The Beating Heart of Trish Delaney-Brown

WollCon’s Head of Voice is just as much at home on the stage as she is in the classroom.

Award winning singer-songwriter Trish Delaney-Brown is a rare blend of craft and art. Whether delivering her own compositions or unique renderings of jazz standards, Trish finds the song’s heart and communicates its message with clarity, purity, purpose, and joy. She’s always been attracted to an organic, ‘real’ sound and lyrical melodies, and has a passion for jazz singing.

“I love songwriting and improvising, which is essentially songwriting in real time. Slamming out an AC/DC number has never felt like a good fit for me.”

Trish Delaney-Brown

Head of Voice, WollCon

While she’s tackled everything from music theatre, opera and cabaret to jazz ensembles, big bands and a cappella – Trish knows jazz is her home.

“Jazz has this interplay and balance of form and freedom, a swing feel, scat, vocalese, the voice as an instrument – all these elements just really appeal to me.” 

She was a founding member of ‘The Idea of North’ (TION) which remains a highlight of her career. An Australian a cappella vocal ensemble established in Canberra in 1993, they won the 2010 and 2013 ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album. The self-managed group taught Trish and its other founding members (Nick Begbie, Meg Corson and Andrew Piper) everything about building your own success in the music industry.

“We learnt how to negotiate the shift from friends who sang together for fun, to friends who were also business partners. We did everything from venue liaison, booking gigs, business planning, marketing, setting up study tours, applying for grants, as well as rehearsing like crazy, arranging, writing and recorded songs. It was an incredible training ground.”

Trish is extremely proud of her 15-year contribution to TION but there is an occasional twinge of regret she wasn’t part of the ensemble for the Aria Award winning album, although her husband was.

“It is a pet peeve of mine that my husband scored an ARIA award with TION and I didn’t!  Their first album after I left, featured instrumentalists and my hubby Duncan Brown played bass. It was a big decision not to return after the birth of my first child, but it was the right one for me. I know my time with the group was instrumental in TION’s success.”

Older and wiser, Trish’s vulnerability now sits comfortably with her on and off the stage, her songwriting is honest, and when she performs she aims to build an authentic connection with the audience.

“My experiences and the way I articulate them in song are unique, but they are also universal.  We know how important hearing our stories is to us as humans, and I love being a conduit for that.”

Trish is always keen to share what she has learnt over her many years as a singer, songwriter, voice teacher and coach. She’s also loving the LYHRA experience (a vocal trio pictured below), where she continues to perform regularly, as well as with her quintet (the TDB Quintet).

LYHRA vocal trio

“After a few years of not performing (when my kids were little), it’s a total joy having that performance energy back in my life. I’m also loving prioritising my own music – be that with my quintet, LYHRA, or with Bill, or other gigs that come along.  I’ve developed this strong desire to just do it!  Life is short and ‘if not now, then when?’ … keeps ringing in my head.”

Trish

She is back for more ‘Sing and Sip’ Community Choir sessions at the Waterfront Tavern at Shell Cove.

Sue is an accomplished and seasoned manager with a wealth of experience in government administration and community service delivery. With a strong background in strategic planning, organisational development, community engagement, project planning, and building strategic partnerships, Sue has consistently demonstrated her leadership and expertise and brings a wealth of knowledge to the board. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business focusing on Local Government and Creative Industries from the University of Wollongong, reflecting her commitment to public service and innovative leadership. Sue’s extensive career and dedication to community and social service make her a valuable asset, offering both strategic insight and practical experience to drive meaningful impact.

Anne has been a member of the Wollcon Board since 2019. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from UNSW. She is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law and an accredited Mediator and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. She has taught family law and other subjects at Wollongong University.

For a number of years she has been a subscriber to the Australian Chamber Orchestra which regularly performs in Wollongong . She has been passionate about music and in particular music education to children and adults.

Jake has worked in the disability sector for 24 years- 17 of these with Interchange and 7 years as their CEO. Jake is passionate about inclusion and equality for both people with disability and their carers.

He holds an MBA, Bachelor of Commerce, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, as well as completing Diploma’s in Case Management, Community Services Coordination and the AICD Company Directors Course.

Jake is also a committee member on the International Short Breaks Association Board and has been a Director on the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music Board since 2022.

Wayne is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors as well as being a qualified company secretary and accountant with over 35 years experience in banking and finance. He performed for nine of those years as Chief Executive of IMB Ltd, and the preceding seven years as Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, also with IMB. Wayne’s primary expertise is in the areas of governance, management, accounting, risk management and banking and finance. He has spent his whole life living in the Illawarra and is passionate about ensuring the Illawarra can provide the best possible opportunities and lifestyle for its residents. In 2024 Wayne was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the community.

Dr Terumi Narushima is a senior lecturer and Music Discipline Leader at the University of Wollongong. She is a composer, performer and sound designer specialising in microtonal tuning systems. Her works include Tritriadic Chimes, a sound installation for LA MicroFest, Hidden Sidetracks, a composition for custom-made instruments premiered by Ensemble Offspring at Sydney Opera House, and a project to build microtonal flutes using 3D printing. She has worked on theatre collaborations which have been presented nationally and internationally, including Yasukichi Murakami: Through a Distant Lens, Lost in Shanghai, and The Story of Chi. She performs with microtonal ensemble Clocks and Clouds, and her book Microtonality and the Tuning Systems of Erv Wilson is published by Routledge.

Nicky is the CEO of Community Industry Group. She has degrees in Dementia Care, Community & Environment and Marketing, and a Grad Dip in Project Management. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an Honorary Fellow of UOW. In addition to Chairing the WollCon Board, she is Deputy Chair of the Regional Development Australia Illawarra Shoalhaven Board and an Independent Non-Executive Director of Warrigal, a large not-for-profit specialising in the provision of services for older people.

Her corporate governance and strategy experience extends through a 20+ year career on boards in the corporate, government and NFP sectors.