New MD for Canning

The Canning City Brass Band in Perth, Western Australia, is excited to announce the permanent appointment of Dr Geoffrey Lowe B.Mus (Hons), GradDipEd (WACAE), M.Mus.Ed (UWA), PhD (ECU), as Musical Director of the band. Geoff has served as Acting MD since the beginning of 2009.

Musical Family

Geoffrey Lowe was born into a musical family in Melbourne, Victoria. His mother was a singer and his father a trombonist, and his sisters played clarinet, viola, piano and guitar. As a child, he attended many brass band concerts with his father (the world’s worst trombonist), and has always had a passion for brass instruments. His own instrument was French Horn, and he gained valuable experiences in the Croydon Community Band, Melbourne Brass Choir and Melbourne Youth Symphonic Band.

Musical Career

After many years as a professional horn player, playing with the Melbourne, Sydney, Western Australian, Melbourne Elizabethan and Sydney Elizabethan Trust Orchestras, Geoff moved to Western Australia and discovered teaching. Since then, directing ensembles has always been a major part of his teaching life. He has directed bands at Churchlands SHS, Greenwood SHS, Kelmscott SHS, Applecross SHS, and Wesley College in Perth, as well as the UWCSEA college band in Singapore. He has also worked extensively with symphony orchestras and jazz bands, and a range of community groups such as the WA Youth Orchestra, City of Fremantle Symphony Orchestra, WA Symphonic Winds, and WA Youth Band.

Geoff is currently Senior Lecturer in Music Education at Edith Cowan University in Perth, WA. His role is to train secondary music teachers, and conducting forms a major part of the job. He is passionate about community music making for its mental health benefits, as well as community bonding. He thoroughly enjoys conducting Canning City Brass Band, and hopes to be at the helm for many years to come.

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