ABODA WA - GMMCC

Greg McMurdo Memorial Conducting Clinic 2025

Clinician: Prof. Rob McWilliams

21st - 23rd February 2025

Churchlands Senior High School

20 Lucca St, Churchlands WA

GMMCC is an Annual ABODA WA conducting clinic and is open to anyone with a passion to conduct from beginner to advanced. It will be a mixture of ‘classroom’ sessions and practical conducting with a live ensemble.

Schedule: TBA

Topics covered

baton technique & beating patterns
starting and stopping
pauses/ fermata
score preparation
repertoire selection
planning/ sequencing for your ensemble
Left hand & expressive techniques
And more……

Come and watch and/or conduct and/or play.

Come for the whole clinic, or individual days.

Come and join with fellow members of the WA ensemble conducting community to make music, learn and network.

All the music is for mixed strings, wind, brass and percussion so bring your instruments and play all weekend.(As we did in 2024)

Prof. Rob McWilliams. Ph.D., M.Mus., B.Mus.Ed.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Prof. Rob McWilliams holds a Ph. D. in Music from the University of Minnesota, a Master's degree in Instrumental Conducting from Florida State University, and a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Melbourne. A United States resident from 1991 to 2014, Dr. McWilliams served as Professor of Conducting and Director of Bands and Instrumental Music Education at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (USA) from 1996 where he conducted symphonic and jazz ensembles, and taught courses in conducting, music education, and jazz. From 2011 he also served as Head of the Music Department.

Prof. McWilliams has traveled extensively as a guest conductor and clinician, conducting and presenting at major music conferences in all states of Australia, many states of the USA, as well as Japan, Hong Kong, the UK, Singapore, Europe, and China, including conferences of the World Association of Symphonic Bands & Ensembles and the Tutti International Youth Music Festival. In addition to ensemble direction, he has extensive professional performing experience on trumpet and keyboard with a number of symphonic, brass, and jazz ensembles.

Prof. McWilliams has been published in peer-reviewed professional publications including Teaching Music Through Performance and is a published composer/arranger with Alfred's Music and Brolga Music. In early 2015 he relocated to Brisbane, Australia where he is currently Yamaha Music Australia’s Education Outreach Clinician working to improve the quality of ensemble direction and conducting throughout Australia and New Zealand. He also serves as a guest conductor/clinician for community outreach events with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and is a conductor with the Queensland Youth Orchestra organisation in addition to teaching sessionally at the University of Queensland and the Jazz Music Institute and freelancing as a musician, educator, conductor, composer/arranger, and adjudicator.

Registration:

Students

All sessions: $120
Saturday sessions: $60
Sunday sessions: $60

ABODA Members

All sessions: $180
Saturday sessions: $100
Sunday sessions: $100

Non-members

All sessions: $200
Saturday sessions: $120
Sundays sessions: $120

Lunch, Morning and Afternoon Teas provided.

ABODA Membership Deal 2025

Free ABODA membership for 2025 to those who sign up for all sessions
50% discount on ABODA membership for 2025 to those who sign up for only some of the sessions