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Board
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Staff
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Sing It
The Board is elected
at the AGM, usually held in May each year. It meets every two months, taking
ultimate responsibility for the direction of CMV, developing and overseeing
CMV’s strategic plan.
Current members (click to see short bio):
CMV’s team of volunteer catalysts are deeply committed to the development of group music-making in their areas. They are closely involved with the independent music making networks that have emerged, and can assist newcomers to make useful connections. If you have queries about connecting with a regional network or setting up an initiative, these are the people who can offer you advice, and can help you find the information you’ll need. You can contact them via email at cmv@netspace.net.au or by phone on 03 9662 1162.
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Jenny Candy (East Gippsland)
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Betty
McLaughlin (Central
and South Gippsland)
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Sue
Kirkpatrick (Mornington
Peninsula)
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Belinda McArdle (Geelong)
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Karen Roben (Wodonga)
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Suzann Frisk (Dandenong Ranges)
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Di Mackrell (Euroa)
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Jane Thompson (Central Goldfields)
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Polly Christie (Macedon Ranges)
There are hundreds of other dedicated individuals all across Victoria busy helping the people around them to make music together. Many of them we know, many we don't; many use our services, but many still don't know CMV exists.
A key function of CMV is to discover, honour, engage with and support these individuals and networks. One of the most significant outcomes of the work of CMV Catalysts has been the development of these independent regional groupings of community music activists with the passion and expertise to imagine and express a future for group music-making in their region.
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Deb Carveth (Assistant volunteer coordinator) Recruits and
trains volunteers. Oversees the production and distribution of Shout! and Shout! Extra. Contact Deb.
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Lyndal
Chambers (Victoria Makes Music project manager). Runs the Victoria
Makes Music pilot project. Contact Lyndal
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Jane Coker (Volunteer Co-ordinator) Recruits and trains volunteers. Contact Jane.
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John
Howard (Administration Co-ordinator)
Coordinates the maintainance of CMV’s
finances and records, the CMV database and website, responds to enquiries from
the public, the network and CMV team members, Oversees the administration of
CMV events. Contact John.
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Corinna
Peachey (Resources Development Officer). Coordinates production of
new songbook and singing leadership skills DVD. Contact
Corinna
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Corinn
Strating (Victoria Makes Music research worker). Conducts research
into existing music making organisations in Victoria.
Contact
Corinn
Sing It! quarterly periodical through which the stories
of group singing across Victoria are told.
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Lavinia
Bonne and the Sing It!
Team. Compilation and edition of Sing it!.
As a child, Deb
Carveth spent hours singing with her sister and trying to harmonise on the
stairs of their family home where there was a great echo, or banging around on
the piano. Deb later moved to Manchester to study History of Art and Design,
where she discovered ‘The Clarence’, an Irish pub in Rusholme
where a folk band played every Friday evening and the pub-goers all sang, jam
packed like sardines; a great introduction to community music making. With Guinness.
With a background in
arts administration, Deb moved to Melbourne in 2009, landing in the CMV office
shortly after. She now sings with ‘Soulsong’ a
singing group led by Richard Lawton, loves the fact that she has found other
people who love to sing and is relishing the challenge of being assistant
Volunteer Co-ordinator for Community Music Victoria.
An established conductor and vocalist, over the past ten years Polly has led many choirs and has facilitated workshops at music festivals across Australia. These include the Boite Singers Festival (VIC), Centenary of Federation Celebrations (400 singers, VIC), National Folk Festival (ACT) and the Perigian Beach Music Festival (QLD). Renowned for inspiring and energising her singers, Polly draws on music from around the world, including songs she collected in Africa and India. She also incorporates her own compositions and arrangements into her teaching program. Polly creates a warm environment where singers of any age and experience can develop their skills. Through playful improvisation and vocal exercises participants are given the opportunity to extend their range and harmonise with other singers. Using conducting skills taught by Prof. Rodney Eichenburger (USA), as well as techniques such as voice matching, she can turn any workshop group into a band of angels! Polly now resides in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria.
Carolyn Fishlock has
been playing music since 1994. She began learning classical guitar through
lunchtime classes at Newcastle University, where she was studying English and
Drama at the time. After falling in love with music, she transferred to La
Trobe Uni to start a music major, and began learning and playing the violin.
She then began a fiddle music journey, where she played violin and sang in her
own band Jayde and then began playing Irish fiddle in
2000.
Carolyn played fiddle
music in Irish sessions around Melbourne from 2000, performing with the
Australian Fiddle and Mandolin School, the Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club, and
local bands Milk and Gluefoot.
