Private Tuition

Gold Coast Christian College has the services of highly skilled private music teachers who offer private music lessons during school hours.

Musical instruments on offer for private tuition are:

• Vocal (Modern & Classical)
• Drums & Percussion
• Piano (Modern & Classical)
• Flute
• Guitar (Modern & Classical)
• Clarinet
• Bass Guitar
• Trumpet
• Ukelele
• Trombone
• Violin (Modern & Classical)
• Saxophone
• Viola (Modern & Classical)
• Theory of Music
• ‘Cello (Modern & Classical)
• Banjo

Music Exams

Students have an option to sit for Music Examinations each year. The examinations are held by the Australian Music Examinations Board (A.M.E.B.) and the students can achieve a Grade Level each year. Credit points for the Queensland Certificate of Education can also be achieved from Grade 4 and upwards.

Tuition Books for Sale

The College has Practical Tuition and Theory of Music books, guitar tuners and drum practice pads, available for purchase at the Administration Office. Please phone 07 5593 4571.

Enrolment forms are available at the Administration Office, or online by request - debbie.hinton@goldcoastcc.qld.edu.au

Our private tuition music teachers are:

Piano - Mrs Debbie Hinton

Mrs Debbie Hinton heads the external music program. Mrs Debbie Hinton has been a professional teacher of piano, keyboard and Theory of music since 1979. She holds an Associate Teaching diploma (Music) from Trinity College of London and is a professional member of the Music Teacher's Association. Debbie offers tuition in piano from Prep to Diploma level in either Classical or Modern syllabus and tuition in the Theory of Music - all grades.

Brass and woodwind - Jane Grimley

Jane brings with her a wealth of experience in music and creative education. As a teaching artist for The Sydney Opera House she used the transformational power of music, working with some of the most vulnerable young people in Sydney's west. In 2017 Jane was awarded a scholarship to attend the Lincoln Centre for Education in New York City. The 2017 conference brought music teachers together from around the world, to develop the best teaching techniques to enhance the capacities of our young people.

Jane teaches Trumpet and Saxophone but will try any instrument she can get her hands on. She loves ensembles and is thrilled to be conducting the GCCC Year 5 Concert Band and co-directing the GCCC Senior Concert Band - both part of the immersion program. Jane mentors within the Junior Chapel Band, and teaches individual and small group lessons.

In her previous work with Melbourne based company; The Song Room Jane held professional development sessions for classroom teachers integrating music into other key learning areas.

She also loved working closely with school communities running Ukulele and Recorder clubs...yes the dreaded recorder! Her clubs brought diverse communities together through music. Young and old played together before and after school. This thread of her practice is still alive today through her online teaching. Jane still teaches people of all ages, all across Australia via Zoom, Skype and video.

Jane will tell you passionately that making music should be a part of our everyday life!

Her own career is set in the foundation of playing music in school and community ensembles. Drawing upon years of multi-instrumental training through the Australian Music Education Board Jane attained a Bachelor of Performance at the University of Western Sydney. Following University she developed her career as an interdisciplinary performer. She toured Australia, Germany, Britain and The United States. One of her career highlights was playing the Sydney based band The Dusty Ravens. (And singing on a B track for Silver Chair but does anyone even remember Silver Chair anymore?)

In 2020 Jane relocated to the Gold Coast and is currently completing a Diploma in Art Therapy and a Bachelor of Psychology through Macquarie University. Her dream is to follow a path deeper into the enriching power of music and creativity.

Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar and Ukelele - Scott Shelley

Born in San Francisco and raised in Los Angeles, Scott Shelly is perhaps best known for his music score for multiple episodes of The Crocodile Hunter TV show. He also composed the music for the hit indie game Terraria, which has sold over 35 million units across all platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Mac. The developer, Re-Logic, has released the original soundtrack for the game on iTunes, Bandcamp, and Amazon.

Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, Scott was surrounded by studio musicians, actors, and scriptwriters. He joined the Musicians' Union LA Local 47 at fourteen years old and was soon playing at local gigs and recording sessions. He also taught guitar at Valley Arts Guitar and Musonia Music School, which was owned by his student Randy Rhoads' mother. His live music experience includes concert tours with blues legend Albert Collins, Randy Meisner from the Eagles, Tom Jans, Spirit, Dan Fogelberg, Helen Reddy, Frank Stallone, and Boz Scaggs.

In the 1980s, Paramount Pictures employed Scott as a songwriter, composer, producer, and player on various projects, including films like Witness, Top Gun, Staying Alive, The Golden Child, and others. In addition to scoring several short films, he co-wrote a featured song for the first Transformers movie (Sunbow Productions) and was the associate music producer for Cannon Films' Thunder Alley, where he wrote several songs and acted as the "guitar voice" of the main character.

The world of computer games called to him in the early '90s, and after moving back to San Francisco, he began composing for CD-ROM game titles, including The Jungle Book for EA Kids, Reader Rabbit 1st Grade for The Learning Company, Putt-Putt Joins the Circus for Humongous Entertainment, and Rugrats Movie Activity Challenge for Broderbund.

Since moving to Australia in 1999, Scott has scored over 80 episodes of The Crocodile Hunter shows. He also composed the music for Fortian Productions/SBSi's documentary The Book That Shook The World and was the composer/audio director for Brisbane game developer 5th World Media's iPhone title Bouncer Boot Out and "Sunset Studios: Behind The Scenes" PC game.

Currently residing happily on the Gold Coast, Scott continues to perform with several live acts, including the UK Bee Geez tribute show, Toucan Twango country duo with his wife Brenda-Lee Heathcote-Shelly, and teaches guitar and ukulele at Gold Coast Christian College.

Drums and Percussion - Mr Paul McCarlie

“Kits for Kids” is a drum kit refurbishment project that was initiated by Mr Paul McCarlie, our drum and percussion teacher, established in September 2019. It is a community based project that provides drum kits to children interested in the art of drumming but do not have access to a drum kit at home. The equipment is donated by musicians and friends that have disused drums in their homes. Fundraisers on Facebook where monies raised is used to purchase whatever is required to bring a drum kit to completion. All funds raised and equipment donated goes directly into the project. The generosity of local musicians who donate equipment and money to this cause is to be commended.

The drums are loaned free until families are able to buy a drum kit for their child to continue their drum studies. The drum kits are then returned for maintenance and cleaned ready to be loaned out to the next student.

Kits for Kids currently has four drum kits in homes of families with children learning to play the drums.

Violin, Violoncello and Viola - Mr Paul Robinson

Mr Paul Robinson has been a violin, fiddle & 'cello teacher for over 30 years and has won a Golden Fiddle Award in Tamworth for the best fiddle teacher in Australia. He plays in several bands including the Leaping Lizards Bush band and the Round Mountain Girls. All of Mr Robinson’s students that enrolled for an Australian Music Examiners Board exam last year received an “A” accreditation. He also conducts the school String Ensemble which will soon become the school orchestra.

Vocals - Mrs Ann Sparks

Ann Sparks, A.Mus.A., Dip. Mus., Grad. Dip Mus., Estill Master Teacher, Estill Certified Course Instructor. Ann has been teaching singing for 30 years, and has also performed in many Operas, Oratorios, and Musical Theatre productions. Ann teaches every style of singing: Classical, Pop, Theatre Music, and Jazz, using the Estill Method, and enjoys preparing students for exams and for other performances.