National Council
| Founder of the Institute | |
| Dr Deanna Hoermann | |
| Members of the National Council of the Institute | |
| President | Jason Boron |
| Vice-President | Stephanie Eaton |
| Immediate Past President: Ex Officio | Dr Jason Goopy |
| Secretary | Jennifer Teh |
| Treasurer | Adele Murray |
| Ordinary Council Member | John Goulter |
| Ordinary Council Member | Susan Creese |
| Ordinary Council Member | Ruth Friend |
| Ordinary Council Member | Kate Schultz |
| ACT Branch President | Katharine Finlayson |
| NSW Branch President | Catriona Turnbull |
| Qld Branch President | Alisen McLeod |
| SA Branch President | Gaby Freer |
| Vic Branch President | Alex St Vincent Welch |
| WA Branch President | Rebecca de Haan |
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Jason Boron President Jason Boron is a Lecturer in Music Education at Edith Cowan University (ECU) where he oversees the music specialisation for primary pre-service educators. He is an experienced music educator having taught in early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary settings. Jason is currently President of Kodály Australia and Vice Chairperson of the Australian Society for Music Education (ASME) Western Australian Chapter. As an accredited lecturer for the AKC, Jason has presented courses for Kodály SA, Kodály WA and the Cuskelly College of Music. He has facilitated the Music Education Strategy ‘Musical Foundations’ professional development package for the Department for Education in South Australia. Jason is a past recipient of the Sárolta Kodály Scholarship awarded by the International Kodály Society and was in 2020 awarded the ECU Vice Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award for Innovative Teaching. Jason maintains regular contact with children as a co-director of Smalley for the Western Australian Young Voices. |
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Stephanie Eaton Vice-President Stephanie Eaton is the Director of Performance, Choral Coordinator and Curriculum Music Coordinator at Seymour College, Adelaide, South Australia. Stephanie holds the Grad. Dip Ed, (Secondary), B.Mus. Conducting (Choral), B. Mus Performance (piano), Adv Dip Musc (Accompanying) and L. Mus A (AMEB). She completed the Secondary stream of the AKC and developed her teaching and curriculum at Brisbane Girls Grammar School across 2011 – 2018. After returning to her hometown of Adelaide, Stephanie served as Vice President for the Kodaly SA branch and a key driver of the AKC (Australian Kodaly Course) and Music Education Strategy (MES) currently offered in Adelaide. Stephanie delivers the Musicianship component at the choral school, Young Adelaide Voices and sings in the Aurora, the graduate choir of Young Adelaide Voices. She was awarded the Outstanding Service to Kodaly SA Award, Kodaly Music Education Institute (SA Branch) at the Educators SA, World Teacher’s Day Awards 2021. |
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Dr Jason Goopy Immediate Past President: Ex Officio Dr Jason Goopy is a recognised teacher, scholar, and leader in music education. He is currently Lecturer and Coordinator of Secondary & Instrumental Music Education at Edith Cowan University. Jason draws upon 15 years of teaching music in Australian combined primary and secondary schools and is a specialist in Kodály-inspired pedagogy. Jason’s research investigates how music education positively transforms lives by examining the nexus between music, education, and psychology using arts-based and mixed methods. He received the Australian Society for Music Education Callaway Doctoral Award, and his monograph, Teenage Boys, Musical Identities and Music Education: An Australian Narrative Inquiry, is published by Routledge. Jason is the current national President of the Australian Society for Music Education, Immediate Past President of Kodály Australia, and an Advisory Group Member for the Alberts Tony Foundation national advocacy project, Music Education: Right from the Start. |
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Jennifer Teh Secretary Jen Teh is the Founding Director of Hush Little Baby Early Childhood Music Classes, and a specialist in Early Childhood music education. She holds a Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Education from the University of Queensland and an Australian Kodály Certificate in Music Education (Early Childhood & Primary). Jen has taught early childhood, primary, high school and university music, directed choirs, presented workshops and papers for national and international conferences and symposia in music education and carved out a career as a professional live and studio singer. She is an accredited lecturer for the Australian Kodaly Certificate in Music Education and teaches in both the School of Music and School of Education at the University of Queensland. Jen also facilitates workshops around Australia supporting early childhood educators to ensure that music is an integral part of every child’s life, from birth. |
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Adele Murray Treasurer Adele Murray holds a Graduate Diploma in Kodály music pedagogy from the Kodály Institute of the Franz Liszt Academy, Hungary and a Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) from the Australian Catholic University. Her key area of interest is the integration of Kodály pedagogy into instrumental music teaching. In particular, the teaching sequence for beginner clarinet and beginner concert band. Adele was a member of the QYO Wind Symphony and has played with the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project on six occasions. Adele is a Chartered Accountant, with experience in audit, financial accounting, professional mentoring, tertiary-level teaching and lecturing. |
