David has over 18 years experience playing the Alto Saxophone and has completed a Bachelor of Contemporary Music at the Conservatorium of QLD with guidance from the late Tony Hobbs, one of Australia's finest sax players.

David specialises in many genres including Jazz, Love bebop, Rock, Disco, Hip Hop and Classical.

Currently David plays with Blonde Chocolate & Mojo Productions and has played with the likes of We Want More (Glam Rock), Deep Purple Tribute Band (Keyboard), Smile (original), White Men Can Boogie (8 piece show band), The QLD Youth Big Band and Cryptic grooves (original hip hop).

David also plays the flute and piano and has a love for composing and recording music. He has contributed to CD's from Jeff Usher, Smile, and Glockenspeil as well as other original projects such as Kfat and X10 sessions. A highlight for David was meeting Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter when they toured Australia.

Sean is a well respected performer, composer and educator, with years of experience both here in Australia and on the international circuit. He completed a Bachelor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, with a Major in Jazz Piano and a Graduate Diploma of Arts Administration at Queensland University of Technology.

He has studied privately in Australia, Canada and the UK with leading contemporary musicians. He has performed around Australia at major festivals and arts centres, and internationally at clubs and festivals in the UK, Canada, France, USA and Japan. His teaching experience is varied, working with young beginner students through to adults, high school students and more experienced musicians. Sean teaches, Jazz, Classical, Pop, Music Theory, and is skilled in teaching improvisation and ensembles. Known primarily for performing and writing with the contemporary music trio Misinterprotato, his compositions can be heard on three releases - "Now For The Free", "In Is In" and "Variations", all released in Australia to wide critical acclaim. He arranged and co-wrote compositions tracks for a release with the vocalist Megan Washington entitled "Nightlight" in 2006. This album won the Bell Award for Jazz Vocal album of the Year in 2007. He is also a double QSong Jazz award winner, in 2006 and 2008, for compositions from Misinterprotato recordings. In 2007, Sean was awarded the Brisbane City Council's Emerging Artist Fellowship which enabled him to relocate to the UK where in 2008 he was awarded Masters with Distinction in Jazz Performance at the Leeds College of Music. In 2009 Sean was awarded the prestigious APRA Professional Development Award for Jazz recognising his professional achievements.

Paul has been playing and performing music for almost 15 years. His primary guitar style is Jazz, but he has had substantial experience in Latin, Pop, Funk and Metal (true story). His influences include Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Herbie Hancock, John McLauglin and John Scofield.

Paul's music has led him all across Asia, performing in Malaysia, Japan and even in East Timor. Paul has performed with many famous Australian artists including Wendy Mathews, Carl Riseley, Venetta Fields and Rhonda Birchmore.

His teaching experience includes guitar teaching at SCCC in Redcliffe 2001-2003, and teaching "young con" students at Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Mackay 1998-1999.

Yuri has studied and played guitar for over 20 years and has a diverse and eclectic taste in music. He has performed for many years as a freelance working guitarist covering musical styles ranging from jazz, pop, blues, rock and roll, R&B, World Music and a few more things in between.

Yuri has studied music at the Farabi and Vidi Vici Music School in Indonesia, Auckland University, the Central Queensland Conservatorium and the Queensland Conservatorium of Music; where he graduated Bachelor of Music in 2000 and commenced his Masters studies in 2006.

Yuri teaches electric and acoustic guitar with an emphasis on learning to play the music that you love. He believes that if you enjoy and appreciate the music that you play you increase the likelihood of others enjoy it too.

Topics covered in Yuri's lessons include rhythm guitar, musical styles, music theory, improvisation, technique and song learning.

Yuri's current musical projects include acoustic pop duo PlastiQ and The New Black, jazz outfit Mood Indigo and as guitarist for singer-songwriter Susanna O'Leary.

