Janis Balodis trained and taught at E15 Acting School in London. His major works as a playwright, Too Young for Ghosts (1985), No Going Back (1992), and My Father’s Father (1996), all premiered at Melbourne Theatre Company. His other plays include many commissions for small regional companies. Since coming to Lismore Janis has written the librettos for three music theatre premiers with NORPA: The Mercenary (1997), Mr. Barbeque (2001), and Electric Lenin (2006). Recent plays include Perfect Skin (2006) at La Boite, and Red Cap (2007), a musical which had a season at Mt Isa and La Boite. His most recent production was BOAT (2008) for 3 -8 year olds for 'Out of the Box Festival' in Brisbane.

Janis has also been an Associate Director at Melbourne Theatre Company where he directed eleven productions, dramaturg-in-residence and Artistic Associate at Queensland Theatre Company, and a member of the Literature and Theatre Boards of the Australia Council. Janis received the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award in 1985, and has been the recipient of Australia Council Literature Fellowships in 1985 and1994 as well as a Theatre Board Fellowship in 2001.

BA Soc Sc, Dip Mus, Cert IV TAA

Imogen Wolf is the Head of Music at NRCAC. She coordinates the Vocal Programme in the full-time courses, and teaches Voice, Sight Singing, Aural and Rhythm Training, and Vocal Workshop. Imogen brings a solid understanding of vocal science, the creative process and performance skills to her teaching work. A singer/songwriter, she won the NCEIA Dolphin Award for Best Female Vocalist in 2005. Imogen also runs Choir Baby, an a cappella world music choir in nearby Bangalow, and facilitates singing and vocal technique workshops locally and internationally.

Cert III Mus, Cert IV Mus, Dip Mus, BA Mus

Sam is a vibrant and enthusiastic teacher of PA, Audio Engineering, and Studio Operation. He was recording engineer for Grinspoon's "Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills" demo recordings and PA engineer for Woodford Folk Festival in 2004 and 2005. He was the recipient of the 2007 NCEIA Production/ Engineering Dolphin Award for Gust of Gravity's "The Figure, The Ghost". He also runs a local recording studio, Meridian Receiver.

BMus (Hons), AMus

Mark Bromley teaches guitar and bass guitar, a little fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and cello, as well as music theory and composition. He has composed scores for several low budget theatre companies, composed and performed with IGNEOUS (performance theatre), and played with countless ensembles from solo to orchestra in many genres from classical to avant garde for the last 30 years.

BA Mus

Andy Downer is a composer, singer/songwriter, audio engineer, producer, keyboard player, synth programmer, and photographer. Over the past eleven years he has composed music for a range of Australian TV shows, Discovery Channel documentaries, and for production music libraries. To date his music has been distributed and broadcast in many territories around the world, and utilised in a wide range of media including radio, television, and cinema.

Companies and artists with whom Andy has worked include Beyond Group, Telcast International, Great Wight Productions, Beatbox Music, Quantum Tracks, James Cameron, Olivia Newton John, Delta Goodrem, and Mars Lasar. He works from his own studio and has an iTunes release with more to come.

Andy also lectures at various educational institutions in Australia, specialising in song writing, music theory, electronic music production, synthesis, and music recording technology. He works in various capacities at the NRCAC: as a Keyboard and Song Writing teacher, Web Designer, and IT guy.

Check out his web site at www.ad-studio.tv

BA Mus, Grad Dip Ed, BMus (Hons), PhD

Matt teaches piano, guitar, ensemble and concert practice, and for the early part of 2011 he is also Acting Head of Community Studies. He has worked in the music industry for over 20 years living in both metropolitan (Sydney, Melbourne, New York) and regional (Lismore, Townsville) areas. He is a composer, performer and producer and has performed in bands as a guitarist, drummer, bass player and keyboard player.