She was manager of
Melbourne Fiddlers in 2008 and O’Shea Strings in 2009. Since early 2009 Carolyn has been rehearsing
and performing regularly with an acapella group
Wednesday’s Tea Ladies, under the tuition of Emily Hayes.
She is also currently the Events Co-ordinator for Community Music Victoria, an organisation whose values of inclusiveness and enjoyment of music reflect her own.
Lyndal is a singing leader, leadership facilitator and music teacher
originally from Gippsland and more recently, Melbourne. She has been working
with community singing groups, choirs, instrumental groups and school music
programs for many years and is enthusiastic about empowering people to engage
in music making and music leadership.
Professionally
trained as a music teacher and a veteran of varied folk ensembles, Lyndal has a
keen understanding of the power of music to transform lives and communities.
Lyndal performed for
many years with Gippsland folk band: Boola Boola among others and is currently a member of the ‘Kwela Swingsters’ and street band ‘Havana Palava’.
She also initiated and directed the Gippsland A Cappella Festival for a number
of years and was President of the Gippsland Acoustic Music Club.
Currently Lyndal is
the Project Manager of CMV’s ‘Victoria Makes Music’ project and works as an
Instrumental Music Teacher in two Government schools. Contact Lyndal
Jane has a lifetime of experience getting people to make music together. In the early 1980's she first experienced Frankie Armstrong's approach to freeing up the natural voice and aural learning, and has been leading singing sessions and voice workshops along these lines ever since, becoming a relentless initiator of community singing and instrumental projects aimed at enabling people with little or no experience to sing and play together. She is also an Alexander Technique teacher, an experienced trainer and facilitator of groups, and an expert event organiser. Jane currently plays sax with a Melbourne street band “Havana Palava”, sings and plays mandolin. Jane has been a member of CMV's Board of Management since 2002. Contact Jane
Chris Falk
Chris has been a
singer, guitarist and songwriter for 25 years. Although a city-dweller
now, for most of her life she has lived in small country towns throughout
Victoria. She has written songs for Art and Working Life Projects with
workers and Trade Unions in the La Trobe Valley, Victoria. She has been
the artist in residence for drama programs in secondary schools and has
composed songs for the Victorian Aids Council, Victorian Government employment
programs and many choirs. Chris has recorded five albums of her own
songs, and has won a national song-writing competition. She now works as
an Alexander Technique teacher, specialising in working with singers and
instrumentalists. She also teaches singing and guitar. Chris is
passionately committed to the notion that everyone is born to sing, and leads a
small singing group called "Just For Fun" in Northcote, Victoria.
Suzann Frisk
Suzann Frisk considers herself a Swedish-born musical nuisance - “I sang and danced in the cot!” After completing a four year music degree in Sweden, Suzann moved to Australia in 1990 and has worked with vocal groups of all levels and styles ever since. A keen composer and arranger, she also works as a singer, specializing in jazz and improvisation. Suzann currently runs a bi-monthly Vocal Nosh in Emerald (VIC), a fortnightly vocal group, and teaches singing and piano from home. Suzann is an enthusiastic, fun-loving teacher who strives to make everyone shine through their singing.
Belinda is a
Melbourne-based singer, pianist, flautist, music teacher, choir leader,
composer, and arranger. A musician her whole life, she is particularly
passionate about sharing the joys of music-making with others, and is an ardent
believer in the power of music as a means of bringing joy and vitality into
people’s lives. She currently leads “Musique Unique”, a community choir
based in Greensborough (VIC), two sing-for-fun groups in Carnegie and
Murrumbeena, and a chorus of children and parents at her kids' playgroup!
Emily is a singer, singing teacher, choir leader and group singing facilitator. In 1999 she graduated from LaTrobe University with a Bachelor of Music. She sings with the successful Australian folk band Milk. The band have released five CDs, toured extensively, and performed at many folk festivals. She leads two Melbourne community choirs called “The Rogues' Choir” in Brunswick, formerly the “Brunswick Neighbourhood Choir”, and “The Errol's Angels of North Melbourne”. These groups meet to share a love of singing (no experience is needed) and they sing a wide range of a cappella music. Emily also works with groups at the Brunswick and Carlton Neighbourhood Houses, Club Wild and for The Melbourne Mental Health Music Network. These groups offer access to people who have a wide range of abilities, ages, and experience. Emily's philosophy is to promote well-being through voice work and singing.
Phil Heuzenroeder
Phil has been singing and playing publicly since he joined the grade 4 school choir. Way back in 1985, he was the South Australian busking champion. He currently sings and plays in a wide range of musical ventures, including the a cappella quartet “Naked”, and the original blues band “Urban Sprawl”. Phil’s creative music work takes him into a range of community settings to bring alive the joy of music making. He specialises in working with people with disabilities, and the use of digital music technologies, to facilitate access to music and musical expression. Phil plays in and directs the “Bipolar Bears Band” for people living with mental illness. He directs and produces the “Club Wild” events, a disability-friendly nightclub and cabaret show. Phil also directs the 80-voice Melbourne Mass Gospel Choir.