Greta Kelly plays violin professionally in the Deep Blue Orchestra, as well as with several rock, chamber pop and experimental bands, including The Golden Circles. She also plays the kamanche tarhu (a spikefiddle made by Australian luthier Peter Biffen) in a variety of Middle Eastern groups, including world fusion band Mzaza. She has studied and performed Turkish and Iraqi music in Australia and overseas giving her an understanding of complex scales and rhythms as well as the opportunity to perform with an eclectic mix of dancers, vocalists and instrumentalists. Greta has extensive experience with both acoustic and amplified performance using a range of digital and analogue effects and a variety of microphones and pick-ups.

Greta's grandfather introduced her to the violin at a young age. She studied privately with some inspiring violinists and participated in every school and youth orchestra possible. After completing a Bachelor of Arts and an English teaching qualification she lived in the Czech Republic where she discovered Eastern European and Irish folk music. Over the past 10 years Greta's musical focus has slowly moved further east, learning Balkan, Turkish, Iraqi, Persian and Egyptian classical, folk and sacred music. Her career path has taken her to some pretty curious places, including the world-renowned Labyrinth Music Workshops on the island of Crete and a two month tour of Turkey with her classical Turkish group 'Tulip Garden'.

Greta's experience teaching violin to young Middle-Eastern refugees and her involvement in Young Blue workshops that Deep Blue Orchestra conducts across Australia has developed her excellent rapport with both primary and high school aged students.

Scott Lynch began his playing career in Melbourne and continued his career in Sydney, performing in a wide variety of musical genres. After relocating to Brisbane Scott joined Queensland funk band "Soul Prism", which won best song and album of the year at the Sunny awards. He has worked with many different bands and ensembles ranging from Latin, Jazz, Hardcore Punk, Blues, R'n'B and Rock. Scott has also been performing with renowned Brisbane guitarist Simon Gardner for the past decade, the highlight being when they supported Joe Satriani in concert.

For the last eight years Scott has been teaching at Billy Hyde Music Brisbane's drum store. He is able to teach drum kit skills in every style, from beginners to advance including techniques such as double kick, reading, advanced co-ordination, polyrhythms and linear grooves.

Anthony Ma is a Brisbane-based flautist, organist and educator. He has completed a Bachelor of Music (Performance) at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, majoring in both jazz flute and classical flute. He has studied classical flute with Gerhard Mallon, Patrick Nolan, Karen Lonsdale and Tina Marsden, and jazz flute with Graeme Norris, Ken Stubbs, Dale Barlow (Sydney) and Andy Sugg (Melbourne). He is currently completing a Graduate Diploma of Education at QUT.

Anthony is currently a resident artist at the Judith Wright Centre with Jazz QLD and Arts QLD. He has performed with many leading local musicians at the Judith Wright Centre, Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane Valley Jazz Festival and the Queensland Performing Arts Complex (QPAC). He is also completing a recording project funded by Arts QLD and the Brisbane City Council through a "Creative Sparks" grant.

Anthony has extensive teaching experience, both privately and in schools. He is also currently teaching in the Young Conservatorium program at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. He passionately believes that enjoyable and successful learning is built around each individual student's interests and learning styles.

Pat studied with Michael Morgan (former Principal Double Bass: New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra) at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, where he was the University's first ever double bass student to be accepted into and Graduate with a Master of Music Studies degree.

Via a Brisbane City Council Lord Mayor's Young and Emerging Artist Fellowship, Pat completed intensive post-tertiary study in double bass with Professor Paul Ellison (Rice University, Houston).

Performing with The Queensland Orchestra since 2001, Pat was chosen by TQO to accompany Nigel Kennedy (in the Nigel Kennedy Quintet) for the 2004 Energex Brisbane Festival. Pat is also involved with many of Australia's well known chamber music festivals, having appeared as Principal Bass of the Bangalow Chamber Music Festival Orchestra, and at the Camden Haven Music Festival. Also a professional jazz bassist, Pat was awarded the James Morrison National Jazz Scholarship in 2000, and in September 2007, premiered James Morrison's Concerto for Double Bass (with the Queensland Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra) in a live recording at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.

