Megan Hodson

“When I was in Year 2, we were taken up to an assembly and watched our primary school band and I was just blown away by it! I watched the Cornet player, watched her fingers, remembered her fingers, so that when I got my own cornet, I could learn to do it. I was just obsessed with it!

I joined the school band in Year 3 and played ever since! I started on Cornet, played Baritone for a year, then on to Euphonium, French horn and then everything else from there.

I like playing in concert bands and brass bands; bands are friendly places. I have played in orchestras, but you play mostly indoor concert. I love getting out and playing at the shows, playing parks in the rotundas — I just love that you are in front of an audience, it is all informal and you are playing with friends.

After I had kids I kind of ended up in teaching accidently. I've probably taught in every school in town at some point and I do a lot of private teaching. I also run the City of Orange Brass Band's intermediate and beginner bands.

I love seeing kids going from thinking, ‘this instrument is big and scary’ to ‘Wow! I've done my first performance!’

“Christmas is the best because every single night I'm out somewhere carolling! Every night you are going out with your friends and doing the thing you love the most. It's good fun!”