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About Us

Who We Are

JOHN PARKER

Co-Director/Composer

John Parker graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium in 2000 having studied classical percussion and Jazz drums. He currently writes and performs music in many diverse situations. He has received several commissions for his percussion works. Attendee of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music in Canada. Studied with Jim Black, Tyshawn Sorey and Jochen Rückert in New York. Recent work: Touring to the UK, Japan, Canada and South America with “Misinterprotato”, Performed on, recorded and mixed the album “Nightlight” with Megan Washington and Sean Foran, winner of the Bell Award for Jazz vocal album of the year 2009. Oxford Parker, Carita Farrer – The Mutha of all Divas, Co-written and stared in “John2!” with John Rodgers, The Dream Catchers, Loops, Ubique Trio, Elixir, The Queensland Orchestra, Women in Voice 10-16, Queensland Arts Council, Opera Queensland, Festivals: Kutchan Jazz Festival (Japan), Calgary International Jazz Festival, The Queensland Music Festival and Biennial, Adelaide Festival, Wangaratta Festival of Jazz, Bennett’s Lane, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Out of the Box (Children’s Festival), Woodford Folk Festival, Valley Jazz Festival and work with James Morrison, Vince Jones, Anthony Warlow, Katie Noonan, Mike Nock, Gyan, Michael Leunig and Topology. John has toured internationally several times. He teaches percussion at several schools throughout Brisbane.

Sean Foran

Co-Director/Composer

A graduate from the QLD Conservatorium of Music, Sean has been the recipient of the prestigious Brisbane City Councils Lord Mayor’s Artist Fellowship in 2007. He also holds a MA from the Leeds College of Music where he studied with artists such as John Taylor, Lars Jansson, Tord Gustavsen and Matthew Bourne around Britain and Europe. In 2009 he was the APRA Professional Development Award winner for Jazz and is also a multiple winner of Queensland’s QSong Jazz Award in 2010, 2008 & 2006. He is known primarily for his work with the trio MISINTERPROTATO but he also performs with the international trio VEHERE featuring Norwegian vocalist Kari Bleivik and Belgian Clarinetist Joachim Badenhorst. Sean co-wrote & arranged the album “Nightlight” with Megan Washington, winner of the Bell Award for Jazz vocal album of the year 2009. His performance experience is extensive including appearances at the Kutchan Jazz Festival (Japan), MIDEM Music Conference France, Calgary International Jazz Festival (Canada), The Vortex London, Pizza Express Jazz Club London, Birmingham Jazz Festival, and many festivals around Australia. He is also a committed educator lecturing in music at JMC Academy & Jazzworx Brisbane and tutoring piano at Marist Brothers College.

Catherine Likhuta

Composer

Catherine Likhuta is an Australian-based composer, pianist and recording artist. Her music exhibits high emotional charge, programmatic nature and rhythmic complexity. Her pieces have been played extensively around the world, including highly prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Glyndebourne Opera House, the Midwest Clinic, six International Horn Symposiums and two World Saxophone Congresses. She is a two-time winner of the International Horn Society Composition Contest (virtuoso division) and a recipient of several awards, including two grants from the Australia Council for the Arts. Catherine holds a five-year post-graduate degree in composition from the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine (Kyiv Conservatory) and a PhD in composition from the University of Queensland. She is an active performer, often playing her own music. She has performed as a soloist with the Cornell University Wind Ensemble and was the pianist on Adam Unsworth’s CD Snapshots. Her works can be heard on Albany, Cala, Equilibrium and Summit Records.

Dave Sanders

Composer

With over 25 years experience as both performer and educator, Dave Sanders has gained the reputation as one of the most versatile and in-demand drummers in Australia. As an educator Dave has become recognised as one of Australia’s leading drum set teachers and notably his students are some of the most sought-after drummers in Australia.

EDDIE SMITH

Composer

Coming soon.

Jeff Jarrott

Composer

Jeff graduated from Queensland’s University of Technology in 2001 with a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education. He is currently employed as an Instrumental Music Teacher (Percussion Specialist) with Education Queensland, servicing two High Schools and two Primary Schools within the Greater Brisbane region. Recently, Jeff has been a staff member at Education Queensland’s premier musical showcases – MOST, Fanfare and Creative Generation. He regularly presents percussion workshops/seminars and adjudicates at various Percussion Festivals. In 2005-6, Jeff was the director of the Young Conservatorium Percussion Ensemble. Over the past few years, Jeff’s school ensembles have won awards at the Queensland Festival of Music, Fanfare, the Urban Upbeat Festival, Jazzin’ up the Mall and Music Fest. In 2007, Jeff’s Senior Percussion Ensemble at The Gap State High School was awarded 1st Place at the Australian Percussion Eisteddfod in Sydney. This ensemble has performed with and alongside groups and artists such as Isorhythmos, Taikoz, Karak, James Morrison, Grant Collins and Steve Smith. Jeff is currently the drummer in Brisbane-based jazz group Dolphin Green Street. He also enjoys freelancing as both a Classical Percussionist and Drum Kit player locally and internationally.

JULIAN SCHWEITZER

Composer

Julian Schweitzer is a highly accomplished multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, lyricist, and singer based in Brisbane, Australia. He started playing drums at the age of 10, when his passion quickly developed into an obsession for playing music.