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John Goulter Ordinary Council Member John Goulter is the Head of Music and Performance at St Patrick’s College Townsville where he has developed a 7-12 Kodaly Inspired curriculum and has undertaken continued service-learning projects with local Indigenous community groups which have led to presentations for Kodaly QLD and at the International Kodaly Symposium resulting publication of research through the International Kodaly Society. Completing his undergraduate teacher and music training under Judith Fromyhr at Australian Catholic University and with various Kodaly Practitioners in Brisbane he has continued to develop his understanding of the Kodaly Concept through Summer Schools at the Cuskelly College of Music and Kodaly Academy, completing a Secondary Australian Kodaly Certificate. He is currently completing a Master of Music in Music Education with a Kodaly Emphasis at Holy Names University. He has a keen interest in practical ethnomusicology undertaking independent excursions to Japan, Tuva, and India, and adapting the Kodaly concept to the world of Jazz. |
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Susan Creese Ordinary Council Member Susan Creese has specialised in early childhood and primary music education, and has developed and implemented aural-vocal inspired music programs in independent schools across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. She is currently lecturing in pre-service programs as a sessional academic at Edith Cowan University, and teaches Musicianship and Conducting in Kodály QLD’s AKC Course. Susan is also a visiting music teacher at local kindergartens. Susan holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the QLD Conservatorium, a Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) from UQ, and a Master of Arts from the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy in Hungary. Susan has previously served as Membership Secretary and National Secretary on Kodály Australia’s National Council. |
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Ruth Friend Ordinary Council Member Ruth is previously Assistant Head of Music at St Kevin’s College, Toorak. As a methodology course lecturer for Kodály Australia and through her co-development of the highly successful ‘Take Note Music’ series of books and resources she passionately supports music teachers and encourages quality music education in Australia. Ruth holds a B Ed (Music) and Grad Dip in Movement & Dance. Her more than 35 years of teaching experience and expertise encompasses classroom, instrumental, choral and movement programs from Kindergarten to University. |
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Kate Schultz Ordinary Council Member Kate Schultz (Wilson) is a Western Australian music educator with experience spanning both primary and secondary school. She has completed the levels of the Australian Kodály certificate for both age groups. Currently, Kate is deepening her knowledge and skills by pursuing a Masters in Kodály Music Pedagogy at the Kodály Pedagogical Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy in Hungary. Kate was awarded the Sárolta Kodály Scholarship in support of her studies, and is looking forward to applying the skills and knowledge in her teaching. |
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Katharine Finlayson ACT Branch President Katharine has been a Preschool and Primary School Music Specialist teacher for 32 years, working in Queensland, Victoria, the ACT and London. She has a B. Mus. Ed. Degree from the Qld Conservatorium of Music, with Distinction. Katharine’s sequential, developmental teaching programs are based on the Kodaly philosophy, reflecting her passion for singing. In 2011 Katharine received a National Award for Excellence in School Music Education. In 2014, she was nominated for the Katalin Forrai award for Preschool Music Education, which was administered by the International Kodaly Society. Katharine is currently employed as the Executive Teacher, Professional Practice for Music and the Arts in the ACT. She works with classroom teachers across a number of schools, supporting them to deliver music education programs to their classes and to develop choirs. She is the founder and conductor of the successful ACT Primary and Senior Concert Choirs. In 2016 the ACT Primary Concert Choir received a Community Service Award from the OAM Association, presented by the Governor General. Katharine is a Nationally Certified Lead Teacher (AITSL) and she is the President of KMEIA ACT. |
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Catriona Turnbull NSW Branch President Catriona Turnbull is a classroom teacher (currently P-6) and director of several choirs at Ascham School in Sydney. She has a keen interest in how children learn to read music and become independent musicians. Catriona combines this interest with exceptional IT skills and a love of visual presentation. She has explored and developed many resources to facilitate the education of children in secondary, primary and infants school. Catriona has a passion for choral music and believes every child should have the opportunity to find their voice and experience the joy of singing in a choir. |
