Meet Sharon Davis of Sharon Davis Music in Camberwell Junction

At four, Sharon Davis saw her older siblings learning piano and thought “I could do that” but wasn’t permitted to start until her next birthday. When she started, a passion was born.

And that enduring love of music has resulted in her successful school Sharon Davis Music in Camberwell Junction.

“Music education has evolved so much since I started aged five,” Ms Davis said.

“Now we start children at aged four, if they want to, and our method of teaching is very different.”

Inspiration and collaboration

At Sharon Davis Music, creating a love of music is at the heart of their teaching and that is done through fun and collaboration, as much as learning notes and styles.

Group learning fosters interaction, collaboration and an encouraging environment.

“Students can hear each other and that encourages them to play along. They can just jump in,” Ms Davis said.

“They inspire each other and learn from questions others ask.”

Learning is cyclical which means there is a new book each term and they can be done in any order.

“Students do as many or as few terms at each level as they need to become secure in the skills and knowledge for that level,” she said.

Engaging students with a no-fuss approach

There is no hard push towards exams – although exams are taken – but an emphasis on motivating as well as learning at a student’s own pace.

“I hear from so many parents how they quit music lessons as a child because of the overwhelming focus on exams,” Ms Davis said.

“They don’t want that for their children and neither do I. I want children to not only learn music but learn to love music.”

Ms Davis said the social setting of the school’s group music classes means children – and adults – develop their musical skills in a relaxed, fun way.

“Songs have multiple difficulty levels, so everyone in the class can play something that’s a good fit for them,” she said.

“Students move up quickly when they are engaged with the music.”

Adult classes at Sharon Davis Music are growing. Most have had some music tuition as a child but a growing number of adults who missed out on music are now giving it a go.

“We now have complete beginner adult classes which is great,” Ms Davis said.

“And they learn in groups, too. So, it’s a social thing as well as a learning environment.”

Building a musical business

Ms Davis is a working musician. Before teaching she played in bands and travelled for solo gigs to countries such as Japan to play in a piano bar for six months.

She still plays in bands, but the teaching part of her life has grown.

“I worked in event management for decades but during COVID I had a rethink,” Ms Davis said.

“I had been teaching a little bit and I began to expand that. Before too long I had 100 students coming to my home.”

After that, Ms Davis opened her school in Camberwell Junction and hasn’t looked back.

“Camberwell Rd works beautifully (for our location),” she said.

“There is parking nearby, and I have the space to do all that I’ve wanted to do.”

Sharon Davis Music offers group piano, group guitar for varying age groups and levels, as well as solo tuition.

The school also runs holiday programs and, to encourage us all to “put some good in the world”, they have a Play it Forward Student Sponsorship Program.

It provides an opportunity for low-income families or people doing it tough to start or continue their musical education.

With students aged from 4 years to 73 years, Sharon Davis Music is igniting and rekindling a love of music across the generations.

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