Q and A
Question
Answer
Can you tell us a bit about you, and what you are up to these days?
I am a musicologist, teacher and performer. I am the co-editor of Memories of Musical Lives from Lyrebird Press.
What was a highlight of your time in AYO programs?
Overseas tours were a challenge!
What skills, musical and otherwise, did you take away from your time at AYO?
I gained considerable musical and social experience from participating in AYO.
Why do you think AYO is important to the Australian cultural landscape?
AYO offers great opportunities for young musicians to work together.
How would you describe AYO in three words?
Vibrant, challenging, enthusiastic.
How or why did you choose your instrument?
I began to play the bassoon because the Canberra Youth Orchestra didn't have any bassoon players. My father knew composer and bassoonist George Dreyfus, who was a creative artist at the Australian National University at that time. George found an instrument for me and taught me for a year before I went to my first National Music Camp.
What instrument would you play if you couldn’t play your primary instrument?
I have concentrated on singing since those days.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Best wishes to everyone in the AYO family.