Music Teachers' Association
of New South Wales

Karyn Skrzynecki

Jane Smith

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.

Bernadette Talese

Bernadette completed the Associate Diploma in Music Teaching at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (University of Sydney) and both the Early Childhood and Primary Certificates in Music Education from the Kodaly Music Education Institute of Australia. Bernadette is an accredited teacher of piano, musicianship, theory and developmental music with over forty years’ experience. A nationally accredited do-re-mi Music for Children teacher and affiliated with KMEIA, Bernadette has taught individuals and groups in schools, pre-schools, community halls and her own studio at Burwood in Sydney where she currently teaches.

In her business, Allegro Childrens Music (www.allegrochildrensmusic.com.au), Bernadette teaches all ages and levels from babies to adults. Purposes include developmental and recreational, as well as preparation for exams, auditions and eisteddfods. Developmental music classes involve singing, movement, dance, percussion instruments and various sequential learning activities.

Bernadette enjoys a capella singing and was an enthusiastic member of Aurora Australis Chorus (Sweet Adelines Australia) for many years. She has been a regular member and also a section leader, participating in many performances and competitions, both local and national.

In more recent years, Bernadette has trained as a group piano teacher, upgrading both her own skills and studio equipment to embrace the challenges of music education in the 21^st century. She continues to teach private piano lessons as well as small group classes.

Bernadette believes that music is a gift to be valued and shared by all, having the capacity to benefit everyone in many ways.

Anthony Van Den Broek

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.

Cathy Wainwright

Cathy began learning the piano as a child and has pursued her passion for the flute for the last 34 years!  Over this time she has played in many community concert bands and orchestras, including the Hornsby Concert Band, Lane Cove Concert Band, Blue Mountains Musical Society and Strathfield Symphony Orchestra.

Following a period as a full time flute and piccolo player in the Royal Australian Air Force Band, Cathy established a private music teaching studio at her home in Castle Hill, in the north-western suburbs of Sydney, combining this with teaching in local schools.  In the past Cathy has also run classes for adult beginner flute students in evening colleges.

For the last ten years Cathy has been a flute and piccolo player in the Royal Australian Navy Band, and has performed with the Band at international military tattoos in Brunei, the United Arab Emirates and China - and in 2012 at the prestigious Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland.  Cathy has also travelled to Hawaii with the Band, and in 2013 was honoured to perform at Gallipoli and Ankara in Turkey as part of the ANZAC Day commemorations.

Cathy is also a keen chamber music player and has been a member of the New South Wales Chamber Music Society for many years.  Cathy does voluntary work for the Society assisting in managing its extensive music library and organising a series of concerts at Sydney’s historic Independent Theatre.  Cathy enjoys offering elegant and tasteful music programs for weddings, ceremonies and other functions.  In the past Cathy has also been Secretary of both the Australian and the New South Wales Flute Societies.

Cathy holds the Fellowship Diploma of Trinity College London, and an AMEB Associate Diploma in Flute Performance, as well as a Master of Music Degree specialising in Instrumental Pedagogy from the University of New South Wales. Cathy is accredited as a teacher of Flute, Theory and Musicianship by the Music Teachers' Association of New South Wales Cathy regularly undertakes further professional development activities, most recently completing a Graduate Certificate in Music Technology.

Cathy enjoys playing and teaching all styles of music and caters for students who want to play the flute as a hobby, as well as those who wish to prepare for AMEB, Trinity College, ANZCA and HSC exams.  Cathy encourages all students to develop performance skills in concerts and eisteddfods. Cathy's philosophy is that learning music must be an enjoyable experience resulting in a sense of achievement for students, parents and teacher.

Patricia Quinn

Pamela Gouveros

Pamela Gouveros (nee Rallis) studied Piano at the age of five under the tutelage of the late Adene McGuinness. She was awarded first prize in the Classical Piano Performance in 1968 as a young piano student.

She was always inspired by children with sight impediment and conducted some voluntary work between 1972 -1973 at the School for Blind Children North Rocks Parramatta, under her mother’s guidance, where she discovered many children with sincere music talent and sensitivity at playing the piano. This touched her and inspired her even more to teach music to children where she felt she could make a connection.

