Faculty

Sam Rollings MA(mus) A.N.U, C.S.M is a nationally recognised guitarist who has performed and recorded with a diverse range of the finest international and local musicians/entertainers including James Morrison, Kate Ceberano, Dan Barnett etc. Sam has also performed at many international and local festivals such as the Havana Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Waiheke Jazz Festival, Wangaratta Jazz Festival etc.

Sam is the author of the widely used instructional book “Chords, Scales and Arpeggios For Guitar” published by Jozzbeat. Sam is an a educator with over 25yrs experience, teaching from beginner to Post Graduate levels with success at various institutions including the Australian Institute of Music. (Academic Lecturer), Southern Cross University. (Guitar Dept Head), University of Sydney. (Conservatorium Open Academy/Conservatorium High School).

Barry has over 40 years experience on stage and screen and is a graduate of the Central School of Speech & Drama in London.  His early career was divided between stage and television in the UK before coming to Australia on tour with the Chichester Festival Theatre Company in 1978.  He fell in love with Australia and decided to stay, since when he has appeared in numerous stage and screen productions including:

In Music Theatre,  starring as Julian Marsh in “42nd Street” (Australian Premier Production), Vernon Gersh in “They’re playing Our Song” (Australian & UK tour) & David in “Company” (STC). 

On TV,  He is well known for his work as Dr Greg Miller in Prisoner and playing leading roles in the mini-series Lucinda Brayford, Sarah Dane, Captain Cook & Queen Emma of the South Seas.  Also, lead roles in the television series M.P.S.I.B., Carson's Law and Mirror, Mirror II, recurring characters on Big Sky, All Saints and Home & Away and guest appearances on Murder Call, Water Rats, The Lost World, The Secret Life of Us and Love My Way. 

Film work  includes Disgrace, Dance Academy II, 2.22, Cappuccino, John Doe, Pop-Up and A Father’s Choice.

He returned to the stage as Gordon in David Williamson's Soulmates at the Sydney Opera House and since 2010 has been coordinator of AIM's Music Theatre Department.

His greatest reward is to see his students develop into, not only highly competent actors and performers, but confident and exciting human beings.

David McLeod’s rich and varied artistic career spans over 30 years. This includes performance as a singer/songwriter, band leader, session and backup singer, featured artist and actor. He has been in numerous television series’ and received top drawer musical theatre credits, notably a Mo Award nomination for best supporting actor in a musical. His recording career spans three albums and one EP covering jazz, blues, original songs and cast recordings. David speaks conversational Mandarin and sings a repertoire of Chinese material.

As an educator, David has been lecturing as a vocal and performance coach since 2002, specializing in performance anxiety and breathing techniques. David dedicates most of his time to the Australian Institute of Music and holds M.Mus (AIM) – GDMus - GCMus (AIM) Dip Ed St (CoT, Lond); Cert Ed St Coes Theory (CoT, Lond); Cert Coes Practice (CoT, Lond); Cert IV Assessment and Workplace training; Estill voice workshops attendance level one and two. A long-standing mentor to the CaSPA program, David works regularly with senior high school students in group and one on one sessions. He also volunteers his time to the “Blue Guitar Project”.

"Swinging pop .…..veers between easy listening soul and ivory pop, slinky grooves and lounge music with a twist.” - Peter Holmes Sydney Morning Herald.

“McLeod’s singing draws upon several admitted influences in the world of jazz, pop and R&B” - Virgin Encyclopaedia of Jazz - London.

See David's website for his full biography and credits: http://www.davidmcleodaustralia.com/

Professional Musician since 1972 doing concert tours, recording

sessions, and songwriting.

Recording sessions at EMI, Alberts, United Sounds and Trafalgar

studios for various artists in the 80s and 90s.

Recorded Album with CBS band Full Marks 1985

National Tours with Full Marks as support for Van Morrison (1985),

Joan Armatrading (1985), Mick Fleetwood’s Zoo (1985), Mondo Rock,

Midnight Oil, MiSex, Sharon O’Neill, and others.

Toured with Graeme Connors, Jeff St John, Ross Ryan, Air Supply, Col

Joye (MD) and Johnny O’Keefe (MD) and others.

Played in the musical Rent at the Theatre Royal (1999).

