Teacher/Theatre Director/Designer/Writer/Composer/Arranger
Brenna's fascination and commitment to the arts and in particular the performing arts began as
a young child. Tap classes with Helen Clarke in Ipswich at the age of 3 were followed by ballet classes with Mary Heath, Patricia
MacDonald and finally Elsie Segus. Piano classes commenced at the age of 5 with her mother Erica Lee, then Ethel Martin,
Nancy Weir and Yefim Stesin. Other mentors include Kerry Smith (Chamber Music and Violin Pedagogy) and a Post Graduate Diploma
in String pedagogy, Aural Training and Conducting at UQ. Brenna also had singing classes with her mother from the age of 12
and regularly accompanied her mothers' students at eisteddfods and Lieder competitions.
Brenna studied Speech
and Drama for 8 years commencing at the age of 8, and continued this passion at U.Q with a Double Major in Drama and
a Double Major in Music.
Brenna began teaching piano, theory and musicianship in the early 1980s whilst
a B.A (Mus) student at the Qld Conservatorium of Music studying under Nancy Weir.
Brenna soon became interested
in exploring the possibilities of Kodaly in the development of young children's musicality. Brenna developed her own Early
Musical Development classes in which solfege, folk-songs, recorder, percussion, dance and story telling combined with basic
notation skills to develop a holistic method of creative learning.
In 1989 she established Fractal Theatre
to explore a 'total theatre experience' by combining text, music and choreography'.
In 1997 Brenna established
Mog Roith Celtic Theatre which explored the theatrical and musical interpretations of ancient Irish Myths.
In
2000 Brenna established Fractal Youth Theatre and the Ipswich Music and Drama Academy which saw many String students progress
into the Qld Youth Orchestras and obtain Scholarships to various Private Schools. Both Piano and String students consistently
achieve high marks for A.M.E.B. practical and theoretical exams. During this time students and other young highly skilled
musicians were encouraged and coached to create The Urchins, The Klassix Quartet and the Ipswich Chamber Ensemble.
In
2012 Brenna was keen to further explore the possibilities of aural and singing training, and to make music possible for an
older generation who had not had the opportunities earlier; thus The Mumas of Creation Choir came into existence.
