We are a family from Melbourne. We flew to Hobart for the Hobart Eisteddfod and in need of a Piano accompanist as we entered in the 12 years old and under concerto section for Piano.

My daughter’s teacher immediately suggested Jody, as she is “the best teacher in Hobart, and has a nice studio”.

Jody was so enthusiastic and considerate, but also very serious. She made sure that she saw my daughter before the competition to rehearse, they rehearsed for a very long time, to make sure they played well together. When my daughter came into the music at the wrong time, or not playing the correct dynamic, Jody never started by saying ‘no’, she would always suggest to my daughter that “should we try this?” or “would it be OK if we try something”, and quietly corrected her. She would always explain to my daughter why things needed to be done this way, and discussed with my daughter and seek her opinion. My daughter is just a 10-year-old little girl, but Jody treated her like an adult, valued her opinions and respected her feelings, the rehearsal felt more like two musicians working together, instead of having a lesson where you just obey whatever your teacher told you to do.

The concerto competition was a huge success and my daughter won first place. Jody knows how to work with children, she would give bigger cues on stage, so my daughter knew exactly when to come in. She also covered up her sudden speed-up and helped her to boost the crescendo. She knows how to gain trust with young children and work with them.

We also engaged her to help our daughter with her solo piece, she offered very valuable advice to my daughter, not just about the piece, but musicianship in general. She treated music teaching seriously and teaches with passion. We really felt grateful & would definitely come back asking for more help from Jody. 

Clare K.