Homecoming: Citation (Young Alumnus of the Year)

Chris Koelma

Chris Koelma is a musical linguist. The composer and bass guitarist’s ambition: to share the universal language through performance and education.

Chris Koelma

Chris Koelma: Avondale Alumni Association’s Young Alumnus of the Year for 2014.

The latter saw Chris employed as music director at Terrigal Uniting Church during his studies. He returned there after graduation while also teaching music at Narara Valley High School.

The former saw Chris leave his position at the church and take leave from the school to record in Los Angeles the debut album of the band St Leonards. Chris completed two tours of the West Coast before returning to Australia in 2010.

He married Mikaela Prout and the two took a teaching opportunity in Buenos Aires, Argentina to “gain more experience with English-as-a-second-language students, live as expatriates in a foreign country and learn Spanish.” During his tenure as head of primary music at St Georges College, Chris developed a new instrumental music program, produced five musicals and managed a team of five staff members. He also completed a Master of Educational Studies through The University of Newcastle, graduating with distinction.

With a sharp downturn in economic stability and security in Argentina, Chris and Mikaela looked for other international teaching opportunities. They moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in mid-2013—Chris took a position as head of primary music at Garden International School. The role sees him coordinating the school’s primary music curriculum and its choirs, orchestras, concerts and tours and helping coordinate an instrumental music tuition program. He’s also led workshops at professional development conferences on the use of iPads in the classroom.

Chris only began to play bass in his mid-teens, but he has developed his own style by adding a twist to existing bass expressions. The launch of his debut album at Avondale in 2008 illustrates his ambition: the album raised money for an orphanage and school in India.

The Avondale Alumni Association honours Chris Koelma for using music not to further his own interests but to further the interests of others.—Brenton Stacey, public relations officer, Avondale College of Higher Education

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