Meet Our Instrumental Teachers!
Dear Students and Parents,
Thank you all for such a fantastic year of music at St Philip's College.
We would like to take the opportunity to share with you all the fantastic instrumental teachers who are at St Philip's, some returning and some for the first time. At the end of their biographies is an Enrolment link for a digital form. Please fill this out if your child is interested in learning an instrument for the remainder of 2025.
Before we share their bios, we would like to share with you a small segment from an article called “How Music Primes the Brain for Learning”:
What makes music learning so powerful is how it engages all those different systems in a single activity. To play the violin, for example, a student needs to coordinate their motor, cognitive, and sensory systems to be able to put their fingers on the correct strings and move the bow at the right time; to read musical notes on a sheet of music and know what sounds they represent; and to hear if the pitches and rhythms are correct and coordinating with other players at the right time. Then there’s how the sound of music makes the student feel, which lights up the brain’s reward system. Engaging all these different systems makes learning how to play music one of the richest and deepest brain activities that humans perform. “Teachers resoundingly tell me that children who play music also do better in school,” Kraus writes. Young musicians also tend to have stronger language and reading skills than non-musicians because their brains have spent more time actively “engaging with sound.”
Kate Savage - Violin and Viola
Kate Savage is a classically trained violinist and local GP who grew up in Victoria. She was awarded her AmusA in violin at 17yo, and has performed and recorded with numerous orchestras, chamber, choral, and theatre groups, and bands in Bendigo, Melbourne and Alice Springs over the last 35 years.
She is currently a member of ASWCO and has enjoyed teaching violin and viola to St Philip's students for the last 3 years.
Kate is passionate about sharing and making music with others.
Fiona Peiris - Piano
Fiona Peiris was born in Sri Lanka and began her musical education at the age of four. At six years old, she took her first piano exam and was awarded a special prize for being the youngest candidate to achieve Honors in Pianoforte. She continued her piano exams with both Trinity College London and a local examination board (IWMS), successfully completing exams from grade 1 to 8. Fiona also earned the Associate of Trinity College London in Solo Piano Performance (ATCL) and the Certificate from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (CERT GSMD).
This year, she participated in the Eisteddfod and was awarded the Linda O'Brien Memorial Trophy for Best Solo Performance in the music sections. She also secured first place in the Music Teachers' Association of Alice Springs Trophy.
Since 2005, she has been teaching music in Sri Lanka and Dubai before relocating to Alice Springs in 2023. Currently, Fiona is studying for her Associate Music Australia (AmusA) exam while managing her own teaching business.
Ben Lamberton - Guitar
Biography not available at time of publishing.
Matt Owen – Bass Guitar & Double Bass
Matt holds a Bachelor of Music from Monash University and brings extensive training in jazz and improvisation. He also has a strong foundation in classical double bass, having studied the Rabbath method under a former student of François Rabbath. Having over a decade of experience recording and performing across a wide range of styles including rock, folk, jazz, funk and musical theatre, Matt brings versatility and real-world knowledge to his teaching. His composition and arrangement work can be heard on recordings from his band, Munkus Funkus. Matt wants to help students play the music that interests them because playing music should feel good! He works closely with students and families to tailor lessons to each individual’s goals and interests. He also has a great library of resources to support beginners and those looking for a bit more structure.
Enrolment Link: