• Born in 1962, Yeppoon Qld
• Early education at Emu Park Primary and Yeppoon State High Schools
• Graduate of Queensland Conservatorium of Music – Viola chief practical study
• Post graduate studies at South East Queensland University
• String teacher since 1985, Education Queensland (State schools in The Gap, Brisbane)
• 45 string orchestra publications to date available through Music House String Publications
• Co-author of popular beginner series, Encore on Strings – Music Maestros (Violin, Viola, Cello, Double bass)
• Paul Harris Fellow (Rotary)
• Ryan Recognition award 2006 for services in music to his community
• Immediate Past President AUSTA Queensland

About the Music:

Keith’s program focuses on ensemble and group tuition. He recognises the joy and success that inspiring and well-designed resources can bring to such teaching. This has motivated him to pursue a keen interest in composition and arrangement. He enjoys writing imaginative and appealing pieces for string students and publishes these in Australia through his own company – Music House String Publications. Many of these scores are now performed by young players around the world.

The composer’s pieces are varied in style – from fiddle pieces that tend to have an individual stamp to blues, swing, quasi baroque and renaissance miniatures, novelty pieces and dances including tangos and waltzes. Many of the works display a strong vocal quality in the writing and song-like forms – some include vocal scores. His great passion is “equity” within ensemble: almost every piece shares the principle melodies or themes across the sections so that all players experience the leading line and accompanying figures. Settings are potentially very rich and resonant in the string sound. Interestingly, Keith is an imaginative composer and teacher and always seeks a captivating or humorous story to entice young students.

A selection of the composer’s educational works is available in the US through The FJH Music Company Inc. Several of the FJH publications have been highlighted as “Editor’s Choice” in the J.W. Pepper Orchestral Music Catalog.

More about the Composer:

Keith Sharp is a string educator and composer. He grew up in Emu Park, on the Capricorn Coast of Queensland. String teaching is a tradition in his family – his mother, sister, aunt, uncle and wife have all pursued similar vocations. In fact his mother, Colleen Sharp, only recently retired at age 82, after many years of string teaching in Capricorn state schools.

Keith is a performance graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music where he studied violin with his uncle, Dr Anthony Doheny and later the viola with John Curro. In 1985, after completing his Bachelor of Music, Keith commenced teaching with the Education Queensland as a String Instrumental Instructor in The Gap, Brisbane. Later he completed a postgraduate Diploma in Further Education.

Keith continues to teach at the high school and two primary schools in The Gap as a senior teacher. He has directed a multitude of primary, high school and regional ensembles and orchestras. Keith’s dynamic and positive teaching approach is widely recognised and he works with up to 200 students in his string programme. He has toured with groups to New Zealand, Tasmania and country Queensland. His ensembles have gained consistent recognition for their high standard of performance throughout his career. Keith coordinates concerts and festivals and was central to the establishment of GRIPPS (The Gap Regional Primary Performance School – an annual instrumental music “camp”), which has had enormous influence on young musicians in the area since 1992.

He is a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and in 2006 received a Ryan Recognition Award acknowledging his contribution to music education in the local community. Keith is a past President and committee member of AUSTA Queensland. He regularly appears at schools, music camps, workshops and tertiary institutions as a guest clinician, tutor or lecturer. Keith is co-author of the popular beginner series, Encore on Strings - Music Maestros.

Keith gains enormous satisfaction in passing on the gift of music through string teaching and writing.