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Alisen McLeod Qld Branch President Alisen McLeod has been a classroom music specialist in primary schools for 21 years and is the current President of Kodály Queensland. She has been on the QLD branch committee since 2019 and has a strong focus on bringing professional development to teachers in rural and regional areas of QLD. Part of this commitment was bringing a hybrid (online/in-person) model of the Australian Kodály Certificate courses to QLD members. Alisen is proud to be the Course Coordinator of the AKC courses, run by Kodály QLD since 2021. Alisen has a strong interest in vocal pedagogy, she was on the board of the National Youth Choir of Australia for 6 years and ran a private singing studio for 14 years. She has presented workshops both locally and interstate. |
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Gaby Freer SA Branch President Gaby did her initial music and educational training in Switzerland. She studied voice at the Konservatorium in Zürich as well as gained her qualification as a primary school teacher there. Since arriving in Australia in 1988 Gaby has been teaching music programs in schools and early childhood settings. She currently teaches and assesses Choir for Festival of Music- a departmental Choral Program for students in Y 5-7. She is the deputy conductor for SAPPS (South Australian Public Primary School Choir- an auditioned extracurricular choir). Gaby has been part of the National Music Mentoring Program (NMTMP) as an initial mentor. She will continue this role in 2019 and expand into mentoring the mentors as lead mentor. Gaby has been part of the KMEIA SA committee for the past 11 years, she has served in different roles and is currently president of Kodály SA. She is a regular presenter at their workshops. She has also presented for ANCA SA. Gaby lectures and teaches at Flinders University, working with preservice teachers in workshop series to implement Music into their teaching practice. |
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Alex St Vincent Welch VIC Branch President Alex St Vincent Welch teaches Music at Camberwell Grammar in Melbourne. He has taught in Queensland, Canada and the UK. He is currently studying Educational Neuroscience at the University of Melbourne and has a keen interest in the intersection of how we teach music and how the brain learns. |
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Rebecca de Haan WA Branch President Rebecca is a teacher and pianist who spends her time teaching music in primary and secondary classrooms, tutoring piano and working as an accompanist. She is currently employed at Penrhos College and was recently appointed as President of Kodály WA. Rebecca has completed several levels of the AKC in Primary and Secondary teaching, and is looking forward to completing her Secondary AKC in Brisbane next year. |
| National Council Standing Committees / Positions | |
| Education Committee | Dr Jason Goopy (convenor) Jason Boron Dr James Cuskelly OAM Susan Creese Stephanie Eaton Gaby Freer Ruth Friend Johnathon Goulter Tess Laird Julie Logan Catriona Turnbull |
| Finance and Strategic Planning Committee | Jason Boron (convenor) Margie Francis (consultant) Stephanie Eaton Susie Fredline Johnathon Goulter Adele Murray Adam Kehl |
| Scholarships and Awards Committee | Catriona Turnbull (convenor) Jason Boron Tess Laird Anna van Veldhuisen |
| Webmaster | Dr Jason Goopy |
| National Council Project Committees | |
| Insurance | Jason Boron (convenor) Stephanie Eaton Dr Jason Goopy |
About Kodály Australia
Latest News
1000 Active Members!
Dear Members I am pleased to share that Kodály Australia recently recorded over 1000 active members in our database. This is an incredible achievement for our community and worthy of acknowledgement. Please know that your continued membership of Kodály Australia …
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The Cuskelly College of Music has announced details of the 2025 Summer School Music Program to be held at St Laurence’s College in Brisbane from Monday, 6 January to Friday, 17 January 2025. An extensive and rich program is on …
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Kodály Australia Member Update
Dear Members I am pleased to provide members with an update on the recent activities of the Institute. Kodály Australia Conference 2024 Congratulations, Kodály Victoria, for hosting an outstanding Kodály Australia Conference in Naarm/Melbourne last month. It was incredibly inspiring …
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New Membership Portal
Kodály Australia has moved to a new membership database service called Wild Apricot. The change is required because our GameDay system is no longer fit for our purpose. What does this mean for Kodály Australia members? Effective immediately, online membership applications and …
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IKS Scholarship
The International Kodály Society (IKS) offers fee waiver scholarships to support participation in Kodály-inspired professional development. The closing date for the next round is 1 November 2024. Complete information, including selection criteria and eligibility, is available on the IKS website. I …
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