Sydney Conservatorium of Music

Conservatorium Rd, Sydney

University of Sydney

Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music

Mackay Ooralea Campus

CQUniversity, Australia

Australian Institute of Music

Sydney campus

Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music

Mackay Ooralea Campus

CQUniversity, Australia

• 2024 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Exemplary Practice in Learning and Teaching (Tier 1)
• 2014 Scholarship winner of an Australian Post-graduate Award - University of Sydney
• 2011 Finalist in the APRA Professional Development Awards (Jazz)
• 2003 Top ten position in National composition competition “MusicOZ Challenge” in the Classical section
• 2002 The Conservatorium Student of the Year Award for 2001 (CQCM)
• 2002 The Annual prize for Potential for 2001 (CQCM)
• 2002 The North Jacklin Annual Award for Best Student of Jazz for 2001 (CQCM)
• 2001 The North Jacklin Annual Award for Best Student of Jazz for 2000 (CQCM)
• 2001 The Annual Prize for Ensemble Performance for 2000 (CQCM)
• 2000 The North Jacklin Annual Award for Best Student of Jazz for 1999 (CQCM)

2024

• CQU art-iculates agreement with Augustine's - article on CQUniversity partnership with CQUniversity with St Augustine's College Cairns
• Top End tunes and talent - article on the Dry Season Music Camp 2024
• Friday Jazz @ the Con feat. Ben Hauptmann - event
• Friday Jazz @ the Con - Special Guest Jacki Cooper - event
• Getting into the groove with SmArts - article on the Dry Season Music Camp 2023

2023

• MNM presents: TACET - event: launch of Tacet Chronicles album
• Friday Jazz @ the Con, featuring Jeremy Borthwick - event
• Friday Jazz @ the Con, featuring George Washingmachine - event
• Jazz in the Park - event
• Friday Jazz @ the Con featuring Hayley Kennedy - event
• Festival of Arts kicks off with jazz, high tea, swords and spandex - event

2022

• Evita - event: CQCM/Bentley Music Academy performance at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, Malaysia
• Explore a sound world of texture and tone - feature PRIMA VOLTA by Véronique Serret
• Véronique Serret presents prima volta - event
• Being in love with the king of the world: Armeen Musa Live in Sydney - album release

2017

• Contemporary classical meets experimental jazz meets elements of rock

• Echoes of the Garden Palace - Event

• The Sydney Morning Herald - Album review by John Shand - ★★★★ "gamesters of the highest order"
• '5 Mutant Creatures with Song Fwaa' - scenestr.
• Veronique Serret: A Stolen Satellite and other works - Event
• Sizzle @ Spectrum NOW festival - Event

• The Australian - Album review by John McBeath - ★★★★ 'The music often combines aspects of free jazz — mostly rhythmic, albeit often in odd tempos — with contemporary classical ideas, reminiscent of Steve Reich and Philip Glass. Exemplifying these ideas are four tracks entitled Tacet Suite…'
• Jazz and Beyond - Album review by Peter Wockner - ★★★1/2 'fountain of spontaneity...intuitive interplay'
• The Music Trust - Album review by Tim Rollinson - ‘Reaston, who is interested in latin and African guitar styles as well as use of serialism and indeterminacy brings an individual and fresh sound.’
• Sydney Improvised Music Association - Song Fwaa - Album Launch

• Jazz Local 32 (NZ) - Gig review by John Fenton - ‘other-worldly...’
• CJC presents Song Fwaa - Event
• Improvisation Masterclass: Song Fwaa (New Zealand School of Music)
• 'David Reaston on tour with Cyndi Lauper & Max Sharam' - AIM News

• Canberra Jazz Blog - Gig review by Eric Pozza - 'great technique and a very different sensibility and some very complex and intricate compositions'

• The Sydney Morning Herald - Album review by John Shand - ★★★★'dense, disquieting, playful, moving and hypnotic'
• The Australian - Album review by John McBeath - ★★★1/2 'dense webs of texture suspended in space and time'
• Eastside FM 89.7 (Sydney) - Album of the week - 'esoteric world woven with dense and hypnotic melodies, colliding percussion and unpredictable improvisations'
• Alt Media - Album review by Emma Slakild - ★★1/2 'experimental and kooky'