John was brought up singing with his large family, studied classical singing, sang with the state opera chorus and solo with smaller companies, participated in and led various a cappella groups, taught voice-based performance projects with young people at TAFE and Victoria University. He has taught voice work and singing to all ages from primary school children through to senior citizens. With his partner, Helen Sharp, John set up the Body Voice Centre in Footscray in 1994. He is a Middendorf Breathwork breathwork practitioner and completed a PhD, “Breathing embodiment: a study of Middendorf breathwork” in 2008. John has been a member of CMV’s Board of Management since 2007. He is currently CMV’s Administration Coordinator and can be contacted at john_cmv@netspace.net.au.
Sue Kirkpatrick (Dip Music) has been involved in community music for over twenty years. She has written numerous three and four part songs for choirs, three of which have been published in Community Music Victoria‚s songbooks. Sue leads 3 community choirs on the Mornington Peninsula, facilitates a cappella workshops in a variety of settings, and also teaches Primary School music at two local schools.
Richard has been
teaching for 20 years in the UK and the USA, trained as an actor and singer in
England and with “Project Voice” in Wales, sung with various choirs including
“Voices from the Vacant Lot”, has taught at NIDA, the VCA, the Northern Rivers
Conservatorium and at Summersong music camps. He has sung in various
venues, from the red light district of Amsterdam to La Mama in New York.
For three years he sang bass in the vocal quartet “Velvet Groove” He runs four choirs, and teaches Voice at
Monash University where he won
the 2010 Vice Chancellors award for excellence in
teaching. He brings
special know-how based on his experience working as a theatre director, and he
has directed and arranged vocals for many plays and musicals, but still wishes
he could play piano.
Diane Mackrell has no formal music qualifications, but has always loved music. She learned piano as a child and sang in Sunday School and High School Choirs. She co-leads Vocal Nosh in Euroa and acquired this role quite by chance when another leader was needed to keep the group going, and is now passionate about getting people singing. She started a Ukulele Group in Euroa in 2008 which has gone from strength to strength. The latest accidental venture is a Strathbogie Choir up to 15 people (including 7 men!!) attend the group and Diane has inherited the leadership role by default. Other instruments she potters on are organ, piano accordion, guitar, glockenspiel/xylophone, recorder. Diane believes that participation in music is vital for healthy people and communities.
Belinda is a pssionate advocate of community music making, currently leading 8 weekly groups in Geelong. These groups run in local communities, workplaces, hospitals and health care facilities. Belinda teaches private students, adult singing groups and conducts workshops for local choirs, for singing leadership events and for special events. In 2011 Belinda has initiated acabellas fellas - a men's singing group than has grown steadily to 25 members through word of mouth. Belinda plays guitar and various instruments and writes and arranges music for her trio and for singing groups. To unwind she broadcasts a weekly community radio programme of singing, skits and silliness and is happy and proud to work with her colleagues and friends at acabellas singing.
Growing-up, Betty
was always singing. After graduating in social work in the early 1970’s,
she spent the next 30 years working in various organisations who were
attempting to "Save the World". In the 1990’s, she decided to
pursue her long held love of music. After undertaking the Music Logic and
Kindermusik teacher trainings, she set up as a freelance teacher. By the
time the twenty first century started rolling-in, Betty had found a way to
combine her commitment to making a difference in the community with her love of
music. First it was organising a Peace Concert, then becoming active in
the local Arts Council, and then leading singing groups. These
experiences have led her to an opportunity to take her love of community music
making into the wider community as one of CMV's Regional Community Music Making
Catalysts, and later joining CMV’s
board of management.
Heather has been teaching music for over thirty years, working with babies, pre-school children, primary kids, with secondary school and university students, and with other teachers and adults. Her workshops have included lots of multi-age community music sessions, and she was long-term president of Parents for Music - a Family Music Association. Many workshop tours of Australia and New Zealand and presentations at international conferences also form her experience. She has been closely involved with the Orff and Kodaly music education groups since the late seventies when she studied in Hungary and Austria for a year. In recent years she lived and taught in Japan, and currently teaches at a Melbourne primary school, as well as being involved with other freelance work. An occasional violinist, she feels that singing and recorder-playing are important both in schools and the broader community, and she is an energetic advocate for the marimba movement. Involving both children and adults in music-making is her passion.
