A Hobby Gone Too Far
If you’re reading this it’s either because you clicked on a link on the home page or you’re genuinely curious as to why sisters would create a site that catalogs 2 decades of pain, sweat, blood and tears.
So… this section is all about us.
Isabelle
I started playing the piano when I was 5 and did all 8 of the piano grades available by the AMEB. At this time, Piano for Leisure hadn’t been brought out yet. Yes – I am *that* old. My piano teacher, Ms Jennifer Orton, took me through the first two grades of Theory before deciding that our sanity would be better kept if I switched to Musicianship. Not sure if her hearing appreciated the change…
I completed the minimum requirements (5th grade – yup, not 4th grade) and then promptly decided that I liked finishing things I started. So I kept going. And going. Before I knew it, I’d done 8th Grade Musicianship. Ever sat alone in an exam room? It’s fun.
I also did singing at the same time with Mrs Christine Clarke, who has the patience of a saint. She took me (and Lynn) through 8th Grade Singing and then the Certificate of Performance for Singing.
While I was doing all of this music study, it occurred to me that I could start teaching cute little newbies all I had learnt. So I started teaching and kept teaching until it dawned on me that I was a teacher and I should get a pretty piece of paper that said so. Easier said than done, but thankfully I had the courageous support of the indestructible Mrs Lynette Morgan. Not only is she a fantastic teacher and accompanist, she’s currently also a Board Member of the AMEB and one of their federal examiners. Once again I hoofed it to the AMEB and got myself a Certificate in Teaching. Again, ever sat alone in an exam room? Lots of fun.
In a nutshell:
- 8th Grade Piano
- 8th Grade Singing
- 8th Grade Musicianship
- Certificate of Performance in Singing
- Certificate of Teaching in Piano
- Been a teacher since 2003
- 2016 – AMus Musicology
- 2017 – Member of Music Teachers’ Association of NSW
- 2018 – LMus Musicology