OUR CONDUCTOR - Wendy Rowlands
A talented and lifelong musician, Wendy is eclectic in her knowledge, talents and interests. With a philosophy that incorporates celebrations of music making, dance, rhythm, and song, she is an avid supporter of community music, thus creating situations of inclusion, participation and great joy for many people.
Music filled her childhood, Wendy, her two siblings and parents all played, listened and explored music together, encouraging and supporting each other. These experiences formed fundamental beginnings for an enduring love of this art.
Wendy was often affectionately called ’elephant ears’ as she had an innate ability to hear and transcribe music in great detail. Her brother David was an invaluable influence and supporter in developing these skills, as many a musical project was created. A lifetime of building, exploring and working with her talents has led to a love of arranging and composing for many unique ensembles across her community, her teaching and her professional world.
In working with the Corker Orchestra, Wendy offers these life skills, talents and facilities in support of the belief that each unique individual can find within themselves the joy, spark and ability to go that step further, working together to create connections-the magic of the moment-a unique moment that happens when we play together, no matter who we are, in fact because of who we are!
During her training at the VCA Performance Course (1978-1982) on violin and piano, Wendy’s teachers and mentors included Andre Hadges, Don Scott, Bob Sedergreen and Tony Gould. Her freelance professional musical life included playing violin in orchestras such as the Australian Pops Orchestra and the Elizabethan Trust Orchestra; accompanying on piano and as répetiteur for choirs, concerts, theatre and auditions for MSO, VCA and AMEB; as well as playing in multiple performance bands. Wendy has also had a long association with Melbourne Playback Theatre as an improvising musician, calling upon many of her diverse skills in responding to spontaneous theatre, expressing and bringing to life people's stories.
While playing violin with Brazilian Choro band, ‘Pipoca’ for many years, this exquisite music became a passion...perhaps obsession! Pipoca was one of those special experiences of a unique group of wonderful musicians from both classical and jazz backgrounds playing together, including George Butrumlis, Pip Robinson, Doug de Vries, Shane O’ Mara, and Mario Lattuada. The band’s leader, percussionist Denis Close, would import, transcribe and arrange recordings (records) directly from Brazil with the mission to keep ‘choro’ alive! To quote Wendy-‘I was introduced to so much music including the music of Egberto Gismonti, who just seemed to resonate and express deeply, my inner world’ . Wendy also worked for many years as a violin teacher at Melbourne Grammar, Firbank, Ballarat Grammar, and Girton Grammar, Warranwood, Little Yarra and Castlemaine Steiner Schools. Her life was filled to the brim with music.
Then, catastrophically, after years of advanced training and high-pressure work, Wendy developed 'Focal Dystonia'. Tragically this greatly limited her ability to play violin professionally for a period of over 25 years.
But this was not the end of the story, just a new beginning.
During this time, Wendy took up the accordion to challenge her brain, have fun, and remove some of the pressure and stress of her work and advanced training. This change of focus opened many new doors and Wendy joined and travelled extensively with Aria award-winning Greek band, 'The Habibis'. Subsequently, she joined AJ Leonard's 'Tropical Lounge' with a cellist, her sister Jenny, and Dave Billings, 'Free Reign', with AJ Leonard, Jenny and violinist Mathew Arnold; and an Irish Band 'Bhan Tre'. In these groups, she toured to many Australian Festivals.
In 2001, Wendy (as artistic director), Mary Thorpe and David Robb received a Regional Arts Victoria grant in order to create and produce a 3-month community programme in Castlemaine called 'Musica Sob o Sol'. This programme consisted of classes in Brazilian samba, song and Argentinean tango in collaboration with 'Viva Tango' and 'Tumbarumba'. The visionary programme resulted in a wonderful concert of Wendy's arrangements of loved Brazilian and tango music. Collaborating with a 12-piece ensemble of professional colleagues and tango dancers, Chris and Kristina Drogo, 'A South American Experience' was performed as a part of the Castlemaine State Festival that year. Instructors from Melbourne taught percussion, song and dance, stimulating interest in this wonderful music and culminating in a fantastic extravaganza of community celebration. Ongoing activities, events, classes and musical groups still continue to grow from this project.
Much later, Joaquin Farias, a Spanish specialist in Focal Dystonia and new research into neuroplasticity, came to the rescue. After a trip to Spain to undertake some intensive proprioceptive lessons, miraculously, life began to change, and, excitingly, playing the violin once more became a possibility.
Often, it is these challenges we face in life that end up creating richness, resilience, appreciation, gratitude and learning we would never otherwise have experienced. New pathways, adaptations, and methods of practise are developed as the brain and the body are rewired. Add the love and support of a great community of friends, and healing is possible.
