Piet Collins's Profile

Background:

Piet began studying drums and percussion at the age of twelve with world renowned jazz drummer/marimba player/educator Jim Bailey (Life member of Percussive Arts Society U.S) He started playing professionally at fifteen with respected blues and jazz musicians around Adelaide and in 1986 went on to study the Associate Diploma of Jazz Studies at the Adelaide College of Advanced Education. All aspects of music were covered, from jazz to funk to classical and mallet percussion as well as drum kit and snare drum studies. During this time Piet taught at various private music schools around Adelaide. After completing his formal education in 1988, Piet performed with Adelaide’s best bands and musicians, including guest spots with Normie Rowe and U.S soul legends The Crystals. Before leaving Adelaide in 1991 he was a member of the house band for the ABC’s “The Big Gig” comedy show, playing to packed houses at the Festival Theater six shows a week. Soon after arriving in Melbourne he was selected as drummer for The Sharp. His tight musical playing and vocal skills became an intrinsic part of this well known and loved band. From 1991 to 1995 The Sharp went on to release three albums through Warner Music (debut achieved a Gold Aria Award) and the band toured nationally and internationally for four years. A sponsorship deal with D.W drums was struck and during this time Piet gained valuable recording experience under such producers as Peter Farnan (Boom Crash Opera, MTC, Malthouse Theater), Nick Mainsbridge (Rat Cat, Def FX, Tall Tales and True, The Triffids) and Rick Will (Jimmy Barnes, Diesel and Ziggy Marley). Piet has performed in the backing band with Tina Arena, Vika and Linda Bull, Kate Ceberano, Nichaud Fitzgibbon, Fiona Horne (Def FX), U.K pop megastars ABC, Scott Owen (The Living End), Brian Mannix (Uncanny X Men), Deborah Conway, Paul Norton, Richard Clapton, The Chantoozies, Brian Cadd, Russel Morris, John Paul Young, Grace Knight, Archie Roach, Shane Howard, Paul Gray (Wa Wa Nee) Sean Kelly (The Models), Dale Ryder (Boom Crash Opera) James Freud (The Models), Scott Carne (Kids in the Kitchen) Michael Spiby (The Badloves) and Alyce Platt. In October 2004 he was part of the house band for “The Sapphires” - a soul review show at the Melbourne Theatre Company, starring Rachel Maza and Deborah Mailman. The Sapphires subsequently became a hit on the West End and was released as a feature film. The Sandpebbles, Piet’s original band’s fourth album (Ghost Transmissions) received rave reviews in The New York Times and London’s Sunday Times. Piet is proficient in all areas of percussion teaching, mallet and orchestral instruments as well as drum kit studies and in 2008 he taught over fifty students and lead percussion ensembles. He is also a Fully Accredited practitioner registered with “Drum Beat” to train students in the “Drum Beat” well-being program. Piet (in conjunction with Peninsula Grammar’s Positive Psychology Dept) has delivered the Drum Beat program to Year 8 students for the last three years achieving excellent results in student well-being. He was also heavily involved in MLC’s co-curricular program where he led four Year Seven groups and one Year Five group. Piet also oversees Show Band/Stage Band/Drumline/Concert Orchestra/Symphonic Band and has lead ensembles at the Kew Festival/Anzac Day march and a long lost of inter-school concerts. In 2012 he gained a Grade Eight (final level) Trinity Guildhall (U.K) Orchestral Percussion. Piet has taught the Trinity Drum Kit and Percussion syllabus for the last ten years up to and including Grade 8. He has also taught Drum Kit and Percussion using the VCE Syllabus.