Highlights include touring to the UK with the group amphibian and composing music for the short film "Mu". His album "Warm Keep Warm" won three NCEIA Dolphin Awards in 2009 including album of the year. He currently performs with his own group (of variable size) and with the bush rock band Red Belly Black.

BA Mus

Scott Hills teaches the fundamental skills of drumset and percussion in a variety of styles focussing heavily on ensemble playing and playing within the rhythm section of a group. His experience in the Australian music scene in recorded and live performance situations is passed on directly to his students within lessons.

Scott has performed with many well known artists such as: Marcia Hines, Tommy Emmanuel, Kasey Chambers, John Williamson, Debra Conway, James Blundell, Shannon Noll, and Troy Cassar-Daley. Other career highlights include Aria nomination for "best blues and roots album" and winning a Golden Guitar award, both with his band The Flood.

Kristina Olsen teaches songwriting and delivers some performance/guitar masterclasses. She brings thirty years touring experience as a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and performer. Olsen has taught in private adult music camps all over the world, and has written numerous articles for Acoustic Guitar Magazine. She won the Kerrville Songwriting contest and has had her songs recorded and covered by Fairport Convention, Mollie O'Brien, Eric Bibb, and Mary Coughlan among others.

Olsen has eleven CDs out under her own name (four on a major label), as well as a live DVD, and has recorded and performed with a multitude of artists, including; Michelle Shocked, Rikki Lee Jones, and Mary Coughlan. She comes from California and regularly plays the festival and club circuit both here in Australia and overseas.

Visit her website is at www.kristinaolsen.net

BA Mus, Grad Dip Ed

Anita Bellman is Head of Community Studies and teaches Voice in both the Academy Courses and Community Studies Department. Having graduated from SCU with a Bachelor of Contemporary Music and a Graduate Diploma in Education, Anita comes to the Conservatorium with a solid background in Classical, Contemporary and Choral Music as well as Event Management and Community Arts. Anita also runs “United Voices” Choir through Lismore TAFE Foundation Studies Department and teaches in Southern Cross University’s Contemporary Music course.

Not only a performer & self produced hip-hop music artist Clive Best is also an experienced old-skool hip-hop dancer/teacher. He has taught pre-school aged children right through to adults. Beginning his days in Sydney in the early 90s training with recognized studios such as Keen Kids, Johnny Young Talent Team, Dance Factory and Anne McDonald School of Performing Arts, Clive has a broad understanding of many different dance styles and cultures.

Focused mainly on hip-hop, Clive has had extensive training in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Funk/Hip-Hop, Breaking, Salsa, Brazilian Capoeira and Acrobatics. Influenced by each of these different styles he has developed a unique and interesting teaching style; from smooth rhythmical warm-ups to fast pace Capoeira movements fused with some funky old-skool hip hop routines, Clive's class is guaranteed to get the blood pumping and the soul grooving!

Dan Brown started playing piano as a 12 year old and went on to to study composition at ANU with Larry Sitsky. Dan has enjoyed playing many international tours and major national festivals. He plays in a diverse range of styles from funk, latin, jazz, and classical, as well as contemporary modalities such as electro, drum'n'bass and dubstep. Having extensive experience in many contemporary and traditional styles he is a flexible and affable pedagogue.

Ajita has been working with young people to create and perform theatre for the last 12 years; firstly with the Circolino Pipistrello Children’s Circus in Switzerland, then as Tutor and Director of the Riverina Young People’s Theatre in Wagga Wagga and most recently as Assistant Director to the NORPA production Engine. Ajita has also performed and created theatre with Word of Mouth Productions touring HSC Poetry works to schools and at Splendour in the Grass with The Tuntable Circus. Ajita has participated in NIDA Summer Schools in Acting, Directing, Script-writing and Youth Theatre, and is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Creative Writing at SCU.

