This year we welcome three new teachers to the JWA faculty. Robert Campbell is teaching trumpet on Wednesdays. Michael Walder is teaching double and electric bass, also on Wednesdays. Duncan Ford is teaching electric and acoustic guitar on Wednesdays.
Robert Campbell is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and is currently studying for a postgraduate Master of Teaching degree at the University of Western Sydney. He is an accomplished and respected jazz player who is also at home playing lead or section trumpet in big bands. Two of the groups he works with are the Sydney Jazz Orchestra and the Divergence Big Band.
Michael Walder is also a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium with a B.Mus in Jazz Studies as well as holding a BA in philosophy from Macqaurie University. He works with a number of swing, jazz and contemporary music ensembles. His teaching experience includes directing big bands for Sydney Boys’ High School.
Duncan Ford joins us to teach guitar, initially on Wednesdays. He is another graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He is an experienced teacher and an innovative performer at home playing both mainstream “straight ahead” jazz as well as far more contemporary and even experimental ensembles.
Another recent addition to the JWA faculty is trombone teacher Tim Coggins who joined us late last year to replace Roy Ferin. Roy retired from teaching to work full time as manager for the pop singer Darren Percival. Tim is, again, a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium with a BMus in Jazz performance. He is a composer as well as a performer. His band, the TC Sextet showcases his original compositions. He is also an experienced big band player and is a member of the Divergence Big Band and Judy Bailey’s Jazz Connection.
All four of our new teachers studied Jazz Pedagogy as part of their degrees at the Conservatorium. An optional elective, the fact that they took that course demonstrates both the value that they place on teaching and education, and that they have formal training in teaching as well as performance. Welcome to all of our new arrivals. We commend them to any prospective student as excellent teachers. They have been “head hunted” by us for their teaching skill, their professionalism, their high level of playing and their demonstrated commitment to education.
