The COMA COMMITTEE
Sam CAGNEY - Chairperson
Born in Whyalla, Sam moved to Adelaide in 2006 to commence Jazz Guitar studies at the Elder Conservatorium. During his time there he was fortunate enough to perform with Ray Vega (USA), Jon Gordon (USA) and was a member of the Downbeat award winning Big Band One. He graduated from the Conservatorium in 2009 with first class honours. In 2011, with assistance from the Helpmann Academy, he travelled to New York to undertake private study with Kenny Werner, Paul Bollenback, Adam Rogers and John Abercrombie. Sam is a member of the ambient-jazz/rock/etc. trio Yeahyeahabsolutelynoway! They have recorded two albums “Um..” (2014) and ”Ah..” (2017) and in 2014 toured Australia and New Zealand in support of “Um..”. Also In 2014 Sam was commissioned by JazzSA to arrange the music of The Whitlams and as a result he collaborated with members of Zephyr Quartet to form the unconventional string quartet Little Cloud which has since become a vehicle to perform his original compositions.
Emily TULLOCH – Funding Director
Emily Tulloch is a South Australian musician currently working as an arts manager, violinist, and composer-arranger in roles with Nexus Arts, Zephyr Quartet, and COMA (Creative Original Music Adelaide). Emily is the Artistic Director of Nexus Arts, where she leads the organisation in promoting an intercultural vision of contemporary arts that more accurately reflects the diversity of our streets. With Zephyr, Emily has created critically acclaimed and award-winning shows, performed internationally and across Australia, and received three APRA/AMCOS Australian Art Music Awards and two Ruby Awards. With COMA, she strives to present and promote creative original music in her hometown of Adelaide.
Keira SIMMONS – Secretary
Keira J. Simmons (she/they) is an emerging South Australian sound artist and sound designer based on unceded Kaurna Land. She creates projects that explore bodily engagement with place and sound, through speculative soundwalking and through performing meditative ambient sets, manipulating field recordings and vocal loops to create absorbing textures. As a freelance sound designer and creative she works with local and global artists on creative projects with a focus on queerness, ecology, and embodied theatrical experiences. In addition to her own creative projects, she is passionate about creating and supporting opportunities for marginalised and underrepresented voices to be heard, both literally (in their work as an audio technician) and systemically (in their role on the COMA committee).
Maeve McLOUGHLIN – Social Media Coordinator
Originally from the Adelaide Hills, Maeve played trombone in her teens, and her participation in Jazz SA Superbands, Adelaide Youth Orchestra and Generations in Jazz encouraged her love of live music and a passion for fostering a thriving music scene in Adelaide. Over the years, she has worked in a number of jazz venues across both Adelaide and Melbourne, and staffed events for The Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Melbourne International Jazz festival. Recently returned to Adelaide, Maeve joined the COMA committee in 2017.
Bonnie AUE – Graphic Design
Bonnie Aue is a local Adelaide bass player who loves original music and the pursuit of creative endeavors. Bonnie began playing the double bass at age 12 and recently completed her honours year of Jazz performance at the Elder Conservatorium. Bonnie plays regularly in the Adelaide Jazz scene and has performed at events such as the International Jazz day concert in 2018 and 2019, Hobart’s Festival of Voices, and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. During 2019 Bonnie toured with the Hot Sardines, playing at the Blue Note in Tokyo, Beijing and Honolulu. She has also performed with artists including Jo Lawry, Wil Vinson, Anita Wardell, Emma Pask, Ross Irwin, Vardan Ovsepian, James Muller, Mark Ferguson, Helena Kay, and Adam Page. Bonnie is involved with a wide variety of local bands such as the Max Grynchuk big band, Thomas Voss Big Band, The Boy’s Club, Mark Curtis and the Flannelettes, and the Radial Quartet.