Played in the musical Beautiful- The Carole King Story in Dec 2017

and Jan 2018.

Long Way To The Top (2002) National Concert Tour and DVD.

Mildura Country Music Awards Band Live Broadcast (2006-2018)

Tamworth Country Music Awards Band Live broadcast (1980 -1983)

Jingle production with John Gillard !1985-1988) Composing and

recording music for Ads for Coca Cola, Nescafe, Levis and others for

Television, Radio and Cinema.

Compositions/Arrangements

Score for Family Free (Surfing Film) 1972

Full Marks album (CBS) 1985

Big Sky album (Independent) 2012

Currently MD for several shows: Rumours (Fleetwood Mac Show),

Friday on my Mind (Vanda and Young Show), Hotel California (Eagles

Show), Don’t Dream It’s Over (Crowded House Show) as well as a

busy schedule of other live performances.

Brad Miller: Music Director, Pianist & Arranger

Brad Miller began playing the piano at the age of five and completed his musical training in

orchestration, arranging and modern harmony through Boston's prestigious Berklee College

of Music. His numerous theatre credits include In The Heights, Chicago, Ruthless!, A Chorus

Line, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Once On This Island, Hair, Godspell, Jerry’s Girls, Forever Plaid,

The Goodbye Girl and the Broadway revival of Candide on which Brad was invited to serve as

apprentice to legendary theatre director Harold Prince. Brad regularly serves as Musical

Director and pianist for Australian theatre icon Geraldine Turner including the national tour

of her acclaimed one-woman show Turner’s Turn. Brad received the great honour of being

appointed Musical Director, pianist and arranger for Broadway and West End star Ramin

Karimloo on his 2018 Australian concert tour. In addition to his musical direction work, Brad

serves as a Senior Instructor at the Australian Institute of Music and operates Key Change

Productions: an independent theatre production company and boutique music studio

specializing in composition for film, television & new media.

Since relocating from his native Vienna to Sydney, Nick has been heavily involved in the local

music industry as a promoter, DJ, producer, radio host and educator.

Over the course of his career, he has performed at major Australian festivals and live venues,

a wide range of corporate / media events and has been booked in the US, UK, Japan,

Indonesia, Malaysia and Tahiti.

Nick was the first hip hop DJ in Australia to sign a major label deal for a DJ-mixed album

('Blazin' Vol 1 / Universal Music, 2003) and has since released a number of DJ albums,

compilations and singles.

As part of the hip hop trio Foreign Heights he was nominated for an ARIA award in 2007.

He has toured / shared the stage with a multitude of artists such as Kanye West, Justin

Timberlake, Chronixx, De La Soul, Johnny Osbourne, Common, Michael Franti, Talib Kweli,

Pharrell Williams, Missy Elliott, Jungle Brothers, 50 Cent, The Roots, Run DMC, Xzibit, J

Boog, Public Enemy, Ice T, Beatnuts, DJ Krush, QBert, Grandmaster Flash, MixMasterMike,

Jungle Brothers, Lyrics Born, Sean Paul, Cypress Hill, ColdCut, Jazzanova, Black Eyed Peas,

Scribe, Roots Manuva, Slum Village etc and has been booked for celebrity / industry events

like Donna Karan's birthday and Justin Timberlake's private party at the Sydney Opera

House.

He has also produced and recorded with local and international artists including Mr Lif,

Casual, Will I Am, Pigeon John, Murs, Che'nelle, MC Trey, Maya Jupiter, 13th Son, Eternia

and DJ Regal and has licensed his music for TV campaigns in the US and France.

Nick’s Article One Events has been at the forefront of Caribbean / Tropical / Reggae Music in

the Australasian region since 2003 with some of the most successful club nights and

international tours of the genre, including a history-making show with hip hop icons Wu-Tang

Clan in Auckland in December 2018.

Since 1997, he has been sharing his knowledge and experience in the music industry as a

workshop facilitator / educator at institutions such as TAFE, Information & Cultural Exchange

(ICE) and Sydney University and since 2008 as senior instructor at the Australian Institute Of

Music, Sydney.

His latest project, FutureSkool Of Music, opens 2018 and offers a boutique teaching space for

both young people and adults.