JEREMY BORTHWICK

Jeremy Borthwick is considered one of the finest jazz trombonists and band leaders in the country. He is also a highly respected educator with regular appearances at many clinics, camps and workshops each year, as well as a large number of private students.

He has performed and toured with many great international jazz artists including Cleo Laine, Jim McNeely, Bert Joris, Florian Ross, John Hollenbeck, Charles Tolliver, Jon Cleary, Barney McCall, Spoon, Philip Johnson, Alan Youngblood and Chris Potter. He works regularly with many leading Australian musicians including Dan Barnett, James and John Morrison, Mike Knock, Phil Slater, James Muller, the catholics, Steve Hunter, Johnathon Zwartz, Dave Theak, Andrew Dickeson, Evan Lohning, Anthony Howe, James Ryan, George Washingmachine, Jon Stevens, Monica Trapaga and the Unity Hall Jazz Band.

​Projects have included his quartet "Exposed Bone", the "Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra", the "Bogalusa Strutters", “The Rehab Brass Band”, “The Vanguard Players”, ”The Unity Hall Jazz Band", "Dan Barnett Big Band", "Mucho Mambo" and several "working bands" and original projects. He has performed at most major festivals in Australia and several in New Zealand and Europe including Montreaux (Switzerland) and Ascona (Italy). He has released two albums featuring his original music, Vol 1 "Smokin da Bone" and Vol 2 "Plugged" which was voted in the top ten albums for 2007 by Sydney Morning Herald, and has appeared on over twenty albums as a sideman.

Jeremy holds a Masters degree from the University of Sydney and has studied with Hal Crook (thesis available at www.lap-publishing.com), Josh Roseman, Conrad Herwig, Dave Panichi, James Greening, Adrian Mears, Bill Broughton and Jason Redman. He was a national jazz awards finalist in 2003, and was the lecturer of jazz trombone at the Queensland Conservatorium for 5 years. He was also a guest clinician at the Kathmandu Jazz School and teaches at many jazz camps and clinics including the IAJE jazz camps.

He is also a guest adjudicator for Masters recitals at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and at the Macdonald Eisteddfod and Yamaha Festivals. He currently holds a position at the Newcastle Conservatorium, teaching harmony, arranging, jazz performance, brass techniques, jazz orchestra, junior concert band and trombone. In 2022, Jeremy became the lower brass lecturer at Central Queensland University. From 2017 he has been employed as a music mentor for “Starstruck.” An arena show that featured 3500 school students. In 2023 he accepted the role of “School Band programs lead” at the Newcastle Conservatorium. He is currently also the artistic director for NIMA (Newcastle Improvised Music Association) and programs weekly performances featuring local artists, interstate and overseas touring acts.

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Jason Smyth-Tomkins

Jason Smyth-Tomkins joined the faculty of Education and the Arts at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (CQUniversity) in July 2010. Prior to this appointment, Jason spent 10 years as a percussion specialist and multi-instrument teacher at Education Queensland in the Central Queensland region.
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Jason is a lecturer in the Bachelor of Music program at the CQCM, specialising in jazz and contemporary drum-set performance, jazz history and jazz and commercial ensemble.

​Since 2012, on behalf of CQCM, Jason has been the Artistic Director of the CQUniversity Schools' Jazz Festival, attracting participants from Bowen to Brisbane for intensive and inspiring musical experiences through jazz education and performances. The CQUSJF has been instrumental in raising the profile of jazz education in the Central Queensland and Mackay / Whitsunday regions, supported by Queensland Music Festival, Creative Capricorn and various high profile guest artists.

Jason is an experienced and versatile drummer / percussionist having performed in jazz ensembles, big bands, corporate commercial bands, orchestras and pit orchestras.  Jason has performed with a variety of respected jazz artists including: Don Rader (USA/Sydney), Don Burrows, Rick Holland (USA), Richie Cole (USA), Kevin Hunt, Clive Moorehead, Kristin Berardi, Graham Jesse, Katie Noonan, James Sherlock, Nicky Bomba, The Idea of North, Mike Price, Jacki Cooper, James Morrison, Bob Coassin (USA/Sydney), Jeff Jarvis (USA) and Dan Barnett plus many more.

Dr David Reaston

David Reaston has a Master of Music degree in Composition from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and a Bachelor of Jazz Studies from the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music. He has also studied privately in New York City. David has released two albums as a leader - 10 Guitar Project (2010) and After Now (2004), two as a co- leader - Song Fwaa - Ligtei’s Goat (2011) and The Reaston- Kay Effect (2008), in addition to being a featured soloist on other albums. He is currently playing with the 10 Guitar Project, Song Fwaa and ARIA award winning artist Max Sharam.

David is a guitarist who composes and improvises 21st Century Art Music. The cut and splice, intellectual internal reference, and sonic blasts of his ’10 Guitar Project’, combined with freebased improvisation have confirmed him as an audacious innovator. As well as pointed abstraction, David is known for his beautiful take on traditional standards, particularly his use of reharmonisation and polyphony.

DR Peter McKenzie

Peter McKenzie teaches saxophone ensemble, improvisation and academic studies within the Bachelor of Music (Jazz and Popular) degree at CQUniversity.

Peter is an accomplished woodwind specialist and his versatility extends through many musical styles including swing, bebop and contemporary saxophone works. He has performed and toured with a number of major artists including Guy Sebastian, David Liebman, James Morrison, John Morrison, Don Rader, , Wilbur Wilde, Vince Jones, John Riley and David Baker, James Sherlock, Mike Price, Katie Noonan and The Idea of North to name a few.

Peter has performed prolifically in Australia with performances at the Brisbane Festival, Hamilton Island Race Week, Big River Jazz Festival, Palmer St Jazz Festival and the Barcaldine Jazz Festival. Peter has also toured the USA on a number of occasions with performances and clinics in Richmond Virginia, Louisville Kentucky, Brownsville Texas and Cedar City in Utah.

Peter holds a Bachelor of Jazz Studies, a Grad Dip. Ed and a Master of Learning Management and PhD degrees from CQUniversity specialising in regional jazz education. Peter's other research interests are in beginner jazz improvisation.