BuzzBuddy™ Story
About Lisa
Lisa Conlan-Holownia has been playing and teaching brass instruments for over 30 years, specialising in the French horn, but also working as a professional trumpet player and piano accompanist.
Originally from Port Fairy in Victoria, Lisa studied a Bachelor of Music Degree at Melbourne University.
She then played extensively as a freelance musician with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for twelve years, including as a soloist at the Port Fairy Classical Music Festival in 1992; was Principal Horn with the Australian Pops Orchestra, many Melbourne chamber, show and session orchestras, and recorded for films and television commercials, including the movies ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Babe’.
In 1989 Lisa moved to the UK and worked extensively with The English Chamber Orchestra (which included three tours of Europe and recordings); the London Festival Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia and the London Brass Ensemble.
Upon her return to Australia, she became a Lecturer in Brass (French horn) at the Victorian College of Arts before moving to country NSW where she completed her Dip. Ed.; taught in local schools and TAFE and directed various ensembles.
Lisa moved to Brisbane in 2007 with her family, and has since been working with the Queensland Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Pops, Buzz Quartet, Queensland Baroque, and jointly founded the very successful and popular Resonance Ensemble, a Brisbane-based professional woodwind quintet.
She is in demand as a soloist and chamber musician and will be performing throughout Brisbane in 2018.
An accomplished instrumental brass teacher, band director and classroom music teacher with a large private studio, Terrific Studios, Lisa has worked in various schools, including Lourdes’ Hill College, West Moreton Anglican College and Somerville House in various positions which included Director of Brass, Director of Bands and Acting Director of Music.
She is also an AMEB examiner and adjudicator for various eisteddfods including the Silkstone Eisteddfod in 2018.
Lisa completed her Master’s Degree in Education at UQ in 2014. She is a qualified and experienced counsellor for performing artists, runs workshops for student groups, and is a member of the Australian Society for Performing Arts’ Health. Lisa is also a visual artist, who is a founding member of the Arts West Community Gallery in Brisbane’s West, and exhibits her work regularly.
Lisa developed her BuzzBuddy™ after seeing her students, especially trumpet students, suffer terribly when they got their braces on. Cut mouths, intense pain and bruising meant that many students gave up. Buzz Buddy allows students to continue playing with their braces and to enjoy their music making.