Get into the groove

Hailing from Buenos Aires, Jere Sosa arrived in WA back in 2014 with a guitar and a head full of rich musical influences. His approach is founded upon the melodic songwriting of The Beatles and the guitar playing finesse of Carlos Santana, with punk, jazz and Latin feels within the living-breathing mix. Sosa performs with his band but retains a solid and continuing existence busking as a soloist, utilising a loop station that he adopted upon a trip to New Zealand some six years ago and taking songs to new heights even on his own.

Sosa’s debut album, Coming back home in two footsteps, was recorded by Daniel Brown at Decibel Audio Productions and mastered at Poons Head with Rob Grant. The album features A Taste Of Honey, which won the ‘World’ category at the WAM Song Of The Year Awards in mid-2017.

Michael has been playing music in Perth since the early 90s, recording and performing with a variety of bands. Of note are stints with the bands Flint and Not Enough Rope which included several performances at the Fairbridge Folk Festival, multiple country tours and a series of very popular Saint Patrick Day and New Year’s Eve shows. After a hiatus of several years, Michael recommenced his musical endeavours in 2012, which included his joining Catch Music, first as a volunteer, then as Facilitator for the Leederville session in mid 2013. Michael plays occasional solo gigs, records when he can and contributes to recording and performing bands from time to time.

Catch Music provides Michael with the opportunity to use his music skills as well as his background in coaching and mentoring. Participants are encouraged to play to the best of their ability and to contribute to the overall sound of the session, whilst engaging with other participants and the community (through performances).  

Alexander Turner is a musician and composer. Growing up with folk music through their involvement with Fairbridge Festival sine 2010, they now write, collaborate, produce and perform across a variety of sound and interdisciplinary projects, Turner’s creative practice is a sprawling affair strung together by the storytelling traditions of folk music.

Alexander graduated with a BA (Hons) in Composition and Music Tech from WAAPA in 2017, and has performed and exhibited their work at Fairbridge Festival, Nannup Festival, Totally Huge New Music Festival, Audible Edge, Fringeworld and WAMfest.

Kevin Chennell is an enthusiastic musician and singer with a strong focus on community music and performance.  Kevin has studied jazz and singing part-time at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and plays ukulele, guitar, harmonica and clarinet.  Kevin has a jazz and clarinet mentor, Neil Boon, a well-known jazz player. Kevin is also an original songwriter, a member of the Australian Performing Rights Association and the Secretary of The Perth Hills Live Musicians’ Association Inc. 

Kevin divides his musical time between teaching part-time, playing and performing with Kalamunda Ukulele Collective (which he established in 2018) and performing jazz, blues and popular music with bands.  He has also played with a classical ensemble in 2022-2023; “The Awkwardstra”.

Kalamunda Ukulele Collective has appeared at the Strings Attached Guitar Festival in Margaret River in 2019 and 2021, the Manjimup Bluegrass and Old Time Music Weekend in 2020, The Fringe Festival in Kalamunda in 2020,2021 and 2022 and has been broadcast on local radio.

As an event organiser Kevin has hosted international and national players including Ukulele Russ from Alaska, Samantha Muir from the UK and Anu Grace from Queensland.  All these artists held concerts and workshops in Kalamunda and this has helped build the skills of the WA music community.  He is currently organising a Perth Hills Live Music Spring Festival.  This will be held in October 2023.

Matthew is a musician, event organiser, and business owner based in Denmark WA. As long time supporter of the arts and culture, he ran Freestyle a concert series platforming emerging and experienced musicians from the Great Southern Region. He also served as curator for the highly regarded Denmark Festival of Voice. Aside from his musical pursuits, Matt is a dedicated wine maker and runs his own business.

Lana is an accomplished musician known to Perth audiences for her solo and band projects. She uses synthesizers and drum machines to evoke a unique soundscape, inspired by stories of struggle and abstraction. Lana is a mainstay of the music scene in Perth and has toured over east supporting various artists in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. She is also an Allied health Assistant and works with occupational therapists and physiotherapists.