Music Teachers’ Association

The Council

The Music Teachers’ Association of NSW Ltd is administered by a council of skilled music teaching professionals. Membership of the council is on a voluntary basis. 

Dr Rita Crews

PhD(UNE), BA(Hons)(UNE), AMusTCL, GradCertDistEd, FMusicol(ASMC), HonFNMSM, DipMus[hc](AICM), MIMT, MACE, MMTA, JP

Having first joined Council in 1987 and over the years served three terms in the capacity of Vice-President, Dr Rita Crews is currently President of the Music Teachers’ Association of NSW and editor of The Studio journal. With over 30 years teaching experience at the private and tertiary levels, including distance education, she has been an AMEB written examiner since 1988 and is Deputy Chair of the AMEB (NSW) having been a member of the Board since 1990. From 1996 to 2006 she was Head of Professional Development at the Australian International Conservatorium of Music where she taught research and co-ordinated the pedagogy stream of the BMus programme. For many years Rita lectured Professional Development courses for private music teachers through the University of New England and she continues to conduct similar sessions as well as workshops at the behest of various music teacher, conservatoria and examination organisations, nationally and internationally.

Roderick MacFarlane

MA ,AMusA, LMusA, LTCL, MMTA

Roderick is the composer of Music My Way, 3 Piano Fun Albums and Piano Fun for Beginners Book 1 and 2 commissioned by EMI Music Publishing. Along with his wife Nola, Roderick has written the answer books for Dulcie Holland’s Master your Theory Grade 4 and 5. Roderick MacFarlane is a composer, piano teacher and performer. Roderick also adjudicates Eisteddfodau and Piano Competitions.

Susan Deas

Susan Deas is a professional musician, lecturer and teacher. In addition to her private piano teaching, she has performed as professional pianist at venues around Australia for more than twenty years, and gives lectures in music appreciation at Sydney University’s Centre for Continuing Education and WEA. Susan has worked in a variety of musical fields, as a teacher, pianist, organist, percussionist, lecturer, conductor, arranger, and music director. She is currently completing a Master of Music Studies (Studio Pedagogy) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Rosalind Carlson

DipMusEd, AMusA(Theory), TC AMusTCL, ATCL(P), LTCL(P), Singing DipMus(hc), (AICM),MMTA,

Rosalind Carlson is an Australian composer and music educationalist who enjoys success as a teacher, lecturer, conductor, performer and adjudicator.  As an Australian composer her works are gaining international recognition and performance. Most of her woodwind compositions are published by Phylloscopus (UK). The remainder of her works are published by Flexi-Fingers (Sydney).  All of Rosalind's music is quite accessible. Her compositions are included in the St Cecilia Music Examination Board listings, and as a representative composer available from the Australian Music Centre and Flexi-Fingers Publications P.O. Box 3304 Dural NSW 2158.

Mrs Andrea Calilhanna 

GradDipT(Mus), (QUT), Dip.Mus(QCM), LMusA(AMEB), AMusA(AMEB), MMTA.

Andrea commenced private music teaching and classroom music teaching in 1984. Her teaching subjects include piano, saxophone, keyboard, theory, musicianship, music craft, tutoring in classroom music, composition, ear training and sight-reading for solo or part-singing, and Gregorian Chant. In her career as a musician she has performed in chamber music ensembles with many musicians including members of The Queensland Orchestra. Andrea has conducted Catholic Church choirs in both Brisbane and Sydney.

In her role as a classroom music teacher various universities in Queensland have employed her to train student teachers. Andrea has industry experience playing jazz and popular music. Since 1984, she has played piano accompaniment for examinations, concerts, eisteddfods, musical societies, schools and university auditions. A mother of two small children Andrea has a growing interest in the area of support for parents teaching in home-based music business. Andrea’s personal goal in teaching is to foster the life-long love of music in her students.

Slobodan Zivkovic

MA ,DipMus, BMus, MMus, BME, MMTA.

Slobodan Zivkovic, pianist and accompanist, has been teaching piano for more than 35 years. He was born into the fifth generation of a renowned musical family. He gained the BMus in Piano with Merit and a Masters degree in Piano from the Belgrade Music Academy. He has studied with renowned professors and pianists, including Guido Agosti (Rome), Aldo Chiccolini (Paris) and Lev N. Vlasenko at the “Tchaikovsky” Conservatorium of Music in Moscow. He performed as a soloist with various Symphony Orchestras and was a Member of the Advisory Committee for the 3rd Piano Pedagogy Conference in Sydney in 1997, where he presented his paper “My approach to Piano Technique”.

Dr Rita Crews

Rod Mac Farlane

Susan Deas

Slobodan Zivkovic

Andrea Calilhanna