Music Teachers

Cath Dowling

keyboard, guitar, ukulele, recorder, flute & percussion

Originally from Canberra, I completed my teaching degree at Australian Catholic University in my early 20’s and worked for several years as a classroom teacher.

During my time as a classroom teacher I was heavily involved in all the music pursuits in the school and so decided to make this the focus of my teaching.

Susan Williams

keyboard, recorder & abc teacher

I am a qualified classroom teacher, with a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Teaching and Learning.

I have been involved in music, in one way or another, for as long as I can remember, at primary and secondary school and, later, through community choirs, orchestral ensembles and theatre.

Madison Smith

guitar, keyboard, drums, percussion & ukulele

Originally from Hobart, I have been involved in music my entire life. I started learning the flute at the age of 7 and then in my teen years started focusing on the guitar and the bass guitar.

At 21 I received my bachelor degree in music performance and the following year moved to Melbourne to complete my honours at the University of Melbourne, which i received at the end of 2016.

Nick Roney

woodwind specialist – flute, clarinet & saxophone

My musical career begun when I was at primary school and has continued ever since with no break as I have loved it that much. I begun my learning on the saxophone and have since picked up the flute and clarinet as not only a challenge but also so I can play in stage productions.

Patrick Yuen

guitar, drums, percussion & ukulele

My name is Patrick Yuen and I am a very experienced drum, ukulele, cajon and guitar teacher. I have taught many students over many years and my students have always enjoyed my fun and enthusiastic approach to learning.

Meggyann Davie-Smythe

voice, piano, ukelele and saxaphone

I am a classically trained singer having completed Grade 7 AMEB classical singing exams with high distinctions. I am a proficient sight-reader, experienced in solfege and have extensive music theory knowledge, having studied music for over 12 years. I also play and teach a variety of instruments including piano, ukulele and saxophone.

Colleen Brown

violin, keyboard, guitar, ukulele & abc

Growing up my family home was full of music. Everyone in my family plays an instrument, and I was exposed to a huge variety of music travelling around to folk festivals with my Dad and to Classical Harp and Opera concerts with my mum!

Kristy Stafford

Keyboard, flute & voice

I took my first piano lesson at 6 years of age, and fell in love with music. I started working my way through my AMEB Music exams, and at age 10 decided to add another instrument, and started learning the Cello. In year 7, I began playing the flute, sitting my grade 1 AMEB Flute exam the same year.

Dimi Holborow

Guitar

I learnt to play guitar when I was around 8 years old from watching and listening to my dad and older brother play. I started classical guitar lessons when I was 14 and have not stopped learning. I love to play all styles of music and also love to play piano and generally like to dabble in many stringed instruments, however guitar is my principle instrument.

Shae Mahony

Voice, keyboard and drums

I am a 22-year-old singer/songwriter with a love for all things music! I have recently graduated from The Australian Institute of Music with a Bachelor of Music (Contemporary) where I majored in Voice. .

Testimonials

After one year of keyboard, we were pleasantly surprised how well Christy performed as part of a group in a lovely end of year concert. Christy found further motivation when I finally made time to squeeze in a few private lessons so that she could measure her progress by completing exams. The group and private lessons provide complementary outcomes, by creating a musician who wants to improve and who can play as part of a group. Cath has a caring approach, and there is no pressure to take on private lessons.

Stephanie Mitten

My daughter has been attending Kids on Key through our school for the last 4 years. In this time she has developed a love of music and fostered a wonderful relationship with her music teacher. Kids on Key has provided my daughter with a positive, fun and challenging music program. My daughter is excited to be partaking in her next ANZCA exam for piano this year and I am positive that her love of music and piano is because of the fantastic environment provided by Kids on Key.

Kylie Kibsgaard

My children have been learning keyboard for about 4 years with Kids on Key. I think it is a fantastic program, especially as these classes can be done around school times. My children have learned to read music as well as learn keyboard, both of which I truly believe helps to expand our children’s mind for many other areas of their life, similar to the benefits of learning another language, and Susan is just a wonderful teacher. The opportunity to further the education with exams and grading is there for the students that wish to pursue their instruments further.

Nancy Gibson

My daughter has really enjoyed her Zoom guitar lessons during ISO. The audio is great at both ends, the teacher can see everything she’s doing with her hands and she is very engaged. On the technical side, I'm amazed how seamless the process is and how well it all works.

Catherine Green – St Peter’s

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During the COVID lockdown, music lessons went online and I was a bit apprehensive about how it would work. After we sorted all the technical stuff, I was really surprised by how much Nate engaged in the lessons. He told me after a month or so that he really enjoys having the lessons online and that he finds it easier to focus and learn. The way Cath sets it up works really well in terms of seeing the keyboard and taking turns in playing and listening. Nate's been more motivated than ever to practice and engage in the end of term concert. He's thinking about continuing online lessons when school returns, so he doesn't miss out on school time.

Gwyneth Rees - Tucker Rd Primary

The online music lessons offered by Kids on Key have been fabulous. The sessions were scheduled around our existing commitments, were well structured and tailored to suit the needs of my son. It was easier for my son to focus, without any external disruptions, and he made good progress during this time. I will certainly be considering online lessons for the future.

Lorraine Theodore – Resurrection Primary