Why should I get music lessons?
Apart from the wonderful joy music will bring you, it’s also very good for your brain. It will help your creative side to flourish, and develop your focus, concentration, memory, and confidence.

Why should I get lessons from you?
[1] It will be faster, easier and more fun than learning on your own.
[2] Because I’m a professional performer and session musician (as well as being a teacher) you will get very useful practical advice that works in the “real world” of performing.
[3] I can teach you passion, excitement and enthusiasm for music – simply because I love teaching and watching people grow.

What experience have you had as a music teacher?
I’ve been teaching professionally since 1999.
In the past, I’ve had up to 50 students, but these days I teach around 30-40.
I hold a current blue card – reg number is 263951/2

What bands / artists do you play with / have you played with?

Lots. Including the following:

There are a few more, but that will do for now. Click on a name (above) to go to their website.


How do you get the time to be in all those bands?

Google calendar really helps.


What’s your life story?

Silas Palmer was born in Roselle Hospital, but moved to north coast NSW when he was 3.

His earliest musical memory was seeing someone playing a fiddle at the Stokers Siding Community Hall bush dance at the age of 5, although his parents kept a diverse collection of albums, including Steely Dan, Steeleye Span, Peter and the Wolf, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Sting and a rare piece of orange vinyl entitled “disco saturday nacht”, consisting of classical themes set to disco music.

He started violin lessons with Barry Singh, who also conveniently saved him from being killed by a train at the age of 3. Silas was about to wander onto the tracks, but got caught in a barbed wire fence and was saved by Barry before he could escape from the fence and amble into the path of an oncoming train.

He took up piano at the age of 5, picking happily through suzuki books 1 and 2 on an old out-of-tune upright. He is very lucky and grateful to the many inspirational teachers in his life, who all had a true passion and joy for music.

In high school, Silas decided football was a bad idea, and instead would spend most lunchtimes playing the nice pianos in the music classrooms. He also joined every choir he could and started to sing in public. The singing got better in time, resulting in a couple of trips to the opera house, the occasional musical, and many many fun times with musical friends. He would like to give special thanks to the beautiful sopranos and altos who gave him much love, kindness and joy.

About this point, he started playing Beethoven Sonatas, Joplin Rags, some Debussy, some Katchaturian, and a little bit of jazz. He won the G.H. Stainlay memorial scholarship ($1000) for being the best performer at the eisteddfod one year.

High school finished in 1996, and surprise! Silas got accepted into the QLD Conservatorium and completed a 4 year classical piano degree there. During that time he won a mechanical surfboard competition, played in a couple of bands (including the infamous Spot the Dog) and ate as many of the free sausages as he could. Spot the Dog’s crowning moment was supporting Paul Kelly at a flying doctors fundraiser in Charleville.

After graduating, he went straight into a Jazz degree at QUT. and continued to practice for hours and hours. QUT was even better than the Con for this as the practice rooms were always empty.

About this time he joined a few more bands and started touring. A lot. (See festivals below). He has toured right across Australia, USA, Canada and New Zealand.

He’s currently in heavy demand around town as a session musician and performer. He plays in more bands than he has fingers, gives 10% of his income to charity, owns a modest art portfolio and a couple of other investments and will one day win an ARIAs or two. And maybe a Grammy. Or a Nobel Peace Prize.

Do you have a short bio for the arts grant / publicity pack I’m putting together?

Ok, how about:

Studied at the Queensland Conservatorium 1996-1999 and QUT 2000-2004.
(Piano and Violin).
Currently working full-time as a mentor, performer and session musician.

See above for bands I’ve played with.

Have performed at:

The Powerhouse
Judith Wright Centre
The Tivoli
The Zoo
The Troubadour
Treasury Casino
(and several other even smaller venues)

Have played most major festivals in Australia and a few in the US,
Canada, and New Zealand including:

Queensland q150 celebration concerts
California World Festival
Vancouver Folk Festival (Jericho Beach)
Vancouver Island Festival
Bethlehem Music Festival, PA
Dunedin Folk Festival
Canterbury Folk Festival (Christchurch)
Livid (Brisbane)
Woodford Folk Festival
National Folk Festival
Blue Mountains Music Festival
Port Fairy Folk Festival
The Spiegeltent

Silas Palmer was born in Roselle Hospital, but moved to north coast NSW when he was 3.

His earliest musical memory was seeing someone playing a fiddle at the Stokers Siding Community Hall bush dance at the age of 5, although his parents kept a diverse collection of albums, including Steely Dan, Steeleye Span, Peter and the Wolf, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Sting and a rare piece of orange vinyl entitled “disco saturday nacht”, consisting of classical themes set to disco music.

He started violin lessons with Barry Singh, who also conveniently saved him from being killed by a train at the age of 3. Silas was about to wander onto the tracks, but got caught in a barbed wire fence and was saved by Barry before he could escape from the fence and amble into the path of an oncoming train.

He took up piano at the age of 5, picking happily through suzuki books 1 and 2 on an old out-of-tune upright. He is very lucky and grateful to the many inspirational teachers in his life, who all had a true passion and joy for music.

In high school, Silas decided football was a bad idea, and instead would spend most lunchtimes playing the nice pianos in the music classrooms. He also joined every choir he could and started to sing in public. The singing got better in time, resulting in a couple of trips to the opera house, the occasional musical, and many many fun times with musical friends. He would like to give special thanks to the beautiful sopranos and altos who gave him much love, kindness and joy.

About this point, he started playing Beethoven Sonatas, Joplin Rags, some Debussy, some Katchaturian, and a little bit of jazz. He won the G.H. Stainlay memorial scholarship ($1000) for being the best performer at the eisteddfod one year.

High school finished in 1996, and surprise! Silas got accepted into the QLD Conservatorium and completed a 4 year classical piano degree there. During that time he won a mechanical surfboard competition, played in a couple of bands (including the infamous Spot the Dog) and ate as many of the free sausages as he could. Spot the Dog’s crowning moment was supporting Paul Kelly at a flying doctors fundraiser in Charleville.

After graduating, he went straight into a Jazz degree at QUT. and continued to practice for hours and hours. QUT was even better than the Con for this as the practice rooms were always empty.

About this time he joined a few more bands and started touring. A lot. (See festivals below). He has toured right across Australia, USA, Canada and New Zealand.

He’s currently in heavy demand around town as a session musician and performer. He plays in more bands than he has fingers, gives 10% of his income to charity, owns a modest art portfolio and a couple of other investments and will one day win an ARIAs or two. And maybe a Grammy. Or a Nobel Peace Prize.