, composer, and is highly regarded as a piano teacher in Newcastle and Sydney. A former lecturer at the University of Newcastle’s Conservatorium of Music, Andrew currently teaches piano at The King’s School and Cranbrook School in Sydney, in addition to operating a private studio in Newcastle.
Andrew’s years of performing and teaching have informed his diverse and holistic approach to pianistic development. Helping students progress organically, from the earliest beginners to those at the advanced stage, has become his passion.
Students have excelled under Andrew’s tutelage, achieving many prizes and awards at various eisteddfods and competitions throughout NSW. They have also achieved pleasing AMEB and Trinity Grade Exam results with a number successfully continuing on to the Associate Diploma (AMusA) and Licentiate Diploma (LMusA and LTCL) qualifications under his teaching. Most importantly, Andrew strives to hone their technical, musical, and “thinking” skills, to in turn become independent and nuanced musicians.
Students have continued beyond Andrew’s tuition to study at Sydney Conservatorium of Music – University of Sydney, Queensland Conservatorium – Griffith University, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music – Melbourne University and Monash University School of Music.
Andrew is an AMEB (Australian Music Examination Board) Examiner and also an experienced Adjudicator of various eisteddfods and competition awards, and, has delivered piano Masterclasses across the state.
Posted on: 19 August 2013
I love teaching and particularly the piano which I have being doing now for a long time. I strive to create a safe, ordered and responsive environment with sensitivity to the needs of each student, in alignment with the principles and practices of the Music Teachers' Association which in turn incorporates the principles of how we all learn. I work towards betterment for my students and in my teaching approach. My experience is that trust is built through integrity and skills.
Posted on: 19 August 2013
Anthony van den Broek is a passionate and university qualified piano teacher. He studied the piano and organ from the age of 5 and majored in piano and harpsichord performance at UNSW. Anthony's musicological research focussed on historical performance practices of the baroque, classical and romantic repertoire, analysis and interpretation, as well as the keyboard and organ works of Bach and Messiaen.
Anthony is an examiner with the AMEB and has over 25 years teaching experience, providing outstanding piano, theory and pedagogy lessons to students of all ages and levels. An expert in piano technique, Anthony is a certified teacher of the Taubman Approach for Piano (Golandsky Institute, USA) and spends considerable time teaching, mentoring and preparing current and future piano teachers for success in Teaching Diplomas. He has lectured at Australian and international universities, and has adjudicated piano competitions in the UK, USA and Australia.
Anthony has experience preparing students for all levels of AMEB and ABRSM examinations with many of his students successfully auditioning for places at the Conservatorium High School, Sydney Conservatorium of Music and UNSW.
