From Classical Musician to Crystal Bowls!

My musical journey began when I started piano lessons at six years old. Through those early lessons I learnt the foundations of music — how to read notes, play musically, and perform in front of others.

In 1988, I attended MLC on a music bursary and eventually chose the double bass as my primary instrument. At the time, the school needed a bass player for the big band, and I was already enjoying playing blues piano.

I continued studying piano until I was 16, when I decided to focus fully on the double bass. Around the age of 15, I first discovered that “music therapy” existed, and I immediately knew I wanted to work with people using music and sound in a therapeutic way.

This led me to study at the WA Academy of Performing Arts, where I completed a Bachelor of Music (Classical Performance) on double bass in 1996.

After graduating, I performed as a casual player with the WA Symphony Orchestra for several years. While I loved performing, I realised I wanted music to be more than performance alone — I wanted to use it to genuinely support and connect with people.

I later worked as a music specialist with people living with dementia, where I witnessed firsthand the profound impact music can have on memory, emotion, connection, and wellbeing.

At 26, I started my family, and a few years later I began teaching piano using the then-new Simply Music program. I continue teaching this approach today because I love how it allows people of all ages to experience the joy of playing music from the very beginning of their musical journey.

The Beginning of SoundBirth

When I was 10 years old, I watched my mother give birth to my youngest sister on our lounge room floor at home. I remember watching in complete awe as she moved, vocalised, and gently birthed my sister into the world.

Her midwife invited me to touch my baby sister’s head as she crowned, and from that moment on I understood that birth could be natural, instinctive, and deeply powerful.

Years later, I chose to birth all four of my own babies at home.

During my third pregnancy, I discovered crystal singing bowls in a small New Age shop and purchased a set of seven bowls, not entirely knowing how they would become part of my life.

Everything changed during labour.

One of the bowls happened to be sitting in the corner of my bedroom when my mother began gently playing it during contractions. Instinctively, I started vocalising with the sound of the bowl and experienced an enormous sense of relief, confidence, and support during labour.

The difference I felt compared to my previous births was profound.

That experience stayed with me long after the birth of my baby. Over the following year, I began researching the benefits of sound, vocalisation, and vibration during labour and birth. Eventually, this led me to create SoundBirth.

Since then, I have been supporting expectant couples and birth professionals to explore the use of voice, sound, and crystal singing bowls during labour. It has been deeply rewarding to witness how these tools can help women feel more confident, connected, and empowered throughout their birth experiences.

Sharing What I Have Learnt …