Andrea - Conductor
As we come up to the third year of Squawkestra it is amazing to see how much Squawkestra has grown and progressed. From a tiny group of 5 people struggling to play through a 30 second piece of music to a 50 piece orchestra braving all kinds of repertoire it has been my pleasure to conduct through all the sublimely messy and wonderfully musical moments!
Andrea studied piano with Dr.Ian Holtham and obtained her Bachelor of Music from Melbourne University in 1993. While there she participated in conducting classes with Graham Abbott & John Hopkins but didn't have many chances to use those skills until Squawkestra came along! She has been a part or leader of various ensembles with piano, viol da gamba, voice and percussion, began and ran The Music Collective (school for Music, Theory and Dance) for 10 years and now specialises in teaching piano to adult and advanced students.
She also has a slightly mad and chubby Pomeranian called Sassy and her favourite colour is brown.
What I like about Squawkestra:
It sounds like such a simple thing, but for most adult beginners, or those out of the loop, it can be quite difficult to find others of a similar standard or interest to play with. Squawkestra offers that to a particular neglected group - the adult amateur orchestral musician, in a really welcoming, accepting and fun way.
