AWARD WINNING Pottsville soprano, Tara Williams will appear in a performance which sees the singer make her debut as a writer and producer, as part of this yearβs MAT19.
Ms Williams, who has performed with the Sydney Philharmonia Motet Choir, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Opera Queensland, and teaches singing and piano at Pottsville, said it was her students that inspired to write the show, βSongs My Students Taught Meβ.
βI have taught some very colourful characters over the years and they have left a very lasting impression on me and Iβll always associate the songs I taught them with these particular students,β Ms Williams said.
βThere is a story to go with each of the songs and they are anecdotes from my teaching and particular incidents that left a lasting impression on me.β
Ms Williams said while most of the stories in the performance are light hearted, she does occasionally delve into darker moments.
βThe songs are mostly musical theatre so they are for the most part quite light hearted although there are some more thought provoking songs.
βItβs a very eclectic mix of everything from Rodgers and Hammerstein and Simon and Garfunkel to Evanescence.
βThe title is a play on βSongs My Mother Taught Meβ, by Czech composer AntonΓn DvoΕΓ‘k.β
Ms Williams said she started her musical life at the age of three when her parents realised she had the ability to play by ear.
βWhen I was three years old my parents took me to see the film Ryanβs Daughter and then I banged out with one or two fingers the theme song so they started me with piano lessons when I was five.
βAt the age of thirteen, I started singing lessons when my mother and I joined a community choir.
βIβve always had a great love of drama and musical theatre and opera provided a way for me to marry my love of singing and acting.β
After spending her professional life as both a performer and teacher Ms Williams said she believes teaching can be a great way to expand your skills as a performer and vice versa.
βThereβs a really unfortunate saying that βhe who can does and he who canβt teachesβ, but I beg to differ,β she said.
βIβm hoping that this piece will show that you can be a good teacher and a good performer as thatβs part of the inspiration for my show.β
Ms Williams will be joined by pianist Jed Stone, who has backed David Bowie, Tom Jones and Englebert Humperdinck and cellist and soprano Claudia Marcus who recently understudied the role of the Publicanβs Wife in the premiere of the new Australian opera, Dry River Run.
MAT19 music curator Nick Clow said Ms Williamβs performance is part of a focus on classical and jazz at this yearβs arts trail.
βClassical and jazz music will be a significant element of the Murwillumbah Arts Trail this year,β Mr Clow said.
Sunday, May 19, will feature classical and jazz shows running throughout the day at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre Auditorium.