Rosewood Tutors for 2025

ROSEWOOD'S TUTORS FOR 2025

Strings - Beginner & Intermediate
Jess Foot & Louise Godwin also go by the tag
“Big Fiddle, Little Fiddle” – a ten-year collaboration between Jess Foot (fiddle & hardanger) and Louise Godwin (cello). The duo has garnered a reputation for joyous performances featuring eclectic fiddling styles, driving rhythms, chamber folk landscaping, and banger tunes. Emerging from the Scottish fiddle tradition and taking inspiration from Quebecois, English, Scandi and Americana styles, they explore the sonic and creative world of the fiddle and cello together. BFLF’s performances are a bricolage of tunes, old and new, gifted by friends from their extended folk neighbourhood, all shared with laughter, chatter, and an infectious spirit.

WEBSITE - http://www.bigfiddlelittlefiddle.com
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/bigfiddlelittlefiddle
INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/bigfiddlelittlefiddle/
YOUTUBE - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF6ixKFD60s-L2F72IbEqWa6cNK4C9G_0&si=As0z8lXXcsq3inGn

Guitars - Beginner & Intermediate
Rennie has been playing guitar for most of his life, originally learning from his dad and later finding inspiration in NZ guitar legend Gerry Paul. Upon seeing Gerry perform with his band Gráda, he was captivated:
“I remember the driving rhythm and chordal fluency that Gerry displayed while performing. I just had to learn to play like that.”

Rennie specializes in accompanying tunes and songs in DADGAD tuning. His expertise lies in teaching guitarists how to build a well-stocked tool belt of techniques—from driving right-hand rhythms and delicate picking to subtle chord choices and expressive left-hand runs.

He has taught and performed on guitar all over the world, including in Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Along the way, he has accompanied many great players of traditional music, such as John Carty, Chris Norman, Catherine McEvoy, James Kelly, Rob Zielinski, and Alasdair Fraser

Primarily a melody player, with the flute as his main instrument, Rennie has a deep understanding and respect for the music, and his guitar style reflects this.

Whistles - Oscar West
Oscar is a fiddler, whistler and piper based in Melbourne. He leads the popular weekly “Chill” Sunday session at The Last Jar and is a passionate advocate and performer of traditional music. After completing a thesis on Elizabethan clowning in 2015 he toured with the Shakespearean theatre company the Pop-up Globe around New Zealand and Australia. Having been born in Aberdeen, Scotland Oscar’s whistle and fiddle playing is strongly influenced by the music of the pipes. He can’t wait to share some tunes with you at Rosewood Music Camp!

Singing
Gabriela (Gaby) Georges is a poet, singer, performer, and creative workshop facilitator who has toured nationally and led workshops with thousands of children, youth, and adults over the last 12 years.

She uses music to connect to her heritage and is currently the proud frontwoman of Zikra ('memory'), an ensemble who weave together Middle Eastern music and poetry with Gaby's personal stories as a member of the Syriac diaspora.

This year, she'll bring Syrian folk songs from her grandparent's village to Rosewood, supported by fellow Zikra member Ariel Valent. (Ariel previously brought the Federation Bells to our first Charnwood camp in 2014).
Some links:
https://www.youtube.com/@ZikraMusic/videos
https://www.facebook.com/zikramusic
https://www.gabrielageorges.com/zikra-music

Ensemble
Phil Carroll (accordion, ney flute, duduk, zurna, vocals) lived in Turkey where he studied ney and worked as a musician in weddings, cafes and sufi ceremonies for 2 years. He was leader of the Melbourne middle-eastern band, Yalla!, for 10 years , which played festivals in every Australian state. He has also been part of Ta'esh Fa'esh, La Kasbah and many other world music ensembles. He has performed with the group Alwan for the past 15 years , playing at many festivals

https://www.globalgrooves.com.au/alwan/

He has run ensemble many times at MEDAM Middle Eastern Dance and Music Camp in Queensland 2012-20. At Rosewood for the Ensemble, Phil will focus on Turkish songs in different time signatures and makams ( scales)

Ukelele - Laura Belfrage Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and longtime Roses attendee, Laura (she/they) has a passion for both community music and small, portable instruments that may or may not have frets. She is thrilled to be tutoring this years’ beginner and intermediate ukulele classes, as she has always believed in the versatility and sheer FUN of ukulele. Laura’s workshops will encompass a range of musical styles and techniques, designed to be accessible to the shyest beginner and those hoping to extend their uke playing to the advanced level (and beyond!).

