group class teachers
Quality Group Teachers
Over the years, Music Works Magic Director, Dr Anna Mlynek-Kalman, has built a team of like-minded music teachers who are passionate about providing organic music education. They are creative in their approach, highly qualified and experienced, and never compromise on the educational value they provide to our students.
Our class teachers meet regularly for professional development and attend conferences locally, nationally and internationally. In this way they continue to discover fresh, new and interesting ways to present material to the children in their classes.
Our teachers all love what they do and we know that you will too! This year we are celebrating 25 years of music making excellence.
Dr Anna Mlynek-Kalman Ph.D, M. Mus., M.Mus. Ed., B. Ed., Dip. Teach., A.Mus. A. (flute)
Anna has taught and directed music programs with children from K-year 12 for more than 40 years at a variety of schools both here in Australia and abroad. She founded Music Works Magic having completed her master’s degree in Music Education with a Kodaly emphasis in the United States in 1996. She tutored aural musicianship at Melbourne University for five years. Recognising the need for organic music programs that begin with parents and neonates, she launched an education and resource centre, offering classes for children. She designs training courses for adults working with children and continues to offer courses and ongoing mentorship to teachers, teacher trainees and students. She creates professional learning and development sessions, presenting new and stimulating repertoire and teaching ideas. She has presented lectures, papers, posters and workshops at conferences, universities, schools and preschools to teachers, teacher trainees and students. Anna continues to lead the Music Works Magic team who run classes at our studios, in preschools and early learning centres. She is passionate about capturing the students love of music and within the group environment she creates magical ensembles allowing children to share their music and create beautiful harmonies. Her students learn to perform together and support one another. Anna currently lectures at Deakin University Melbourne, as part of the performing Arts team, training teachers in early childhood music. She was a recipient of the 2024 prize for innovation in music education, bestowed by the Kodaly Music Education Association of Australia.
Anna teaches Pre-Instrumental Classes, Toot Suite Recorder Ensembles, Uke’N Play Ensembles and directs the Magic Voices Children’s Choir.
Laura Uhe B.A from the A.N.U. & Dip ED English, ESL & Drama from La Trobe University
Laura has been involved in dance, theatre and music for most of her life! Studying classical ballet from the age of 4, she began performing children’s roles with the Perth City Ballet Company from the age of 8 and toured with a youth Ballet company at the age of 14 to the Aberdeen International Festival of the Arts and to Vienna and the UK. Laura worked reading plays on the ABC radio series for children ”Lets Join In” and has been involved in many theatre productions and plays. She has also studied AMEB Piano to 7th grade.
During the course of her university studies she took courses in ethnomusicology and was an active member of the university choir. She continued to study dance , focusing on Flamenco and Spanish Dance and has been a professional flamenco performer for the last 20 years. During the course of her career she has conducted hundreds of workshop and her performances include in the Melbourne Festival of the Arts. The Apollo Bay and the Port Fairy Music Festival, Arts Centre Latin Concert Series and the Brunswick Music Festival. She choreographed a flamenco piece for Chunky Move’s production ‘Wanted’ and conducted the successful series of Dancing in the Streets for the Melbourne Festival of the Arts in 2006. Most recently she has performed with the Australian Opera in Bizet’s Carmen both in Melbourne and in Taiwan.
After participating in Music Works Magic classes with her own 2 children for many years, and having run her own dance studio teaching children and adults, Laura trained as a Music Works Magic teacher in 2003 and has been a much loved member of the Music Works Magic teaching team ever since. She is passionate about teaching and loves sharing her joy of music, make believe and movement with all the children at Music Works Magic!
Laura teaches Pre-Instrumental Classes at our Elsternwick studio and in ELC centres.
Navaz Varkey
Navaz has loved to sing ever since she can remember! She strongly believes that EVERYONE can sing and her passion is to encourage children to find their own voice!
She enjoys working with each child’s unique gifts and learning needs to inspire them to rediscover their natural joy as music makers and be transformed into confident singers.
Navaz grew up with the wonderful tradition of community singing in her family! She continued to sing all through her schooling and university as part of choirs and performing in musicals, as well as conducting two university choirs. Navaz was a member of a Community Music Victoria choir and she is passionate about taking music into the community. She strongly believes in the power of music to bring joy and healing. Along with her husband, she has taken singing to young and old alike, in orphanages, retirement villages, community shelters and public spaces. Music making is a central part of her life as she continues to sing with her husband and children at their local church.
Navaz has completed Grade 6 piano from the Royal School of Music, London, and is also a trained Montessori teacher and this philosophy enriches her practice as an early childhood music educator. She has been working with Music Works Magic since 2011 running programs in various kindergartens and early learning centres across Melbourne.
Navaz teaches Pre-Instrumental Classes in ELC centres.