Pamela is a Graduate of Sydney University where she studied Music Pedagogy. She has been a full member of the NSW Music Teachers' Association since 1995. She was also awarded Accreditation for Music when Warren Thompson was Director of the Conservatorium of Music for her participation in music and theory, at the Conservatorium.

Pamela is Member of ISME where she has presented her work ‘Kromata’- a program inspiring young children with movement and solfege as an introduction to Piano Studies.

Pamela has had her works 'Kromata:Early Childhood Music’ published by ISME ( International Society for Music Education) in 2009 Beijing, China ISBN: 978-960-98897-0-4

After the Beijing Conference she was also active in the Intercultural Conference: Early Childhood and Music, Athens, Greece 2007

• Voices of the Swan 2011 (Publication)
• Conference: Creative Music and Movement Education: 17^th Biennial Conference of the National Council of Orff Schulwerk, 2012

Other Conference presentations include Kromata, Meryc Conference,The Hague Netherlands 2013

Pamela was a Representative, Australian Council for the Arts (NSW) between 2006-2009.

She was Peripatetic Music Staff of Santa Sabina College/ Del Monte Strathfield 2009 – 2011 where she had fifty private students that she enjoyed teaching. In 2012 she took a break to travel in Europe with Music participation in Athens Greece. When she returned to Australia she set up her private studio again, where she is very passionate about her students and her commitment to teaching and inspiring students of all ages and levels.

As of 2021, Pamela has been a Peripatetic Staff member at St Spyridon College.

Pamela conducts Theory workshops and student recitals as well as hosting AMEB Exams in her own studio for the convenience of her students.

'Music is a universal language that unites all things beautiful: children, people, knowledge, discipline and freedom to enable to express oneself. Music is an essential tool that should be part of every person's life’. Pamela Gouveros

Pamela’s approach to her teaching is an organic one, implementing suitable teaching strategies directed to each individual student. Her ultimate aim is to create a ‘love of music and creativity’.

Tania Rashidi – Busy Bees Music & The Piano Academy

Mary Robertson

Dr Brett McKern

Brett is an experienced teacher of theoretical and written subjects at all levels (theory, musicianship, music craft) and is available for lessons either face-to-face or via Skype. Brett also teaches composition, pipe organ, and does coaching for university and HSC music students. Brett is an accredited teacher with the MTA. While teaching at all levels, Brett specialises in teaching adults and diploma-level candidates.

Brett teaches by Skype or Zoom or at studios in Gordon or the Southern Highlands.

Brett also specialises in private tutoring for tertiary music students in a range of subjects for all music degree levels. He is happy to give advice on your compositions if preparing for that aspect of AMEB or Trinity College examinations, or submissions for the HSC. Successful students have achieved Licentiate and Associate diplomas in theory, musicianship and composition as well as the Licentiate diploma in organ.

Brett’s former students of organ, theory and composition have gone on to read for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at various conservatoria and universities in Australia and abroad, and a number are now professional musicians. Other students have learned purely for their own enjoyment and sense of satisfaction.

Brett maintains an international career as a composer with his music being performed in at least six countries in Europe and Australasia. Within Australia, his music has been performed in four states and broadcast on radio in three. Brett is also an award-winning composer (Australia & Canada) and has published over sixty works in Australia and abroad. His music has been performed at such prestigious venues as Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral, London; and Washington National Cathedral. Brett has been commissioned by professional soloists, liturgical choirs, school choirs and orchestras, the AMEB, and the Song Company, to name a few.

Brett holds degrees and diplomas in music, education, and two doctorates in musical composition. He has lectured at various universities rising to the rank of Adjunct Associate Professor, and examines written music grades and diplomas and online for the AMEB, as well as being called upon to examine university research and performance degrees. Brett has adjudicated multiple composition competitions, and is a Represented Composer of the Australian Music Centre.

Brett has performed as an organist and choir director in four countries, and been recorded for DVD, CD and movie soundtrack. He makes a specialty of improvisation at the organ.