FM Board

Emma is a versatile educator, having worked with students, educators and communities from years Pre-prep to University in a range of educational settings. Emma is a keen bass trombonist, playing various styles from Orchestras to Reggae bands. As a music educator, Emma has taught and conducted in Australia and overseas in a range of schools, universities and for community organisations.  She was invited to be a Member of the Education Advisory Board, Arts Centre Melbourne. 

Throughout her music education career Emma became passionate about music's ability to positively impact the mental health of young people. Moving into wellbeing roles in schools she gained firm knowledge about social and emotional strategies, specialising in youth mental health. Emma’s work is celebrated through BeYou.

In order to create the most opportunities for young people Emma went into leadership roles in schools.  She gained her Masters’ in Instructional Leadership from the University of Melbourne in order to develop skills in equity-led leadership.  Emma is passionate about remaining current in the best practice of wellbeing to identify what is best to create positive change in young people's lives.

Dan West is a Melbourne based instrumentalist, music producer, sound designer and educator dedicated to the composition, performance and audio documentation of original music. Working both on stage and in his sound laboratory (a custom designed shipping container called tweakandtwang), Dan devises new work with a variety of musicians and other cross disciplinary artists to humanise the digital divide; fusing sounds made by both people and machines.

A prolific collaborator, Dan creates soundtracks for video and performance artist Eugenia Lim, music and sound design for Japanese Butoh punkess Yumi Umiumare and WEAVE Movement Theatre while concurrently writing and performing as a guitarist with Australia’s hardest hitting Hammond Organ trio, Cookin’ On 3 Burners. Selections from his forward-facing instrumental Beat Tapes have also been extensively used by headphone pioneers NURA for their ongoing advertising campaigns.

Dan’s art form is constantly evolving alongside his community collaborative music practice.
Currently based at Sydney Road Community School and Yarra Youth Services’ Rising High Music Program, Dan works alongside young people with a range of diverse experiences and backgrounds, engaging them in music making and working together to build frameworks for promoting creative social connectivity and the democratisation of culture.

Dan is signed to ORiGiN Music Publishing and is digitally distributed by AWAL

Jody is committed to the conservation of land, water and culture at national and international scales. She is a conservation scientist with executive level management experience spanning over two decades. While  working primarily in the not for profit sector, Jody’s career has included academia, non-government and government organisations, with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne, Australia and a PhD from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK.

Jody is the CEO of the Australian Land Conservation Alliance, and loves the incredible opportunity to bring people together around a common care for our unique land, water and sea. Prior to joining ALCA, Jody was an Executive Manager for Bush Heritage Australia, during which time she oversaw the expansion of Bush Heritage Australia’s Reserves and partnerships, the delivery and expansion of a private land stewardship program on agricultural land and strengthened Indigenous partnerships across Bush Heritage Australia’s portfolios across southeast Australia. She has experience on Boards and Advisory Committees.

Jody's journey with music started as a cornet player in a municipal band during primary school in regional Victoria. From cornet to Grade 7 trumpet, and learning to also play clarinet, saxophone and piano, Jody's musical journey was vibrant throughout primary and early high school. A combination of adolescence and changing musical programs mid-way through high school resulted in her ceasing her musical journey. She would love to see the opportunity for out of school accessible music facilitation being made available to adolescents in Meri-Bek where she now resides, which her and her family call home. 

Pip Norman is a celebrated ARIA winning songwriter and producer from Melbourne, Australia who has delivered beloved records with Troye Sivan, Jarryd James, Missy Higgins, Dan Sultan, Odette, Baker Boy, Urthboy, Fergus James, Kate Miller-Heidke, Cxloe, among many more. 

Pip is a dexterous co­-writer, collaborator, beat maker, multi-­instrumentalist with the added gift of contributing top-line melodies and lyrics as the song comes to life.

Early in his career Pip worked under the moniker ‘Countbounce’, producing  hip hop records with artists such as Urthboy, Mantra, Sietta, Pez and 360. His band TZU claimed prime territory in the Australian hip hop landscape for a decade, dominating festivals with their left-­field party anthems, infectious rants and prog leanings.

In 2004 Pip signed with Mushroom Music Publishing, stepping up as a co­-writer and producer on more pop leaning material, and now has several multi-platinum and gold records, but thinks vinyl sounds better.

Pip is a true all-rounder whose collaborative form on songs and lyrics is complemented by his texture and warm palette in production. He runs a rad studio in Northcote full of beautiful instruments and sunlight.

Finley François is a pianist and songwriter born in Quartre-Bonnes, Mauritius. The music of his childhood was Sega - a fusion of African rhythms and European harmonies.

Finley’s early band Fizard won Triple J’s coveted ‘Unearthed’ competition, and he is the founding member, producer and co-writer for prolific Melbourne-based soul project Paris Wells.

Finley has performed all over the country with acts like Grandmaster Flash, Rod Stewart, Kelly Rowland, Chris Brown and The Brand New Heavies. He’s played major festivals including regular gigs at MONA FOMA and WOMADelaide, Adelaide Cabaret Festival and on television for Sunrise 7, Spick & Specks and Rove.

His recent solo piano composition Pi Collection Un (2021) explores minimalist neo-classical piano, touching several emotional registers. The music shares tonal delicacies with Nil Frahm and Joep Beving, and is alert to surprise, balancing melancholy and hope, light and dark.

The follow-up and companion piece, Pi Collection Deux, maintains this subtle atmosphere while collaging percussive electronics and floating synth lines. These carefully constructed pieces are sensitive to community and the moment.

As an Educator he was the recipient of the Inaugural Yamaha Breakout Teacher 2021, establishing many instrumental music programs; Thornbury PS (T.I.M.E), Coburg HS and NMIT (Polytech). Finley sees education playing a critical role in the continuation of music as an art form and community building. Finley lives and works on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung land (Naarm/Melbourne).