This story hints at the depth of experience, talent, joy and life-time learning that Wendy brings to all her musical activities. Corker is so lucky!
Music filled her childhood, Wendy, her two siblings and parents all played, listened and explored music together, encouraging and supporting each other. These experiences formed fundamental beginnings for an enduring love of this art.
Wendy was often affectionately called ’elephant ears’ as she had an innate ability to hear and transcribe music in great detail. Her brother David was an invaluable influence and supporter in developing these skills, as many a musical project was created. A lifetime of building, exploring and working with her talents has led to a love of arranging and composing for many unique ensembles across her community, her teaching and her professional world.
In working with the Corker Orchestra, Wendy offers these life skills, talents and facilities in support of the belief that each unique individual can find within themselves the joy, spark and ability to go that step further, working together to create connections-the magic of the moment-a unique moment that happens when we play together, no matter who we are, in fact because of who we are!
During her training at the VCA Performance Course (1978-1982) on violin and piano, Wendy’s teachers and mentors included Andre Hadges, Don Scott, Bob Sedergreen and Tony Gould. Her freelance professional musical life included playing violin in orchestras such as the Australian Pops Orchestra and the Elizabethan Trust Orchestra; accompanying on piano and as répetiteur for choirs, concerts, theatre and auditions for MSO, VCA and AMEB; as well as playing in multiple performance bands. Wendy has also had a long association with Melbourne Playback Theatre as an improvising musician, calling upon many of her diverse skills in responding to spontaneous theatre, expressing and bringing to life people's stories.
While playing violin with Brazilian Choro band, ‘Pipoca’ for many years, this exquisite music became a passion...perhaps obsession! Pipoca was one of those special experiences of a unique group of wonderful musicians from both classical and jazz backgrounds playing together, including George Butrumlis, Pip Robinson, Doug de Vries, Shane O’ Mara, and Mario Lattuada. The band’s leader, percussionist Denis Close, would import, transcribe and arrange recordings (records) directly from Brazil with the mission to keep ‘choro’ alive! To quote Wendy-‘I was introduced to so much music including the music of Egberto Gismonti, who just seemed to resonate and express deeply, my inner world’ . Wendy also worked for many years as a violin teacher at Melbourne Grammar, Firbank, Ballarat Grammar, and Girton Grammar, Warranwood, Little Yarra and Castlemaine Steiner Schools. Her life was filled to the brim with music.
Then, catastrophically, after years of advanced training and high-pressure work, Wendy developed 'Focal Dystonia'. Tragically this greatly limited her ability to play violin professionally for a period of over 25 years.
But this was not the end of the story, just a new beginning.
During this time, Wendy took up the accordion to challenge her brain, have fun, and remove some of the pressure and stress of her work and advanced training. This change of focus opened many new doors and Wendy joined and travelled extensively with Aria award-winning Greek band, 'The Habibis'. Subsequently, she joined AJ Leonard's 'Tropical Lounge' with a cellist, her sister Jenny, and Dave Billings, 'Free Reign', with AJ Leonard, Jenny and violinist Mathew Arnold; and an Irish Band 'Bhan Tre'. In these groups, she toured to many Australian Festivals.
In 2001, Wendy (as artistic director), Mary Thorpe and David Robb received a Regional Arts Victoria grant in order to create and produce a 3-month community programme in Castlemaine called 'Musica Sob o Sol'. This programme consisted of classes in Brazilian samba, song and Argentinean tango in collaboration with 'Viva Tango' and 'Tumbarumba'. The visionary programme resulted in a wonderful concert of Wendy's arrangements of loved Brazilian and tango music. Collaborating with a 12-piece ensemble of professional colleagues and tango dancers, Chris and Kristina Drogo, 'A South American Experience' was performed as a part of the Castlemaine State Festival that year. Instructors from Melbourne taught percussion, song and dance, stimulating interest in this wonderful music and culminating in a fantastic extravaganza of community celebration. Ongoing activities, events, classes and musical groups still continue to grow from this project.
Much later, Joaquin Farias, a Spanish specialist in Focal Dystonia and new research into neuroplasticity, came to the rescue. After a trip to Spain to undertake some intensive proprioceptive lessons, miraculously, life began to change, and, excitingly, playing the violin once more became a possibility.
Often, it is these challenges we face in life that end up creating richness, resilience, appreciation, gratitude and learning we would never otherwise have experienced. New pathways, adaptations, and methods of practise are developed as the brain and the body are rewired. Add the love and support of a great community of friends, and healing is possible.
This story hints at the depth of experience, talent, joy and life-time learning that Wendy brings to all her musical activities. Corker is so lucky!