KAYLIE DUNSTAN

Teaching

“I teach students to teach themselves”

I’m as passionate about teaching as I am about performing. Inspiring students to love playing music and excel at percussion and drum kit is part of my philosophy of ‘adding to the history of percussion’. I approach teaching with a creative mind, constantly finding new ways to enlighten each individual and unique student. I work with many students, empowering them to take control of their own musical journey through teaching them practising techniques, finding music they like to play and giving specific and practical guidance to overcome technical challenges.

I currently teach percussion privately at Abbotsleigh and Sydney Grammar preparatory schools in St Ives and Edgecliff. I teach marimba at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA) as part of their tertiary classical music program. I am also a NSW AMEB examiner for the percussion syllabus.

Performing

“Adding to the history of percussion”

Percussion is a comparatively young group of instruments in the classical music field with new designs and techniques being explored constantly. My attitude as a performer is to approach music with an open mind and to help develop new performance practices in order to extend the playing capabilities on the instruments. This is often explored through performing ground-breaking compositions and working with composers on collaborative projects. I'm passionate about promoting Australian percussion compositions and helping young composers deal with the daunting task of writing for percussion.
I give great attention to the visual aspect of my solo performances. I strive to create programs that are both visually entertaining and accessible to the general public. Theatre has always been an inspiration in my life and my exploration into Percussion Theatre has been an incredibly fulfilling journey.

Ensemble performance is also deeply embedded in my playing experience. As a freelance percussionist, I embrace a wide variety of musical engagements including orchestras, chamber ensembles and popular music groups (see past performances).

Past Performances