A bubble of passion for everything music and musical, Simone is an inspiration for every budding artist. Born in Malta, a tiny island in the heart of the Mediterranean, Simone moved to Australia at the age of 21. With her she brought a love for the arts and above all her dreams. Simone has combined her talents, passion and dedication to bring people together to develop and share creativity and talent in the music realm while producing amateur musical productions in Melbourne’s North Western region.
“Dreams do come true!”
Simone says: “I started learning music formally when I was seven years old, taking classes in piano and music theory. I was possibly a reluctant student at first, because the lessons and practice involved a lot of hard work and technical exercises that did not fit in with the vision I had of turning into a virtuoso overnight. With my parents’ encouragement I persisted, and my experience shifted to a more positive one some years later when my piano teacher at the time found me picking out a melody from a musical we were working on at school. Instead of reprimanding me for not concentrating on the syllabus, he pulled out various sheet music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. I was hooked! While my technical work suffered that year, music started to become a source of passion, fun and expression. Growing up, I was a quiet and reserved child, but music allowed me the opportunity to lose myself. More so, with musicals I could immerse myself in particular characters, allowing me to become someone else for a little while.
I continued with my studies, as I wanted to enhance my knowledge. I started to explore other genres of music, tried out different instruments, taught myself guitar and gradually built up confidence in voice. Music became a solid part of my life; a constant through many changes. I became involved in local communities, played at local churches and local council events on a voluntary basis, led choirs and musicians in various events. As an adult, I began teaching piano and theory to children and adults to ensure I continued to involve myself in music and to help others develop their skills. Always, in the back of my mind, was a dream – to share my experience of music generally, with a more specific wish of taking music to stage.
My first major opportunity came in 2012. I was given permission to work on a larger project to direct an amateur musical theatre production. I picked Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The show was staged in its entirety, involving a cast of 20 people as well as five musicians. It was a lot of hard work, not just for myself, but all those involved in the cast and crew. Yet the dedication by all was astounding – people put their hands up to be involved in a number of different areas, utilising their creative skills and developing talents. The group developed and became very closely knit and it was extremely satisfying to see the positive impact that the involvement in the project had. Even more fulfilling was the response from those attending to watch the show. Having experienced the thrill of directing this production and encouraged by the response, I planned to continue to share my Musical journey with others.”
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