Teacher Profile: Trish Rooney

At Cork City Music College, we pride ourselves in our highly skilled and talented staff and teacher Trish Rooney certainly has her finger on the pulse! A keen singer, Trish sings and plays saxophone with the Aristocrats, a popular funk, soul and pop band. She is currently studying in London with the UK's leading vocal coaches and singing sensations Kim Chandler, Anne- Marie Speed, and Nina Kristofferson where she is undergoing training in a specialised vocal method called the 'Estill Model'. Trish leads the new and exciting all-girl electric string quartet 'Elektra' and their performance in Thomand Park for the 2010 Quarter Final of the Heineken Cup in Rugby adds another string to her very long bow! She is no stranger to television having performed on RTE's 'The Late Late Show'.

Trish began her musical career at the age of ten when she started violin lessons. Soon discovering her love for music she began flute lessons at the Cork City Music College under the instruction of Siobhan Carne. While a student of CCMC, Trish was leader of the CCMC Orchestra, a member of all of the flute ensembles, and received many awards in Feis Maitiu and the CCMC competitions. She continued her studies at the Cork School of Music with Elizabeth Charleston and Mary McMahon (violin), and Johnny McCarthy and Sabine Ducrot (flute). Trish was awarded a first class honours BMus and Masters degree from the Cork School of Music, majoring in flute performance.

Trish has been a member of and has performed with many ensembles nationally and internationally down through the years including the Cork Youth Orchestra, Cork School of Music Symphony Orchestra, Cork Pops Orchestra, Cork Chamber Orchestra, CSM Wind Ensemble, and the International Youth Wind Orchestra. Performances abroad include the UK, Italy and Australia among others. Trish has also travelled abroad frequently for masterclasses and lessons with such well known flautists as Wissam Boustany, Peter Lloyd, Ian Clarke and many more. She has commisioned work from and given recitals with highly esteemed classical composer C.S.L Parker.

Never one to let the grass grow under her feet, in addition to her teaching work and performing groups, Trish recently received her Associate Diploma from Trinity College, London on saxophone and has just begun work on a PhD in pedagogy!