PIET COLLINS
Drums / Percussion Teacher, Percussion Ensemble Director, Marching Band Director
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 achieving Gold) 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).
Since The Sharp, Piet has continued teaching at various schools including (1998 to 2016) Caulfield Music Centre, Mornington Secondary College, Haileybury College, Toorak College, MLC (Head of Percussion) and he is currently the Head of Percussion at The Peninsula School.
He performed as part of Tina Arena’s band at Crown Casino on New Years Eve 2000 and from 2000 to 2016 Piet has performed with (among others) jazz legend Nichaud Fitzgibbon, Fiona Horne (Def FX), U.K pop megastars ABC, Scott Owen (The Living End), Brian Mannix (Uncanny X Men), Paul Norton, 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 at Toorak College and Haileybury College.
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.
He is registered with the Victorian Institute of Teachers, was formerly the Head of the Percussion faculty at Methodist Ladies College and is currently the Head of Percussion at The Peninsula School where he leads four percussion ensembles conducts a Marching Band and teaches students from Years Three to Twelve. In 2012 he gained a Merit in Grade Eight (final level) Trinity Guildhall (U.K) Orchestral Percussion. He is also a Fully Accredited practitioner registered with “Drum Beat” to train students in the “Drum Beat” well-being program.