Stephen Galvin

Stephen Galvin - Singing Lessons Guitar Lessons and Bass Lessons in Auckland City Centre.

Stephen Galvin is an expert musician with performing experience in rock, jazz, church music, classical music and musical theatre. From Naenae in the Hutt valley, his earliest childhood music memories include listening to pop and rock hits on the radio and singing in Saint Bernadette's Catholic church. He played the Guitar aged eight and Bass at eleven. At secondary school he played Cello in the school orchestra and formed a rock and blues band [The Stephen Galvin Experience with Geoffrey Aitken and Alan Beattie] playing Guitar, Bass and Singing. He developed a network of musical friendships, played in a number of garage bands, and at aged seventeen started touring with rock band Gratis Kinetic featuring New Zealand drum legend Bruce Aitken, Greg Mooney, John McCrae and Murray Watt, Bill Whiting's Opinion in Queenstown and a one-year residency with Cyril Edwards at Christchurch's Carlton hotel. Many gigs followed playing jazz and rock, including Orsini's restaurant in Wellington's Cuba Street, and a tour with the Palmerston North-based rock band Clearlight. A composition project in South Auckland resulted in collaborations with Don McGlashan and Peter Scholes while a broadening interest in jazz led to gigs with Phil Broadhurst, Billy Nuku, Jim Langabeer and a residency with Marée Steinway at the Gables hotel in Herne Bay.

Stephen began teaching in 1982 at the New Zealand Guitar Academy and established his own studio in 1984. Further musical development led to performing as a guitar player and bass player in concert performances with Gabrielle Blazer's Auckland Concert Orchestra. He performed worship music in a number of Auckland churches including the Auckland Revival Centre in Dominion Road, and wrote two musicals for the stage. He played jazz with several Auckland bands including Neon Quaver [with Richard Ghent, David Lines, Nigel Gavin, Richard Adams, Brian Waddell, Trevor Thwaites and Jason Orme] at the Three Lamps corner bar in Ponsonby, and the Waiheke-based Chocolate Fish, while singing classical music with the University of Auckland Choral Society and Anthony Jenning's Collegium Musicum.

In the 1990's Stephen interest in classical guitar led to a series of concerts and recitals at his downtown studio performing guitar music and songs by composers such as Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Tippett, and Brouwer and featuring classical guitarists such as Edmund Taylor, John Wakelin and others. He performed in musical theatre productions such as West Side Story, Chess and Rock Nativity, and the 2002 Cornwall Players production of In The Swing. Stephen recorded his first solo album Thin White Line in 2008 available online. Recent gigs have included guest appearances with Grant Chilcott, Murray McIlraith, and Sarah-Jane Limbrick Stephen is a registered teacher with the New Zealand Teacher's Council and taught Music at Green Bay High School from 2002 to 2008. He holds a Performer’s Diploma from Trinity College London, a Bachelor of Music degree, a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Master of Music degree with First Class Honours and a Diploma of Teaching from the University of Auckland. Stephen is also a qualified English teacher. He is a member of the New Zealand Association of Teachers of Singing, the New Zealand Musician’s Union, Opera Factory, Titirangi Folk Music Club, the Guitar Association of New Zealand and the Classic Guitar Society of Auckland. Stephen now performs with his own band, The Stevie G Band, the jazz trio Crystal Silence, Prohibition Big Band, The Little Big Band and others. His current interests are in developing Music Production through education, media and live performance.