Teachers

Meryl Jackson-Kew

OAM, BMus.BEd., AMusA, ATCL, MMTA

Meryl is a professional music educator, conductor of choirs and orchestras, composer, music therapist and music examiner. She also holds Certificate III in Media and Live Entertainment, Cert IV in Training and Assessment and Teaching Certificate (Yamaha)

Meryl has been the Music Director of the Illawarra Choral Society since 2008 and Music Director of many music theatre productions.

Meryl has over 40 years experience teaching Early Childhhood Music, Secondary Music and in Tertiary Music Education as well as her private studio teaching. Since 1994, Meryl has organised and co-ordinated HSC Music workshops, publishing study/skill booklets and CDs for all Music 1 and Music 2 students attending the workshops.

From her many years in Senior Music education, Meryl noticed a lack of resource material based on Topics for senior music students. Hence, as a co-author with Aleksandar Vujic, has recently released her 8th published textbook, through Wiiripang Publications.

Recognition for Meryl’s work in Education, has resulted in her being awarded with two awards for Excellence in Teaching, a production team award From The National Trust for the musical Quarry (Music Direction and Orchestration) and an Order of Australia Medal in the 2016 Queens Birthday Honours.

Sherryn Kew

Grad.Dip.Music, B.Mus.B.Teach, AMusA, Dip. Early Childhood

Music has always been a big part of Sherryn’s life having a Mum and grandparents as musicians and music teachers.

Learning piano at a young age became the basis for learning other instruments – violin, flute and singing. Her love of music, lead Sherryn to further her studies at a tertiary level. She completed a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Teaching at University of Western Sydney and a Graduate Diploma of Music (opera) at Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).  

Sherryn has taught music and education in a variety of settings for 15 years. Her first role as music educator was tutoring and conducting the Australian Pop Choir with Dr Jonathon Welch AM.

A trained teacher in Early Childhood and Primary Education, Sherryn has been a classroom teacher in various early childhood centres and primary schools throughout NSW and VIC.  She has also been a presenter with Hey Dee Ho music and has taught singing, piano and violin to individual students in schools.

She thoroughly enjoys teaching students in her home studio, having students who want to learn music for pleasure and sheer enjoyment, and for those who wish to undertake music examinations, auditions or competitions. Sherryn’s students have achieved great success in their AMEB music exams and stage work. Sherryn was thrilled when one of her students was chosen for the role of Matilda in the Melbourne production of Matilda.

As well as teaching, Sherryn has had extensive performing experience as a soloist on the concert platform and as principal and ensemble member in opera and music theatre productions, choirs and as a violinist in orchestras.