Rex has been teaching drum kit for nearly 30 years. He moved to the Northern Rivers in Jan 2006 and is currently tutoring over 40 students. Rex is a professional musician who is working regularly with country/ bluegrass band ‘The Round Mountain Girls’, reggae/ latin band ‘Ragga Jump’, funk/soul band ‘The Crew’, and others.

BA Cont. Mus, Grad Dip Ed

Felicity Clifton is a Community Studies Vocal Tutor and Co-Ordinator of the Early Childhood Music Programme. Having won a Dolphin Award in the folk genre in 2000, she graduated from SCU, Lismore in 2004 with a Bachelor of Contemporary Music and Graduate Diploma of Education. She has directed various choral groups for both children and adults in Australia and internationally. Felicity specialises in singing as a therapy for pre/post-natal groups as well as mental health choirs. Highlights include choir directing and vocal workshops (Mental Health Conference, 2009 Sydney), and co-facilitating a cappella choirs in Italy and Samoa.

Julius Hofstetter has been teaching saxophone, clarinet and recorder at the Conservatorium since 2002. After finishing a BA in Contemporary Music he studied a unit of Teaching and Learning. In 2008 he added a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.

Julius inspires both beginners and advanced students by teaching fundamental skills through to advanced contemporary improvisation concepts. In 2010 he started the Northern Rivers Youth Jazz Ensemble. Julius has performed and recorded with numerous artists here and overseas, including playing soul, blues, reggae, pop, world music and jazz touring on the east coast of Australia. Currently he plays with The Big Band At The End Of The Universe, Stipsky, Sould, and numerous projects and collaborations.

B.Mus., Dip.Ed

Bruce teaches piano and piano accordion for the Conservatorium from his home studio in Lismore Heights. He is a composer of piano and choral music, a choirleader, and singer songwriter. He provides accordion and vocals in the eclectic festival band KaOZ Klezmer, and is a member of SCU's Isabella Acapella.

He has performed many kinds of music on many instruments, and trained teachers and taught students at all levels of music education. As Head of Music at NRCAC in the nineties, he established Certificate and Diploma courses in Contemporary Music, and re-formed and conducted the regional orchestra.

His festival performances include the National Folk Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, National Jazz Convention, Sydney Festival, Adelaide and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, and minor festivals at Lismore, Moorambilla, Illawarra and Grafton.

There are many examples of his songs, poems, prose and music on his website: www.brucemcnicol.com.au, and his choral music is at www.ozechoir.com.au

Fleur St. Vincent Welch has been teaching the violin for over eight years in various schools and music institutions around the North Coast and the Northern Tablelands. With a special interest in the pre-school and primary school age group, Fleur aims to give students a solid foundation in music theory and violin technique covering a range of musical styles. Students are encouraged to explore musical expression and interpretation in a fun and supportive environment. Duet and ensemble playing are strongly encouraged.

Fleur has conducted the NRCAC Little Strings ensemble for the past 3 years, and formerly The Emmanuel College (Ballina) Strings ensemble, who had the opportunity to play for the former Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2004. She has also played in various community orchestras as well as guest appearances with local band The Romaniacs.

B. Mus, Dip Ed, Grad Dip Special Ed

As a pianist, Wendy has performed as a soloist playing piano concerti with several orchestras, and has recorded piano recitals for ABC radio. She has won many eisteddfods, the Allans Award for best pianist at the Conservatorium at Melbourne University, as well as competitions on TV. She performed with Michael Sharman in his shows around the Northern Rivers. As a violinist Wendy has played in seven orchestras, worked for 8 years in a bush band, and currently plays in the Bella String quartet. As a composer Wendy has arranged music for three local theatre companies, written school musicals and arranged much music for strings.

As a teacher Wendy has taught music privately (piano, violin, and cello), early childhood music, school music and special education in both primary and secondary schools. Her most famous students are Kylie Minogue (piano) and Vanessa Amorosi (Year 7-12 school music). She has also taught AMEB theory to hundreds of students up to A.Mus.A level.

See her web site, www.easystringmusic.com