JENNY CORCORAN

 

Repiano Cornet

General Committee Member

Dandenong Youth Brass Musical Director
 

Jenny’s love of music began at an early age, taking up music lessons and joining the Australian Girls’ Choir at age 5, and beginning piano lessons at age 8. At age 13, Jenny took up trumpet lessons and joined the Australian Youth Choir in which she received a scholarship. Jenny had the honour of being Music Captain at Mentone Girls’ Grammar in 2006, a role in which she performed, organised and compered events, and promoted music engagement throughout the school.

 

Following her extensive musical involvement during her school years, Jenny completed a Music/Arts degree at Monash University in 2010, allowing her to major in two of her passions, Music (trumpet performance) and French studies. She then completed a Post Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) in 2011. During her university studies, Jenny performed with the Monash wind symphony, brass ensemble, and choir.

 

Jenny has long been an enthusiastic member of community ensembles. She joined the Southern Area Concert Band (SACB) in 2004, including playing with the Southern Stars Stage Band, and took up cornet and joined the City of Greater Dandenong Band in 2011. She has played a range of parts on cornet and tenor horn in Dandenong over the past ten years, and currently plays her favourite cornet part in the band, Repiano Cornet.

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Jenny was fortunate to have had excellent conducting mentors at SACB. She also developed her craft at the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors' Association (ABODA) Conducting Summer School and at Monash University. Jenny held the position of Assistant Conductor of the SACB and Committee Member for five years, from 2010-2014. She also held the position of Conductor of the Southern Area Wind Band (formerly Training Band) in 2011-2012. In this role, she relished the opportunity to work with musicians developing their playing and ensemble skills, and musically direct a variety of performances in the community and with other bands.

 

A committed and passionate music educator, Jenny has taught in secondary schools for the past eight years. Her first teaching role saw her teach Music and French, create and lead a vocal group and rock band, organise performances for events, and assist with musical productions. Jenny then taught English as a language assistant in schools in France. A highlight of her time in France was the opportunity to make connections with local musicians and become a member of her local concert band, jazz band, and choir.

 

In her current workplace, Jenny enjoys teaching classroom Music and French and supporting students in her Wellbeing role. In 2018, she helped lead the European Choir Tour in which her students performed in the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna.

 

In 2021, Jenny was appointed as Co-Musical Director of Dandenong Youth Brass along with Rachael Shineton. Jenny and Rachael are really looking forward to leading this fantastic new ensemble!