Pauline Ainsworth
Band Director and Tutor
Pauline started learning trumpet in primary school. After high school she studied conducting and learned multiple instruments, and she still performs in community bands. Pauline’s love of music is seen in her students, some who have become professional performers and teachers. She looks forward to teaching new generations of musicians!
Lucia Bichara
Band Director and Tutor
Damian Butler
Band Director and Tutor
Lindsay Chang
Tutor
Lindsay has been playing saxophone for the past 10 years, along with various other wind and brass instruments. She has been a part of concert bands, stage band, orchestra, and the NSWPS Millennium Marching Band. Her passion for music evolved from other TSA tutors who taught and encouraged her up to her HSC performance.
Jack Cherry
Tutor
Jack is a passionate trumpet player who specialises in teaching brass and bass guitar. He has been playing the trumpet in school and community bands since 2010, and has completed at the national and state levels. Jack enjoys guiding his students on the journey to excellence, and having some fun along they way.
Zoe Conolan-Glen
Tutor
Zoe is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and conductor who has been involved in music education her entire career, and credits her musicality and passion to strong school band programs during her upbringing.
She trained as a trombonist, but is now in demand as an accordionist, euphonist and theremin player (really!) in orchestra pits and recording studios across Sydney.
Benjamin Crowe
Tutor
Benjamin Crowe is currently studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He is the Band Conductor and a tutor at several schools. He recently participated in conducting masterclasses, and in July 2025 will attend the Vienna Opera Academy as Assistant Conductor.
Ramon Echevarria
Tutor
Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Music from Macquarie University in 2015, Ramon is one of Sydney’s preeminent guitarists, performing with several bands around the country and overseas.
Elijah Fan
Tutor
Elijah plays drums, cello, double bass and electric bass. Currently studying at the Australian Institute of Music, Elijah is the drummer and lead singer of The Kings of the Quay and is dedicated to learning new things about music and teaching.
Matthew King
Band Director and Tutor
Matthew studied clarinet at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and graduated in 2015. He enjoys musical education as well as regular performances with various orchestras around Sydney.
Mari Kivela
Band Director and Tutor
Mari studied clarinet performance, music education and conducting in Finland and the Netherlands before landing in Sydney in 2015. Mari is always excited to learn new instruments and currently plays euphonium, French horn and trombone in community orchestras around Sydney.
Daniel Masman
Band Director and Tutor
Arts graduate of the University of Western Sydney, Dan also studied film and composition at the Australian Film Television Radio School. Teaching and composing for over 20 years, his other skills include animation colourist and video store clerk. In the future, Dan hopes to be among the first humans to colonize Mars.
Jessica McBride
Band Director and Tutor
Jess initially learned flute and alto saxophone as part of a school band program and studied music at the University of Newcastle. She strives to instill a love of music with a sound knowledge of the basics and an emphasis on fun!
Rowen McBride
Band Director and Tutor
Rowen is passionate about music education. He studied at the Conservatorium in Newcastle, and currently directs concert, jazz and brass bands across the Central Coast and Sydney. Rowen regularly conducts and adjudicates in state and national competitions and enjoys performing as a member of Central Coast Brass.
Tom McCracken
Band Director and Tutor
Tom is a percussionist and music teacher who is currently studying his Bachelor of Music at UNSW. He has played countless musicals with various Sydney societies, toured internationally with the NSWPS Millennium Marching Band, and is also currently a member of The Butchers jazz trio and 343 Brass Band who both play a range of Sydney venues.
Joshua McNulty
Band Director and Tutor
Joshua has been a passionate musical educator in numerous schools since graduating from the Sydney Conservatorium in 2015. Beyond teaching, conducting, composing and playing with community bands, he also founded and directs The FilmHarmonia Orchestra, who play concerts celebrating and promoting the artistic integrity of the world’s great film music.
Ben Miesch
Director, TSA
Lexie Miesch
Band Director and Tutor
Lexie is a passionate and dedicated band director and tutor. Whilst specialising in trumpet, she is a multi-instrumentalist. Lexie was previously a professional dancer in NSW and overseas before rekindling her love for music and teaching.
Maddison O’Connor
Band Director and Tutor
Wayne Rigby
Band Director and Tutor
Wayne has been teaching professionally for 15 years and currently teaches at 9 schools in NSW. Wayne teaches and performs on 13 instruments and tours with his band Bonnie Kay and the Bonafides – one of the leading blues/jazz/roots bands in the country.
Alex Slater
Band Director and Tutor
Having graduated with honours from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Alex has pursued a career in composition and is currently scoring for film and television. Formally trained as a jazz drummer Alex worked for many years as a session musician and has toured both nationally and internationally. When he’s not teaching or composing he’s writing and performing with local bands.
Paul Vandenberg
Tutor
Paul enjoys playing trombone (in a local Big Band) and tuba (in a local Concert Band), as well as playing guitar when busking with his daughter. He is currently teaching brass instruments at a range of schools in the Hills District, and particularly enjoys seeing the youngest musicians grow to love music.
Daryl Walton
Band Director and Tutor
Daryl is an enthusiastic and energetic band director and tutor who has been running band programs with TSA for nearly 10 years. Daryl currently teaches at eight primary schools. Daryl and his son Nic are members of the Café Latte Orchestra that perform in regional centres throughout NSW.