Featured artists
Dr Rod Davies, Popular Music Convenor
Dr Rod Davies is the Convenor of Popular Music. As a session musician he has recorded and toured with Australian music icons such as John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John, Tina Arena and Mark Seymour, as well as performing in TV house bands (Hey Hey it's Saturday, Dancing with the Stars 1996–2020) and broadcast advertising. Dr Davies is also an independent artist (Beautiful Scars, Turn the TV On) and a published commercial songwriter (SONY ATV Germany). Dr Rod Davies is one of Australia's leading practitioner researchers in the fields of music as work and collaborative songwriting. His academic work has resulted in two books that investigate studio production from the music practitioner's lens, as well as several articles on how the copyright system in Australia affects professional musicians working in these spaces. Davies' work impacts cultural policy by contributing to continuing debates on law reform in the arts and cultural sectors. Dr Davies enjoys nothing more than developing new popular music artists, creators and leaders.
Gerald Marko, Scholarly Teaching Fellow
Gerald is the coordinator for the First Year Popular Music program and the ensemble director for the Popular Music Stream Ensembles, Acting for Singers, and the Musical Theatre Chorus. He is a voice mechanics specialist with the highest teaching credentials in the Estill model and plays piano, guitar, drums, and bass. Gerald is a published songwriter with Universal Music and has licensed songs in three award-winning American short films. He is a member of AVA, ANATS, APRA (writer), and AMCOS (publisher). Gerald’s stage experience includes lead roles in professional European Music Theatre (400 shows annually), such as CATS, Saturday Night Fever, Buddy Holly, and Hair. He has also sung lead vocals in bands in Austria, Germany, Denmark, and Australia. Gerald has received Monash Faculty awards for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2019/2020) and was nominated for Monash Student Association Awards in Teaching Excellence (2020/2021). Gerald’s research focus is interdisciplinary and investigates biofeedback tools for voice and instrumental practice towards self-regulated learning, learner autonomy, and evidence-based vocal pedagogies.
Dr Lauren Stewart, Lecturer
Dr Lauren Stewart is a lecturer within the Popular Music Stream, teaching songwriting, voice, music performance, and research methods. She is passionate about helping students develop their creativity, confidence, and distinctive artistic voice. She holds a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Music (Popular Voice), an Honours degree in Music Performance (Popular Music Songwriting), and completed her PhD in 2025. Her doctoral research explored how early-career songwriters in Australia learn and develop their practice, and this work informs her approach to supporting students’ professional and collaborative songwriting development. Alongside her academic work, Lauren is an active vocalist with over a decade of professional performance experience across pop, rock, soul, jazz, and music theatre. She regularly performs with the Australian Army Band Corps (Melbourne) across a range of ensembles. Career highlights include televised performances of the National Anthem at major sporting events, including the AFL ANZAC Day match at the MCG (2025) and the NRL ANZAC Day game at Marvel Stadium (2024).
2026 Popular Music Audition Preparation Short Course
Sunday, 19 July 2026, 10am-3pm
Saturday, 29 August 2026, 10am-3pm
Check-in opens at 9.45am