Percussion
Matt Stonehouse is a Melbourne/ Naarm based percussionist and instrument maker. Matt specialises in Middle Eastern and Turkish styles of percussion and has performed/ recorded with a wide range of artists such as Jeff Martin (The Tea Party/ Canada), Ross Daly and Kelly Thoma (Crete/Greece), Alwan (Aus), Latitude 37 (NZ/Aus), The Reefers (Aus) and many more. In 2016 Matt released ‘Rosie’s point of view’, a vinyl release of instrumental music featuring his mandocello and mandolin playing. He has made music study trips to Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Greece and Syria.  Matt specialises in making handcrafted frame drums under the name Steam and Lumber. 

Phil Carroll and Matt have played together for years in a number of middle Eastern ensembles, as well as teaching privately and in schools.

Youth Band
Raz Toscano and friends. Raz has enjoyed our camps for some years, and is part of a vibrant young crew who regularly put amazing items on our blackboard concert list. A "gun player" on keyboards and saxophone, Raz and friends bring their creativity to our iconic Youth Band.

Erasmus “Raz” Toscano, a professional pianist based in Melbourne with a focus on figuring things out by ear. He enjoys playing a wide variety of musical instruments from the saxophone to the cello and feels that this is reflected in my style of playing and the way I approach music.
He says "whilst I only speak English I am pretty fluent in Spotify meaning there's no genre, style or song I can't take on board. This is demonstrated in a few bands im currently a part of playing all kinds of genres like Psych Rock, Jazz, Neo-soul, Funk, R&B and many more.
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Toddlers & Kids Music
Sile Coleman is an established singer who performs with successful Irish group “Saoirse”. She lives in Violet Town and runs local singing groups there. Sile returns to lead kids’ singing for us. Join Sile for a fun and inclusive singing workshop (ages 5-12) where we will come together, share voices, make friends and learn a song to share. Sile’s approach is based on the values of accessibility and community, and most importantly, fostering the inherent creativity of children through song.

Sile has been part of Irish band, Saoirse, for over 16 years, singing up a storm at festivals in in Australia and overseas. Music education has always been at the heart of Sile’s teaching career with training in the Early Years, Primary and Secondary; teaching the love of music, singing, guitar, ukulele and choir. Sile facilitates a local all-age, all-ability choir, the All In Sing, in the North East of Victoria.

Marimba
Dani Rocca and Adam Burkeare leading music educators from Geelong, and pivotal members of the Really Good Music Camps community. This year they return to Rosewood Music Camp with a fresh repertoire of marimba music, gleaned from a recent trip to North-West USA, a hotbed of marimba activity. Dani has built up the incredible “MarimbaTaters” band at Tate Street Primary School, which wowed audiences at this year’s National Folk Festival in Canberra. Adam is also a prolific and innovative marimba builder.

Art - Arabic Calligraphy
Tarek Eissa is an artist with a Bachelor of Applied Arts in printing, and publishing, where he specializes in calligraphy artwork. He has designed logos across Egypt and the Middle East and has showcased his talent in numerous group exhibitions focused on Arabic Typography. As a certified consultant with the Egyptian Designer Syndicate since 2016, Tarek's expertise is well recognized.

In 2024, he proudly earned the Australian Muslim Artist People’s Choice Award, reflecting his dedication and passion for calligraphy and typography. He currently has 2 selected artworks in the faith gallery in the Islamic Museum of Australia. He also leads workshops on Square Kufi, sharing his knowledge and inspiring others in this art form.

Kids Art
Jill Findlay has been running Kids Art for many years at Rosewood and she has a fantastic skill with children's creative activities. Who knows what she'll be encouraging kids to make this year? Wait and see!

Yoga
Wendy Ashton has been running our morning yoga classes at camp for many years, and is back by popular demand. Wendy runs regular yoga classes in Central Victoria.