I remember when I was about 15, we got stuck in a snowstorm, and we had to sleep in a shearing shed. One of my dad’s friends had his guitar and he sang us a song called Alice’s Restaurant. I was just completely captivated and that really hooked me into the storytelling aspect of music, which was something that I’d missed up until then. I love listening to the lyrics of songs and the messages that they tell in such beautiful ways, that touch you more than just the words alone.

The next step for me was to think ‘how can I tell a story like that but without the words – just let the sounds give you a message’? That’s something that I enjoy doing when I’m conducting a band, I think ‘what’s the story you’re trying to tell your audience?’ That’s a never-ending challenge.

The skills I learned at Jazz School have been so helpful in being a band leader. The music theory, the way melodies fit over chords, how to arrange for different instruments in different groups has made me really flexible. For the school band, I can arrange a song for the players that I have.

My school took a gamble on me to be honest, because I was a beginning teacher. I think one of the reasons I’ve been able to be successful at Heathcote is because they have supported me to create the music programme in a way that suited me. We have a concert band with the instruments that I can help with. They’ve always trusted me, and because of that trust, I feel like I had a responsibility to do a good job. It means that we’ve been able to go from strength to strength. The kids surprise me regularly with what they can do.”

– Sarah

Part 1/2