GALLERY
Grand Tuition
Video Library
GALLERY
Grand Tuition
Video Library
TEACHERS
COURTNEY TEIXEIRA
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
HEAD VOCAL & PIANO COACH
Courtney Teixeira first starting singing and performing at the ripe age of with vocal coach and mentor Nella Magnente.
Graduating from Wollongong High School Of The Performing Arts, she placed 1st in the state in Music and spent years performing in Wollongong’s Win Entertainment, Arena spectacular, ‘Southern Stars’ as a featured artist.
The start of Courtney’s independent artistry was her title win of ‘Australian National Urban Star’ where she met her current music producer and mentor, Niten Divalia. This was a MAS Presents event, created and brought to Sydney Australia by Marco Selorio owner of Record Label, Sovereign Hill Records. Courtney then went on to writing, composing and recording her own original music. She released her Debut Single ‘Try’ which charted 72 on the Australian Pop Charts, with her Music Video reaching hundreds of thousands both nationally and internationally.
In 2016 she was Support Act to Cyrus Villanueva in the city of Wollongong’s ‘Run Wollongong’, entertaining a crowd of thousands in support of Ballarat Health Services and the Children’s Ward. Courtney has been performing and gigging around the Illawarra region for several years and continues to promote and support live entertainment. She has taken part in Radio promotion on i98 several times to support live and local artists like herself. She has also had the honour of performing the National Anthem for the Queens Baton Relay, in the City of Wollongong. Courtney is also a committee member of ANATS, the Australian, National, Association of teachers of singing.
In early February of 2019, Courtney performed with her band in the heart of Sydney Harbour, headlining for Portugal’s singing sensation Miro Freitas on his Australian Tour.
In September of 2019, Courtney was nominated and became a finalist for Business Person Of The Year at the Illawarra South Coast Business Awards. A pivotal moment in her career. At the awards, Courtney did honourably
accept Grand Tuitions award for winning 'Education Service Of The Year'.
In 2020, she released her follow up single 'Remedy' alongside her highly cinematic music video which she directed herself.
In 2021, Courtney was a finalist for the national entrepreneur of the year alongside Grand Tuition in the performing arts category.
Amongst her love and passion for teaching, she believes strongly in finding the artist in every singer and performer and truly does live and breathe music.
IZAAK WASLEY
Izaak Wasley is an Australian Institute of Music alumni completing his Bachelor of Music (Contemporary Performance) through the Sydney Campus. Since then he has been continuing his playing and performing of the guitar in various projects and groups since the completion of his studies (EROS Big Band, Sammy Honeysett, Fetching Pharaoh).
His journey started at the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music where he learnt Classical Guitar from the ripe age of 7, before diving into focussing his study to Contemporary Music and Jazz. While playing in large ensembles through the Conservatorium, this gifted him the opportunity to play alongside specialists such as both the Morrison brothers (John Morrison and James Morrison), and Jazz Guitarist James Muller. Izaak is also a past member of the Southern Stars Orchestra, performing at stadium arena levels, giving him the opportunity to work with professional gear in a professional environment from his teenage years.
Prior to his musical studying years, Izaak has always been an all round performer. Learning Ballet from the age of 3 through ‘Beverly Rowles School of Dance’. With the blending and passion for both music and dancing, Izaak has also branched out further into the realm of theatre, performing the role of Sky Masterson in his senior year in Smiths Hill High School’s production of Guys and Dolls. In 2018 Izaak performed in the Illawarra On Pointe Productions of Peter Pan in the role of Captain James Hook.
Izaak is a firm believer that every human is born with a creative mind and when presented with the opportunity, music is a phenomenal way to feed that creativity while doing something productive for the mind.
GUITAR
Jesse Buchanan began her singing journey at age 8, and has taken vocal lessons for over 15 years of her life. She graduated from Barham High School with a band 6 in Music and continued on to complete a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Music) at the University of Wollongong, with distinction, in 2019. Jesse was awarded with the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts 2019 Dean’s Merit List for her outstanding academic performance.
In her last semester of study at UOW, she joined the team at Grand Tuition, and is consistently finding moments of teaching that are incredibly rewarding for both herself and her students. Jesse is very familiar with the student mentality from her many years of study, and understands that in order to grow and progress, there has to be a moment (or many!) of difficulty. She takes this mindset into her lessons and guides her students through their own challenges, to help their skills progress throughout the year.
Jesse is endeavouring to share her spark and passion for music with all of her students, with the hope that she can inspire and challenge a generation of future musicians in the beautiful Illawarra area she now calls home.