Kate Paine
I live with my partner, daughter, and cat in Meilen, a small village near Zurich, Switzerland. I started piano at age five and haven’t stopped playing, singing, writing, and creating since.
I completed a Bachelor of Music at the University of Queensland and since then I’ve been teaching and performing, in Australia, the UK, and Switzerland.
I believe creativity is a fundamental human capacity, central to everything we do. It was with this in mind that I founded the Discovering Music studio in 2009, with the aim of providing an alternative path into the world of music, one focused firmly on creativity, engagement, and exploration, rather than simply chasing external milestones.
My love of music and writing and my determination to reframe how we think about creativity lead me to complete a PhD in Creative Arts, which has opened up a whole new world of how to think about creativity and the creative process.
Meanwhile, in addition to teaching music, my career has also centred on teaching and coaching learning skills and creativity in non-music spheres. From lecturing in writing and academic skills, research and counselling in career development and leadership, through to developing education policy, creativity has been the common thread throughout.
Music plays such an important role in our family. We’re all musicians (fighting for access to the piano!), and music will always be about so much more than playing the right notes.
In Discovering Music, my focus is on providing a warm, creative, and supportive environment, so that my students are introduced to the world of music in such a way that they fall in love with it, just as we did.
To hear me sing and play, go to Kate Paine Sings
In addition to the Discovering Music Studio, I’ve recently launched The Creativity Helm, The Creativity Helm is where I share everything I’ve learned about creativity as a musician, educator, writer, and researcher. It brings together all my work, including music lessons that emphasise creative expression, workshops that build creative confidence, and practical tools and frameworks. My mission is to boost creative confidence and skills with small, actionable steps, and change the mind of every person who doesn’t think they’re creative.
Finally, I also have a free weekly newsletter: The Creativity Helm newsletter. Don’t think you’re creative? The Creativity Helm newsletter will change your mind through stories, practical frameworks, simple music principles (no experience needed), and lots of small steps you can begin taking straight away.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University, Melbourne
- Master of Arts by research, Dept of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University, Melbourne
- Graduate Diploma in Professional Writing, Deakin University
- Bachelor of Music, University of Queensland, Brisbane
