Composer

While much of Jem’s music is vocal or choral, his interests and influences are wide. Being at school around Jazz musicians, he is passionate about jazz and this often makes its way into Jem's works. Another great interest of his is music for theatre, particularly Broadway and opera. Much of Jem's music is either directly or indirectly theatrical. 

Jem's primary composition and orchestration teacher, Carl Vine AO, instilled in him an attention to detail and devotion to craft, which he revers in other people's music, and strives to exemplify in his own. 

Over the years, Jem has been involved in many kinds of projects, many of which have been professional commissions.

Portfolio Highlights

Give us Cause, 2024
A secular choral piece for the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School Choir

Eulogies and Entanglements, 2024

A micro-opera written for the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Opera Performance students. The students wrote the Libretto.

The Little Grey Bird, 2024
A Song Cycle for Children’s Choir, Piano and Narrator, written for the Geelong Youth Choir.

The Secret Path, 2022
A song for tenor and piano.

The Trinity Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, 2022
A setting of the Evening Canticles for Choir and Organ.

Mageia: A Musical Fable, 2022

A full-length stage musical based off a book by Paul Gallico called the Man Who was Magic. A collaboration with author, A. J. Mackinnon, who wrote the libretto.

One Star-lit Night, 2022
A Christmas Carol for unaccompanied choir.

Theme and Variations, 2020
A set of Variations on an Original Theme for piano, harp, clarinet and violin.