“Groove, Doos, Dats and Dows” Practical tips to impart Jazz Ensemble language

Simon Sweeney holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he has been a member of the Tertiary Jazz Faculty since 2011.

Simon has worked as a secondary school big band director since 1993, first at The Forest High School, and then for ten years (2011-2021) at Sydney Secondary College where he expanded the jazz program to three big bands. He also directs the Sydney Conservatorium Big Band no. 2 which he has been taking since 2012. At the Conservatorium Simon directs trumpet sectionals and teaches Principal Study trumpet students in the Jazz Faculty. Many of Simon’s trumpet students have gone on to excel at the Conservatorium (in both Jazz and Classical streams) and in Postgraduate courses here and overseas. Simon is currently director of jazz bands at Moriah College in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

As a soloist Simon was selected as a finalist in the Generations in Jazz James Morrison competition and later was selected as a brass finalist at the National Jazz Awards at the Wangaratta Jazz festival.

Simon is highly sought after as a lead trumpeter and has extensive performing and recording credits as a trumpeter.

In professional musical theatre Simon has performed as a full time musician on 47 shows since 1995.

Carey Baptist Grammar Stage Band is an audition jazz ensemble at the college. The ensemble is directed by Roger Schmidli.