Julian entered the Queensland Conservatorium in 2003, majoring in classical percussion. During these years, Julian played extensively with the Queensland and Australian Youth Orchestras, which saw him tour Europe (QYO) and perform at the Sydney Opera House (AYO) under the baton of Benjamin Zander. During these years Julian itched to concentrate on his main passion, playing the drum set. In 2005 he switched from the classical over to the jazz program at the Conservatorium. He is credited on the outstanding alumni list of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.

After graduating from the Conservatorium (2006) with a cross degree in performance (percussion, jazz drums), Julian successfully auditioned for the Berklee College of Music then attended a full semester in 2007/08 studying under Jamie Haddad (Paul Simon) and Ralph Peterson (Jazz Messengers). Julian was awarded a Dean’s Scholar award for his outstanding level of achievement whilst studying at Berklee College of Music.

Julian is in demand as a freelance drummer, performing regularly around the country in various original outfits. He is endorsed by Dream Cymbals and Vater Drumsticks.

KRISTIN BERARDI

Composer

Kristin Berardi is a creative musician, composer and educator and is passionate about sharing music. Kristin is from Qld Australia and is resides in Switzerland where she is on staff at HSLU, in Luzern (2021). She was one of Australia’s first calls in jazz performance and education, but looks forward to connecting with a wider audience now she is based in Europe. She also works in the contemporary music field outside jazz and into the experimental field. She has worked with musicians such as Kenny Werner, Ingrid Jensen, Thomas Morgan, Chris Walker, Dan Tepfer, Jerome Jennings, Dan Weiss, Florian Ross, Jim Pugh, Matthew Halpin, Sam Anning, Pascal Schumacher, Andrea Keller, James Muller, James Sherlock, Katie Noonan, Mike Nock, Miro Sprague, Wendy Matthews, Kate Miller-Heidke, Orlando Fleming, Phil Slater, Barney McAll, Julien Wilson, Jamie Oehlers, Hannah Macklin, Carl Morgan, Zac Hurren, Katie Whighton, Emma Dean and many other amazing artists.

RAFAEL KARLEN

Composer

Rafael Karlen is an award-winning composer, saxophonist, and arranger. He has continued to build a reputation as one of the more creative, exciting and surprising musicians on the Australian music scene. Rafael’s music has been performed by small jazz groups, rock and pop ensembles, big bands through to chamber orchestras and string quartets. He has performed throughout Australia and New Zealand, and in Canada, Cambodia, England, Scotland and Sweden.

Sabrina Conwell

Composer

Coming soon.

Samuel Vincent

Composer

Samuel Vincent is a bassist and educator and has been performing music for the last 20 years. He graduated from QUT in 1997 with a Bmus in classical Double Bass studying under Robert Davidson. In 1998, he was the musical director of Belvior Street Theatres’ “After China” and he co-devised and performed in childrens show “Ukelele Mekulele” which found a home at the Sydney Opera House. In 2005 he joined gypsy ensemble Doch with whom he has toured both nationally and internationally and has appeared on their critically acclaimed albums: ‘This Drink This Moon’ and ‘Bride In A Red Dress’. Samuel is much in demand as a freelance musician and has appeared with such acts as Miguel, Scat, Australian Girls Choir, and the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra as well as performers such as Tommy Emanuel, Marina Pryor, Don Burrows, Tom Burlinson, James Morrison, Frank Bennet and Meagan Washington. Currently, Samuel is performing with renowned contemporary jazz outfit Trichotomy and early jazz ensemble Laique.

SHANNON ROGERS

Composer

Coming soon.

STEVE POWELL

Composer

Coming soon.

TANIA SAVAGE

Composer

Coming soon.

Thomas Green

Composer

Thomas Green is a prize-winning composer who has a reputation in Brisbane (Australia) for versatility, finding a musical home between many and varied streams, often seamlessly melding classical and contemporary idioms. In 2021 he was commissioned for the renowned ANAM Set and most recently has been selected by the ABC’s Fresh Start Fund to compose original music for national broadcast. He has composed and arranged music for The Sydney Symphony (with Josh Pyke), The Australian String Quartet, Katie Noonan, Opera Qld, La Boite Theatre, Plexus (Melbourne), and Brisbane-based organisations such as Trichotomy. In 2017 he was commissioned by The Queensland Music Festival to write a concerto for Manu Delago and QYO, and in 2019 his music was featured on Katie Noonan’s AIR and ARIA-nominated album, The Glad Tomorrow. In 2021 & 2022 he is collaborating with Katie Noonan again, writing music for AVÉ. He lectures in music theory at the Queensland Conservatorium.

WES TAYLOR

Composer

Coming soon.

PREPARED SOUNDS

Prepared Sounds is an arts enterprise based in Queensland, Australia and owned/managed by two of Australia’s leading contemporary musicians, John Parker and Sean Foran. Created in 2010 in a response to the need to bring high quality music to the community.

Prepared Sounds prides itself on representing not only the work of its founding members but also a handpicked selection of the most inventive composers from around Australia.

At Prepared Sounds we personally oversee work on compositions, backing tracks, printing and of course school workshops and production music.

The print music of Prepared Sounds is available directly from our online shop and in selected music stores nationwide.

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