Marjorie has experience in music education, administration, performance, and music study. She trained as a secondary school music teacher, has taught privately as well as in primary and secondary schools, Universities, several community schools, and in private music institutes, and has a PhD in Musicology training.
Anna is a highly skilled and experienced individual with a diverse background. She has got a passion for teaching, evident in her extensive experience as an English and piano tutor across different age groups and countries. She is also well-versed in music, holding ABRSM qualifications up to Diploma level. Her experience in customer service and administration from her role at a dental clinic and an accounting company adds another dimension to her skillset.
Ariel plays piano (ATCL), violin (grade 7 distinction), viola and pipa. Recipient of the HHS Fagan Trophy and Nisbett Award for Music, she organises Chinese ensemble One Moon, and won NZCT chamber contest awards with the HHS 8-hands quartet. Ariel composes & arranges for One Moon, HNS & BNMS orchestras, and other freelance ensembles.
Alex has been learning and playing music for over 14 years and has taught for several years. Alex is an accomplished Brass and Drumkit player. He is a member of Matamata Brass and has played with Hamilton City Brass Band, Hamilton Auxiliary Brass Band, and the Trust Waikato Symphony Orchestra. In his spare time, Alex enjoys videography, art, and cars.
Recently arrived from Northern Ireland, Ann Speed was employed for 27 years as an Upper Strings Tutor by the Music Service of the Southern Education and Library Board in Northern Ireland. This role also included assistant conductor of the South Ulster Youth Orchestra and more recently musical director of the South Ulster String Orchestra. Alongside her teaching career, Ann remained an active performer in semi-professional orchestras and ensembles throughout Ireland.
Following her completion of a degree in Music with Honours, Catrin achieved a postgraduate diploma in Performance Flute. She has taught Flute in Hamilton-area primary and intermediate schools for a number of years, and participated in Starjam in 2019.
Danny has extensive experience as a Brass, Wind, and Bass Guitar player and teacher, a band leader, and a Ukulele player/teacher. He first played with the Waikato Symphony Orchestra in 1968, after a time playing in the 3rd Battalion, Auckland Regimental (Territorial Army) band as 1st Trumpet and currently plays trombone with the Hamilton Big Band. He has been an in-school music teacher and served as guest player and mentor with the United Youth Orchestra. Danny established the current Ukulele program at WCSM and incorporated Ukulele into the Concert Band.
I-Tzu (Emma) is currently in her third year at Waikato University, pursuing a Bachelor of Social Science with majors in Psychology and Music Performance. She has several years of experience teaching cello and piano to students from 5 to 30 years and has often performed at rest homes in Hamilton. Emma was part of the Waikato Youth Orchestra and Sacred Heart Girls’ College Concert Band and Jazz Band while at high school.
Ian is a classically trained guitarist and has an ATCL in Classical Guitar. He has taught Classical Guitar and Music Theory at the Waikato Community School of Music for four years. As a Classical Guitar teacher, he focuses on teaching correct guitar techniques, sight-reading, an understanding of music theory, ear training and the importance of playing rhythm “in time”. Ian has helped prepare students for Music Performance exams with excellent results. As a performer, Ian’s repertoire includes Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionist and folk-inspired classical music from Spanish and South American Music.
Jean teaches violin and piano, and she has taught violin both privately and in schools for over 30 years. In addition to her teaching experience, Jean has an ATCL violin, Grade 8 piano, and B Soc sciences. Jean is involved with tutoring students in the WCSM String Orchestra and has played first violin with the Trust Waikato Symphony orchestra.
A jazz fan, Jeff has taught music privately, and specializes in Clarinet and Saxophone. He has held the positions of first Tenor Sax as well as first Clarinet with the Hamilton Boys’ High School Jazz Band, Waikato Secondary Schools’ Big Band and orchestra respectively. Jeff also has a special interest in music production.
Joseph is currently studying towards a degree in Music at the University of Waikato. An experienced youth leader, he has several years’ experience teaching and leading music in a number of different environments. Joseph plays and can teach keyboard, bass and acoustic guitar, and has a particular interest in music theory.
Joyce has taught Electronic Keyboard and piano in Hamilton, both privately and in group format, for a number of years. She is experienced in the music syllabus of Trinity College of Music, London, and has a highly successful record of preparing keyboard and piano students for the College’s examinations.
Many of her students have achieved quite high exam results. Joyce encourages her students to have a strong work ethic, which will serve them well in all walks of life.
Matt has played for Youth Orchestra Waikato, the Waikato Schools’ Symphonic Band and Hamilton Boys’ High School Jazz Band. He is proficient in Recorder, Clarinet and both Tenor and Alto Sax, and has played with the Civic Choir and Cantando. Matt is also a singer, having been a member of the Tron Songsters since 2017.
Raphael is currently preparing for ATCL piano and Grade 8 violin. He also plays Erhu, Pipa, Guitar and Timpani. Raphael has received the Hillcrest High School’s Fagan trophy of Music in 2023, and was highly commended in the Chamber Music Contest, as a member of the 8-hands Piano Quartet. He is a member of United Youth Orchestra, Formosa Chamber Orchestra, HHS Orchestra, Concert Band, and the accompanist for the HHS Choir.
Tafa Rae is currently studying toward a conjoint degree of a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Law at The University of Waikato. She excelled in the arts in high school, earning the Prestige in the Arts trophy, the Top Pasifika Scholar trophy, and the Pasifika Arts and Drama trophy in 2023. Tafa Rae plays ukulele, keyboard, and guitar, having been an ex-student of WCSM herself. Tafa Rae has a particular interest in singing and musical theatre.
Originally from Taiwan, Tony is currently the teacher of the String Programme at Hillcrest Normal School, conductor of HNS Orchestra, Berkley Middle School Big Band, United Youth Orchestra and WCSM Sinfonia.
Tony has an MFA(Music/Conducting) from National Taiwan Normal University, majoring in violin performance and orchestral conducting, and is a highly recognised conductor in Taiwan.
Orchestras that he has been involved with over the past 20 years, include Taipei County Symphony Orchestra, Taipei Century Youth Orchestra, Taipei Municipal XinSheng Elemtary School String Orchestra, Taipei Municipal DaAn Junior High School String Orchestra, Sun Taipei Symphony Orchestra. He was also the Music Director of New Taipei Municipal AnXi Junior High School Symphonic Band and Taipei Municipal DaAn Junior High School String Orchestra, which won the high excellent grade and 1st prize in the Taiwan National Music Competition from 2010 to 2019. In 2011, Tony and DaAn String Orchestra won the prize of Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival and were invited to perform in the Goldener Saal in Vienna Austria. They were the youngest team (year 7-8 students) among more than 30 orchestras from over the world.
Tony recently acted as the concert master in some of the series concerts by Trust Waikato Symphony Orchestra (TWSO), and is a violinist with OCT Ensemble, St. Peters Cathedral Cantata Vespers, and the concert master of Formosa Chamber orchestra.
The Waikato Community School of Music is dedicated to making high-quality music education accessible, affordable, and enriching for all ages in the Waikato community.
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