As a dedicated local dad and long-standing member of this community, I've had the privilege of teaching music at numerous local schools in the South Eastern Beaches and Eastern Suburbs, reaching over 50 schools in Sydney and more than 10,000 students. Fifteen years ago I channeled this into a singular vision and founded Maroubra Music School, with a focus on early music education for children, particularly aspects of music that enhance social, emotional and cognitive skills in young learners. I also tutor young musicians embarking on performance or academic careers up to degree level, and have mentored students through many successful academic school and university scholarships, TV performance and auditions for The Voice, NIDA, and several with successful international recording contracts.

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Academic and Performance.

I hold a degree in classical music, and I am currently undertaking a Master's degree in music-focussed neuroscience, but my primary area of music study is New York Jazz where I lived and studied myself. I have also performed and taught South American Latin music, and of course Pop and Contemporary. I am a multi-instrumental musician experienced in both studio and live settings, from orchestral to ensemble. I have performed in Europe, America, Asia, Australia, South Pacific, and even on cruise ship orchestras. While I deeply value traditional music techniques, I also embrace technology in music education. My studies in sound physics and audio / video engineering allow me to offer instruction in songwriting, digital recording, and animation, preparing modern musicians for a high-tech world.

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Educational / Tutoring / Mentoring.

I have extensive experience working with students with ASD, ADHD, anxiety, apraxia of speech & SM. My work in musical linguistics and motor function has drawn the attention and endorsements of occupational and speech therapists, specialist doctors, child psychologists and child psychiatrists who enroll their children in my classes and actively recommend my services. Additionally, my background in performance and the professional sector resonates with screen actors and drama professionals who seek quality musical education for their children.

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Academic study areas: Pitch Coding / Cognitive / Improvisation.

Musical pitch is a significant academic focus for me and I pioneered a fun system to teach little kids to develop perfect pitch which is related to early language acquisition - a skill that fades in childhood if it is not nurtured. Perfect pitch is where we can hear and name any of the 12 musical notes. It is also a cross-modal memory skill that improves mental agility and ability because it involves the pitch and language areas of the brain.

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Improvisation is a central aspect of my teaching mostly because it inspires the students to try without fear of mistakes - there are 'no mistakes' in an impro. Everything is a statement, which is very empowering for a young person. All my students know the command 'impro' which is when they get to 'mix it up and make it up'. Of course there is cognitive science behind this. Improvisation is the ability to quickly rearrange objects to create something new. It is a lateral vs linear approach - both are important and the process is to move seamlessly between 'impro' and 'strict'. It is a higher level cognitive activity involving divergent thinking and demands cognitive flexibility. You can see more here about cognitive advantages to your children, and parent testimonials for Blake:

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