Ciara Ferguson – General Operations
Ciara is a pianist, composer, singer and teacher living on Kaurna land. She completed her Jazz Performance degree with First Class Honours in 2021 at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, where she also won the 2019 Helpmann Academy award for Top Piano Undergraduate. Ciara works in varying genres including jazz, classical, music theatre, cabaret and pop, and has been a backing vocalist, pianist, and/or vibraphonist for varied artists including Tina Arena, Lior, Eddie Perfect, Rhonda Burchmore, Paul Grabowsky, Joe Chindamo, Thando and Wendy Matthews. She recently recorded albums with her own jazz/folk quartet (which has been featured on ABC Jazz), prog-rock band The Cortex Shift, Minnie Little, Soylent Green (with whom she also performed at Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues in 2022), and the ABC Jazz Commission, Where Emus Roam the Streets.
Jasmine Ferguson – General Operations
Jasmine Ferguson was born into a musical family and has sung and played music all her life. She completed her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance (Advanced) at the University of Adelaide in 2021. She received the COMA Emerging Jazz Writers Award in 2022, the Helpmann Academy’s award for Outstanding Trombonist in 2021 and the Marjorie Garner Orchestral Scholarship for Trombone in 2020. Jasmine was lead trombone in the University of Adelaide’s Big Band in 2020 and 2021 and was selected as trombone 2 in the ANJO Youth Big Band for 2022. She was the principal trombonist in the Adelaide Youth Orchestra in 2017 and 2018. Jasmine has been a backing singer and/or trombonist for artists including Tina Arena, Mark Holden, Rhonda Burchmore, Rachael Beck and Eddie Perfect. Jasmine performs regularly as both a singer and trombonist in her original band ‘minnie little’, and at various jazz venues and corporate events around Adelaide.
Max GRYNCHUK – General Operations
Max is a trumpeter, composer, and arranger based in Adelaide, Australia. He completed his Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours specialising in Jazz Performance at the Elder Conservatorium of Music in 2018. During his time at university Max was the recipient of several awards including the Howell Ross Award for Top Trumpet Undergraduate (2017), the Keith & Susie Langley Memorial Award for Best Overall Honours Graduate (2019), and the Mike Stewart Award (2019) presented by the Helpmann Academy and JazzSA. Max has recorded three albums as leader of his own big band; As For Now (2021), Plays Eraser Description (2021), and Plays Eraser Description Vol. II (2022).
Bailey Hall – General Operations
Bailey Hall is a drummer, composer-arranger, and educator based in Adelaide, Australia. He recently completed his Bachelor of Music (Jazz Performance) at the Elder Conservatorium of Music in 2022. He is currently performing original compositions with his band Autumn District, who featured as a COMA Emerging Artist in 2022. Bailey also performs in the indie-rock band Overdue Fiction as well as the Adelaide Fringe show ‘The 60 Four’, touring rural South Australia. He is a dedicated instrumental teacher teaching the saxophone and drums/percussion at multiple schools around Adelaide.
Peter Mitchell – General Operations
Peter Mitchell is a guitarist, live music enthusiast and local business owner living in South Australia. Through highschool Peter was heavily involved in the music program and has continued to apply his skills afterwards playing in local bands around Adelaide. He also found a musical match in his wife, Chelsea, who he regularly plays with at weddings and corporate events. Together, they are the business owners of Adelaide music agency, Him and Her Music. Outside of this, Peter completed his Bachelor of Business (Marketing) in 2021 at The University of South Australia and used his degree to work as a Marketing Executive for a number of years until April 2023. Now, Peter is keen to apply his knowledge in business, marketing and logistics with his passion in music to help better the local music scene both through his business and beyond!
Alex TAYLOR – General Operations
Alex is a trombonist, sousaphonist, composer/arranger, and educator based in Adelaide, and has worked as the jazz trombone/brass lecturer at the Elder Conservatorium of Music since 2013. In 2017, Alex was a semi-finalist in the Australian National Jazz Awards and released his debut album Sleep Faster in 2019 through Wizard Tone Records. Performance highlights include playing with The Cat Empire, Midnight Oil, and The Australian National Jazz Orchestra.
Jackie WILDE – General Operations
Jackie completed her bachelor of music (jazz performance) in 2015. She continues to play throughout Adelaide in local traditional jazz bands and gypsy jazz ensembles such as The Various Nefarious. As a dedicated music tutor, Jackie also works with secondary students and is passionate about music in schools. She is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Business and Event Management