As a member of internationally acclaimed Brisbane based contemporary music trio, Misinterprotato, Pat has performed at Hokkaido's Kutchan Festival (2006) and at Cannes' MIDEM Convention (2009), and can be heard on the trio's album 'Variations' (2007).

Steve Pope has been a part of the Billy Hyde Drumworx team for 10 years now, teaching all styles from beginner to advanced levels. Over the past 15 years of professional playing, Steve has gathered a wealth of experience in both live performance and studio recording as well as completing a Bachelor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium.

More recently, Steve's work with rock band 'Transport' and singer/songwriter 'Kate Miller-Heidke' has lead him to tour and record in the US & UK, perform multiple national tours of Australia, perform live at the ARIA awards and perform on TV shows such as 'Live at the Chapel', Channel 7's 'Sunrise', Channel 10's 'Rove', 'Video Hits' and Channel V's playroom sessions along with a host of others.

Steve continues to teach six days a week at Billy Hyde Drumworx with an emphasis on learning the drums in a positive environment and helping students attain their personal playing goals.

Marianna Taylor is a young enthusiastic Brisbane based teacher and performer. Marianna has completed a Bachelor of Music from the Queensland Conservatorium, and is currently in her final year of a Bachelor of Education Degree at the University of Queensland. Her studies guide her towards her passion of teaching music. Regular performances in both contemporary and classical styles have influenced both her playing and teaching. A passion for music is something which is instilled in all of her students with her fun yet focused teaching style. Marianna looks forward to teaching at the academy and sharing her musical experience with her students.

Richard Thayil studied Film Scoring at Box Hill TAFE and later completed a Bachelor of Music at QUT majoring in composition in 2003. A musician for over 20 years, he has had literally thousands of experiences as a musician, conductor and composer/arranger. Richard has worked at a multi-instrumental teacher in Victoria and Queensland across 7 years. He has taught music and conducted ensembles in public and private sectors and at all levels of education from Primary to University level.

Richard has worked as a freelance musician with Australian artists such as Pete Murray, Angie Narayan and international artists, Royal Crown Revue. He performs regularly as a jazz pianist, trombonist and occasionally as an electric bass player. Having recently directed a school musical and church Christmas productions, he anticipates more work as a conductor and arranger. Richard composes and arranges music for an elcectic range of ensembles. He is the Music Director of his own up and coming Big Band - The Empty Chair Project.

He has lived in Brisbane since 1999 but is truly a Victorian at heart. Go the Pies!!

Mojo's music is truly world-class. With charisma and a naturally captivating stage presence, Mojo breathes new life into roots-based sounds. Equally at home with a band or in solo performance; in the most specialized fields of true blues or on a pop festival stage, Mojo transcends all age and fashion barriers. Here's how...Mojo has a rare singing talent. He combines his incredibly soulful natural voice with expressive songwriting and all the passion and honesty of the deepest blues singers.

Having lived and studied all styles of blues guitar full-time for almost twenty years - he's a multi-instrumentalist! A very accomplished, first-rate blues harmonica player in the tradition of Chicago's golden blues era, Mojo puts all his unique phrasing and feeling into this demanding instrument. Drums, bass and saxophone also sit in Mojo's resume. Check out his album "The Burden" - Mojo plays every instrument on the entirely self-penned fourteen-song collection! Mojo began singing and playing the guitar at age twelve. He also plays harmonica, saxophone, bass and drums. Mojo spent six years on the road with Buzz & The Blues Band ('92-'98), supplying his trademark guitar sound to that fantastic band's appearances all over Australia, including The East Coast Blues Festival as well as blues/jazz festivals in Lithgow, Bridgetown, Wangaratta, Bellingen and Thredbo among others. Mojo has performed several times at the East Coast Blues Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, as well as innumerable other festivals and venues. His months-on-end residencies at The Story Bridge Hotel's Bombshelter Bar in Brisbane became the stuff of legend. He also lived in London for a time, wowing the local blues scene. Over the past seven years, Mojo has spent many months as resident blues-master of North-Thailand appearing nightly for weeks on end at the amazing Bebop Bar in Pai, Mae Hong Song Province.