Dave Kemp has an extensive background in orchestral, jazz, theatre and popular music performance. Initially studying orchestral percussion at the Qld Conservatorium of Music, he soon came to the attention of the Qld Symphony Orchestra, where he has remained a regular section percussionist ever since. Increasingly drawn to jazz, Dave received an Arts Qld Professional Development grant for a summer jazz intensive course at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA. There he studied vibraphone with masters Ed Saindon and Dave Samuels resulting in being selected to perform at The Berklee Percussion Festival. 

 

When Dave returned to Australia he wrote, developed and taught the first ever curriculum for vibraphone as a jazz major study instrument at the Qld Conservatorium of Music as well as in Percussion Pedagogy. Dave was also appointed Percussion Lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane. A move to Sydney to accept the offer to undertake a research masters degree at the Sydney Conservatorium led to his involvement with the Lion King Musical national tour of Australia as the on stage percussionist.

 

In the past year he has played or toured with Neil Finn, The Whitlams, Katie Noonan, and the Australian Ballet along with being a finalist at the 2019 Qld Music Awards for a recording with the band Soul Mechanics which he engineered, mixed and produced in his own studio. He is also an AMEB examiner and his works are featured in the Percussion Syllabus.