Reading on Vocation: Musicians

Ali McGregor is an opera and cabaret singer currently hosting the cult favourite Ali McGregor’s Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Ramona Koval is a writer who has worked as a journalist and broadcaster. Her most recent books are A Letter to Layla: Travels to our Deep Past and Near Future, Bloodhound: Searching For My Father, and ...

Richard Gill is an internationally respected music educator and conductor. He has been artistic director of OzOpera, artistic director and chief conductor of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and the adviser for the Musica Viva in Schools program. He is currently music director of Victorian Opera.

Richard has frequently conducted for Opera Australia and OzOpera, and in recent seasons has conducted Meet the Music concerts with the Sydney Symphony, Discovery concerts with the Sydney Sinfonia, the Melbourne, Canberra, Queensland and Tasmanian Symphony orchestras, and the Brisbane and Melbourne premiere seasons of Richard Mills’ The Love of the Nightingale.

Richard Gill has received numerous accolades, including an Order of Australia Medal, the Bernard Heinze Award, honorary doctorates from the Edith Cowan University of Western Australia and the Australian Catholic University, the Australian Music Centre’s award for Most Distinguished Contribution to the Presentation of Australian Composition by an individual, and the Australia Council’s Don Banks Award.

Shane Howard is the singer/songwriter behind Australian classic like “Solid Rock” and “Let the Franklin Flow”.

Shane Howard is known for the 1982 anthemic song “Solid Rock” which he recorded with his band Goanna. He also has 11 solo albums to his name.

He’s a founding member of the Black Arm Band and wrote the song “Let the Franklin Flow” protesting the building of a dam in Tasmania.