Daniel McFarlane

Daniel McFarlane (1979-) started composing pieces for his own students back in 2006 and since then he’s never looked back. The pieces you’ll find on this website are the result of many years of “in the trenches” teaching. All Daniel’s pieces have passed the student approval test. If his own students don’t like a piece then it doesn’t get published. And we all know that young children can be the harshest critics!    

In addition to composing he’s also taught students piano, theory and composition since 1997. Many of these students have gone on to tertiary study and careers in piano performance, composition, music education and jazz performance.

He’s conducted workshops on composition and teaching for the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, the Australian Piano Pedagogy Conference and for music teachers in Brisbane, Toowoomba, Cairns, Melbourne, Perth and the Sunshine Coast. He’s also adjudicated competitions and examined across Australia.

Daniel currently lives in Brisbane with his wife, Melanie (now a doctor but previously an extremely competitive piano teacher), their two children, Annabelle and Freddy, and his dog, Bella (an avant-garde artist responsible for the “earth art” creations in the back yard). When he’s not in front of the computer or at the piano Daniel occupies his time chasing after the kids, walking the dog, going for the (occasional) run, reading, eating and trying not to melt in the subtropical climate.

In a previous life he had a brief moment of sporting glory when he represented Australia in athletics.

Visit Daniel’s personal site at www.danielmcfarlane.com for information about his teaching.