• The Sydney Morning Herald - Album review by John Shand - ★★★1/2 'shrewd arranging and an impeccably collegial spirit…A perfect act for festivals.'
• Limelight Magazine - Album review by Peter Wockner - ★★★1/2 ‘The orchestration of the leader David Reaston encompasses moments of metal chaos, lucid telepathy and fluid swing’

• Alternative Media Group - Album review by Aidan Roberts - ★★★1/2 ‘Reaston’s buzzing and atonal guitar playing is a signature sound’

• The Sydney Morning Herald - Gig review by John Shand - 'madman/prophet'...'His compositions and arrangements embraced many options, ranging from a smattering of collective free improvisation to stonking unisons and onto the predictable employment of bass riffs, chords and solos…'

• Cadence Magazine (U.S.A) - Album review - ‘Reaston proves a dazzling technician—keeping time with percussive thwacks of palm on bridge, comping, and ripping off lead lines all at once. He’s a serious groover, and his energy is prodigious.’

• Ensemble (Tri 2, 2006 - Tri 3, 2006; Tri 2, 2007 - Tri 1, 2008; Tri 1, 2009 - Tri 2, 2009; Tri 3, 2016)
• Guitar Skills (Tri 1, 2013 - Tri 1, 2016)
• Improvisation (Tri 2, 2006; Tri 1, 2007 - Tri 2, 2008; Tri 2, 2009 - Tri 3, 2011)
• Instrumental Guitar lessons (Tri 1, 2006 - Tri 3, 2016)
• Post Graduate Instrumental Guitar lessons (Tri 2, 2008)

Academic Studies Lecturer - Australian Institute of Music, Sydney NSW

• Critical Studies Contemporary 1 (History and Theory), Critical Studies Contemporary 2 (History and Theory) (Sem 1, 2005 to Tri 2, 2007)
• Aural (Sem 2, 2005 to Tri 3, 2006)

Contemporary Guitar Tutor - Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (CQCM), Mackay QLD (2002)

Casual Composition Tutor - Conservatorium High School, Sydney NSW (2005 - 2010)

Guest Composition Teacher - Sydney Distance Education High School, Sydney NSW (2010)

• Song Fwaa: Brisbane Jazz Club QLD; Seymour Centre, Sydney; Creative Jazz Club, Auckland NZ; NZ School of Music, Wellington NZ; Underbar, Christchurch NZ; NIMA, Newcastle NSW; The Jazz Loft, Canberra ACT; Venue 505, Sydney NSW; Jazzgroove Summer Festival, Sydney.
• 10 Guitar Project: Spectrum Festival, Red Rattler, Sydney; Venue 505, Sydney; The Basement, Sydney
• Max Sharam: Cyndi Lauper “She’s So Unusual” national tour support - Australian Tour 2013.
• Performances with Armeen Musa (Bangladesh); Natalie Dietz; Carl Riseley; Jeremy Sawkins; Reaston Kay Effect; Mezcla; Continuum Sax; Kevin Hunt, Don Rader, Don Burrows.

Selected Discography

• ‘Sons of No Guns For We Are Anomalous’ - Song Fwaa, 2014. ★★★★ The Australian. ★★★★ SMH. ★★★1/2 Jazz and Beyond.
• ‘Ligeti’s Goat’ - Song Fwaa, 2011. ★★★★ SMH, ★★★1/2 The Australian.
• ‘10 Guitar Project’ - 10 Guitar Project, 2010. ★★★1/2 SMH, ★★★1/2 Limelight Mag.
• 'Entomology' - Martin Kay and David Reaston, 2012.
• ‘The Reaston Kay Effect’ - The Reaston Kay Effect, 2008. ★★★1/2 AltMedia
• 'A Nautical Mile' - Craig Naughton, 2010.
• 'Home Here' – dLivr, 2005.
• ‘After Now’ (NEW 3151.2) - David Reaston, 2004.

• International Society of Music Education Member (ISME)
• Mackay Regional Council Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) Committee Member
• Australian & New Zealand Association for Research In Music Education (ANZARME)
• Creative Arts Research Training Academy (CARTA)  
• Australian Music Centre
• Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS)
• Golden Key International Honour Society