Message from Kate and Ryan

We run workshops in creative writing and body percussion.
We are musicians with a passion for inspiring kids and raising
self-esteem through teaching the practical skills we know best.
We would love to talk to your students about how small steps can add up to huge life changes, and a whole lot of fun.

Workshop Structure

Kate and Ryan’s workshops run well one after the other: so that all students participate in a creative writing session followed by body percussion. The total running time is about 1½ hours. In secondary schools the running time can be tailored to the length of a school period or double period and can be targeted to suit the subject area (i.e. music, English, PDHPE) However sessions can be arranged to suit your needs – choose one or the other workshop only, or run them both at the same time.

Kate Rowe - Creative Writing for Kids

Growing up with Emily Rodda has taught daughter Kate Rowe a lot about writing. She has co-authored 6 books with her mother, and was responsible for the internal graphics and design of the best-selling Deltora Quest series. She is also an award-winning songwriter who released her first album The Simplest of Things in 2007.

Kate’s teaching experience includes teaching English at the Sorbonne in Paris, French at Blue Mountains Grammar School in NSW, and creative writing at Span community college in Melbourne. She is the author of the Omnibus Books Teachers’ Notes for Emily Rodda’s The Key to Rondo and The Wizard of Rondo. She has also worked as a children’s party entertainer, has directed a high school musical and co-written and co-directed a junior school musical.

Kate offers a positive and practical workshop: Creative Writing based around whichever theme would interest your students most:

• The Making of Deltora Quest
• Activities based on The Key to Rondo series
• Activities based on the Rowan of Rin series
• Kate Rowe performance Kate performs her own songs, explains how they were written and leads students in their own writing.

For further information about Kate see promotional sheet.

Ryan Morrison - Body Rhythms for Kids

Some kids just can’t sit still. This workshop is for them, though quieter students will also love this introduction to body percussion.

Ryan Morrison is a new, vibrant presence on the music teaching scene. Over the past six years he has been involved in singing solo and with various a cappella groups including Summerhouse and the Spooky Men’s Chorale. He also directed and arranged music for the Spooky Men of the West for two years, has been a guest director for various choirs around Perth and Melbourne, and also works as a graphic designer.

Utilising his urge to constantly tap a beat, Ryan has now combined his experience working with kids for CanTeen, and as part of the Spooky Men’s frequent singing workshops at festivals around Australia, with his growing passion for Body Rhythms to develop an exciting percussive workshop for students of all ages.

Ryan presents students with basic body percussion techniques such as clicks, claps and stomps and guides them through rhythmic routines. As the workshop progresses, students work together to create increasingly complicated and interesting rhythms.