SHARRYN LYDALL-SMITH
Solo Cornet,
Band Vice President

 

Sharryn started playing tenor horn in the early years of primary school while her family was a part of the Springvale Salvation Army. Descended from a long line of Salvo musicians in Australia and England she admits that brass banding is in her blood. She joined the Dandenong Junior Band in the early 1980’s and later joined the Senior Band at the age of 12. A string of VBL music camps and an (incredibly dedicated mother who drove her around the countryside) allowed her passion for music to develop along with making life long friendships. These same friends convinced her to join the Victorian State Youth Band where she learned from and was lucky to play beside some of the best musicians in the State. 

Sharryn also auditioned for and was accepted into McKinnon Secondary School a music student where she continued her tenor horn playing as well as embracing the French horn and singing.  During her teenage years she played Principal Horn for Box Hill City Band under John Woods and Hawthorn City Band under Ken MacDonald. She competed regularly with some success at a state and national level on the tenor horn in solo competitions. Upon finishing high school Sharryn started pursuing her passion of being a psychologist and attributes the discipline of learning to play music competitively and the subsequent resilience she developed to much of her success in doing this.
 

So after a 23 year break from music and the brass band world, Sharryn has accepted the new challenge of playing in the solo cornet with the band she calls home. The City of Greater Dandenong Band is thrilled to see Sharryn playing again and back in the Band.