Kailee Marshall – President

Kailee currently works at Bannister Creek Primary School teaching Music to students from Kindy to Year 6. She has been involved with WAOSA since 2012 and has held various positions within the association. Her current roles are as Vice President and Levels Coordinator. Kailee has completed her Level 4 training and been lucky enough to attend various Orff conferences and workshops around Australia and overseas. When not at work Kailee enjoys playing sax in the Leeming Area Concert Band, singing with Consort Cantare and walking to her local cafe with her partner.

Eboney Yapp – Vice President

Eboney has been the Coordinator of Preparatory School Music at Christ Church Grammar School, Western Australia since 2018. Prior to this, she was the Junior School Music Teacher at All Saints’ College for 4 years. Eboney holds a Bachelor of Music Education (First Class Honours) from the University of Western Australia. She is also a member of Consort Cantare, a female vocal group comprising of six music teachers.

Eboney has been the Vice President of the West Australia Orff Schulwerk Association since 2022. She has also held the positions of President, Student Representative, Book Sales Officer, Orff-West Editor and Secretary and presents at local Orff workshops. She first discovered Orff-Schulwerk in 2012 through the University of Western Australia and has completed Levels 1,2 and 3 in Western Australia and Level 4 in Victoria. Eboney has also completed Primary Level 1 and 2 of the Australian Kodály Certificate.

Andy Stewart – Secretary

Andy grew up in Zimbabwe where she completed her Education, an Early Childhood Teaching Diploma and a Bachelor of Arts degree through the University of South Africa.  She learnt piano, flute and voice and completed theory and practical exams through ABRSM.  Andy also enjoyed ballet, jazz and contemporary dance and performed with the Contemporary Dance Company, Tumbuka. She moved to Perth in 2008 and was introduced to the world of Orff at a one day PD after meeting the then Vice President at a dinner party.  Before she knew it, she was on the WAOSA committee as the Orff West Editor and later held the Executive role of WAOSA President for a period of 5 years.  She is now the WAOSA Secretary. Andy has completed Orff Level’s 1, 2 and 3 and had the joy of completing David Spurgeon’s Dance course.   Andy has a particular interest in Dance and Creative Movement and she has presented on this subject at many WAOSA workshops. Andy is currently the Early Childhood Music and Creative Movement Teacher at All Saints’ College.  She is the wife of an Engineer and a mum to two high school children, one of whom is a budding musician and the other a rising triathlete.

Michelle Beins – Treasurer

Michelle is a Music Specialist who graduated from UWA with a Bachelor of Music Education in 2013. She is currently teaching classroom music and directing numerous ensembles at The Quintilian School in Mount Claremont. Michelle was first introduced to Orff Schulwerk at a workshop presented by WAOSA during her university studies and could see the value in exploring this approach further. Since then, she has completed two ANCOS Levels courses and joined the WAOSA committee in 2014. Michelle enjoys using Orff Schulwerk to immerse her students in music learning and to develop a life-long connection to music.

Josephine Foo – Memberships

Josephine is currently the Primary Music Specialist at Carey Baptist College Harrisdale. She came to know about the Orff-Schulwerk pedagogy after the “Marimba Mania” PD event in 2018. She studied Jazz Performance majoring in Piano at WAAPA for two years and then proceeded to pursue a Graduate Diploma of Education (Primary Teaching) after that. She found a deep connection with jazz and musical improvisation during her time at WAAPA and loves that the Orff-Schulwerk pedagogy complements her beliefs in musicianship, teaching philosophy, and uses it to deliver effective teaching when in the classroom with a long-term vision of developing the creative artist within every child.

Natalie Tran – Publicity Officer

Natalie has been a Music Specialist since 2012. After graduating with a Double Degree in Education and Music (Jazz Saxophone & Contemporary Vocals) from ECU/WAAPA, she worked at Swan Valley Anglican Community School, Canning Vale Primary School and now holds a full time position at Rossmoyne Primary School. Natalie’s first encounter with Orff Schulwerk was at the Voices of the Swan Conference in 2012 and soon after joined the WAOSA Committee. She has completed three ANCOS Level Courses and has also completed the three Levels of the Australian Kodály Primary Certificate. Natalie finds immense joy in singing, saying, dancing and playing the Orff way and sharing her love music to her students in all the ways she knows how.

Ash Bisdee – OrffWest Editor

Ash is a full-time music specialist at Aubin Grove Primary School. She has been teaching for 18 years and is especially passionate about teaching music to children of all ages. She has completed the Orff Sculwerk Level 1 & 2 Courses with WAOSA and loves the hands-on, fun approach that Orff offers to music education. Ash is looking forward to completing levels 3 & 4 soon. Ash believes that music speaks to the soul and is a wonderful way for children to express themselves.

Music brings everyone together!

Amanda Johnston – Levels Coordinator

Amanda currently teaches Music at Treeby and Mundijong Primary Schools, working with students from Kindy to Year Six. Amanda began teaching after returning from several years living overseas, where she was involved in a number of Arts projects, including show choirs and youth musical theatre. She was introduced to Orff-Schulwerk in 2019 after completing Level One, and joined the WAOSA Committee in 2021. When not teaching, Amanda is the founder and conductor of Tone Deft, a women’s choir specialising in pop and musical theatre.

Elizabeth Campbell – General Member

Elizabeth has taught music full time at Winthrop Primary School for many years and loves it there as the students, staff and parents are very appreciative of the arts. The school has two concert bands, a string ensemble and a choir. Elizabeth has completed all four ANCOS levels of Orff training and enjoys the open-ended nature of the Orff approach.

Kim Tran – General Member

Kim graduated with the degree, Bachelor of Music Education (Secondary). Her passion for education includes all ages and has experience teaching in both primary and secondary schools. This includes St Kieran Catholic Primary School and Christ Church Grammar School. She is currently a music teacher, peripatetic piano tutor and accompanist at St Norbert College. Upon discovering that WAOSA aligned with her pedagogy of a child-developmental approach, she joined as a General Committee Member to develop and learn more.

Gavin Poole – General Member

Gavin has taught music for 22 years now across the Catholic and Public systems. Currently employed at Willetton Primary School as the full time Music specialist, he works with students from year 1 through to year 6. Having grown up being involved in Music from learning the trumpet, playing in community bands, leading community bands as well as being a DJ and providing music for many people across Perth, its easy to see that Gavin lives and breathes music. Gavin is looking to expand on his knowledge and understanding of Orff Schulwerk by completing his levels in the coming years and further incorporate it into his teaching and especially with the use of drumming (djembe). Music is a universal language which we all relate to and speak in one way or another.

Amelia Verlato – General Member

Amelia is a Music Specialist who graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education (Hons) from the University of Adelaide. She has worked in International Schools in Nanjing, Doha and Turin, where she taught Early Childhood and Primary Music and she currently teaches full time at All Saints’ College. Amelia was first introduced to the Orff Schulwerk approach at university and has never looked back!