Michelle Morgan
Michelle has been joyfully exploring music since joining the choir in grade
five. After years of dabbling in various instruments (flute, violin, french horn, piano and guitar), Michelle has returned to
her first love, singing. Inspired by the choral performaces
at the Boite Singers Festival in 2005, she
participated in community singing facilitation training with Community Music
Victoria, and has since facilitated singing workshops, singing circles and a
number of choirs. Michelle has previously worked in hospital, aged care,
community health, tertiary and research settings, and now brings community
singing to these sectors via her business, River of Song. Michelle has recently
completed studies in small business management, with the assistance of the New
Enterprise Incentive Scheme, and is continuing her musical training in Jazz and
Contemporary Performance at NMIT. She currently facilitates 'The Keynote
Singers' in Heidelberg, monthly 'Heart Songs' sessions in Warrandyte
and Kalorama, and workshops for community arts festivals
and local government.
Corinna Peachey
Corinna
Peachey is a vocalist, songwriter, manager and recording artist of over 30
years experience. Corinna has sung in a wide variety of contemporary original
bands - everything from opera to grunge. She also worked extensively in cover
bands, with a particular emphasis on soul and blues by such artists as Aretha
Franklin, Minnie Riperton and Wilson Pickett. Her
current bands are both rock outfits - Liminal and Nova. She holds a double
degree as a Teacher-Librarian, and has worked extensively as a Literacy Teacher
in numerous Primary and Secondary Schools, particularly in the field of
Indigenous education. In 2007
Corinna
completed an Advanced Diploma of Music Industry (Business) at NMIT, expanding
her knowledge of copyright, contracts, marketing, event and artist management.
From 2009, Corinna began working as a specialist Vocal Teacher, and is
currently employed at Billy Hyde/Allans Academy,
Greensborough.
Karen was classically trained as a young singer and has had a go at performing with rock, folk and jazz outfits, as well as in music theatre and with the a cappella groups “Paterson's Curse” and “MisBehavin’”. Her formal qualifications are in education and she has lots of experience in the health, social welfare and community cultural development sectors. She has led school choirs, youth productions and community singing sessions, has used singing as a tool in all her professional work and she now enjoys directing “The Wild Choir” through a program for people with disabilities. As project manager at Murray Arts based in Wodonga, Karen relishes the opportunity to spread the joy of music-making and promotes well-being through community activities and events.
Jane Thompson is a singer from Maldon in Central Victoria, whose voice has been communicating songs of joy, hope, social conscience and change across Victoria and further afield for several years now. She has a passion for singing, and an infectious enthusiasm, combined with a gently persuasive way of getting everyone around her to join in and experience the sheer joy which comes from singing together. She co-leads the “Chat-Warblers”, a women’s community choir in Castlemaine which meets weekly, sings a diverse repertoire of songs from the sublime to the ridiculous, and welcomes any woman who wants to sing with the group. Jane sings with the folkband “Blackwood”, who have become known for their uplifting songs with tasteful arrangements and harmonies, and who perform all over Australia. Jane has led many workshops in community singing leadership skills for Community Music Victoria.
Brian “Strat”
Strating has been involved in music making and music education for more than
two and a half decades. He has performed in the bands “Boola Boola”, “The
Great Southern Band” and more recently “Grand Junction”, the festival street
band Havana Palava, and at various festivals and venues both here and
overseas. Strat believes that music making is a basic human need and one
of the foundation stones of learning, and he is pleased to be a part of an
organisation such as CMV which has the capacity to develop this reality at a
community level. Having spent most of his life in regional Victoria, he
has a great understanding of non-urban cultural development and community.
Bruce is based in
Melbourne and has been writing and performing his songs since the 1980s. He has
picked up a swag of songwriting
awards and had many of his songs recorded by others, including Eric Bogle, Joe
Dolce and a number of international artists. The Boite
describes him as “a wordsmith, a teller of tales, a spinner of yarns with lots
of stories he tells with passion and integrity.” He also writes satirical
and humorous songs and does a lively children’s show. Bruce’s music is
inclusive. Choruses and opportunities for joining in are a hallmark of his
performances and he likes nothing better than getting a room full of people
singing with him. While self-taught as a musician and writer, Bruce loves
sharing his own learnings with others in workshops on
songwriting and performing. He recently started up a
ukulele group at his workplace. When he’s not on stage at a music festival, you
may well see him scraping his fiddle, strumming his uke
or singing along at a session.
Kylie
has been involved in the world of music-making for the past 20 years; as a
facilitator of community arts projects and recreation groups, and a performer
in theatre, circus and bands. She has a
passionate belief in the power of music to transform, uplift and unite; and is
excited to be involved with CMV. Kylie
currently coordinates education programs for the ASRC.
CMV - making a sound
world together.
© Community Music Victoria Inc.