TestimoniALS
Performing arts
Latha Pattiaratchi Ranathunga
(Retired Teacher - Having taught in Sri Lanka and Internationally. Past member of Sri Lanka Girl Guide Association)
Robins Music Academy’s Performing Arts Show was a spectacular display of talent, skills and confidence on stage by the students of Natalie Robins, the Head of the Academy. The children, ranging from 6 to 15 years of age radiated their potential in acting, singing and public speaking through a vibrant programme.
The first part of the evening was lined up with a performance by the academy’s choir BLISS, along with a few skits and dances which added colourful variety to the event. Mr Cat’s party and Mr. Know it All’s wonder class (which was a skit created by Natalie herself) provided an opportunity for the junior drama group to showcase their talents, taking their first steps into the drama world. The Robins Family Special, in which Natalie played the mum’s role, was very touching and heart warming. Her lamenting rendition expressing a mother's feelings when all her children leave home after growing up made most of the mothers in the audience teary-eyed.
The choir was extremely outstanding with beautiful singing. They need to be complimented for singing in four different languages, namely English, Sinhala, Hindi and Swahili. Their blending of high and low notes in harmony was mesmerising. The guest artists who performed in accordance with the respective songs were graceful. The dance items were given by the Adelaide Academy of Irish Dancing, Sihalakala Dance Academy and African Community Dance Group were enchanting and glamorous.
The second part of the programme presented the main play, CINDERFELLA. This was an interesting twist on the classic timeless fairy tale Cinderella. Natalie had included many deviations from the traditional story to make it more amusing and hilarious. Some of the twists were as follows- The prince recognised Cinderella by a handkerchief he lent her during the ball, instead of the glass slipper. Also, the glass slipper actually fitted the Fairy Godmother, and the King married her to save the kingdom from disgrace.
I would like to mention a few scenes that brought great joy to the audience. The fairy helpers, one carrying a huge book on her back and the other writing down the Fairy Rules in it were fantastic additions. Another was the scene showing different extravagant and hilarious dresses on the back screen, with lighting effects for Cinderella to choose the best one to wear to the ball. As each of them appeared, the others on stage made sighs and exclamations. The fairies assumption that Cinderella was dead, was another hilarious moment. All this was very natural and lively and there were many more novel elements which was enriching, engaging and laughter evoking for both the young and the old alike. The songs and dance in CINDERFELLA was very well performed by the students and it was thrilling to watch such talent unfold before our eyes. The King, Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother, the step family, fairies trainees and guards did their roles especially well. The lighting effects and costumes too were well chosen, very rich and colourful.
Thus, Natalie has shown her expertise in script writing, story-telling and capability in training the students to bring out their artistic talents. As a result, the children all performed their best. A word of praise should go out to the two comperes.
All in all, Robins Music Academy’s Performing Arts show was an outstanding and memorable event that brought joy to the audience, and great pride especially to the parents and grandparents of all who took part. As Sri Lankans we need to be thankful to Natalie for opening up a centre of this nature in Adelaide Australia, for our young children to develop their artistic talents, self-confidence and social skills. I congratulate her and all her students for a job well done and wish them the very best in future endeavours!
Hemendra
At Robins Music Academy, my two daughters are happily learning to sing and act under the able guidance of Mrs Natalie. Her effective modern methods of teaching have helped my two girls to come out of their bashfulness and gain confidence in effective public speaking, singing and acting. As parents we are very happy that they are receiving the best of Mrs Natalie's multiple talents at Robins Music Academy. We also appreciate her human and friendly qualities and wish her the very best in all endeavours. Thank you!
Iresha
My daughters Sanemi and Nayeli have been enrolled in Robins Music Academy since 2021. They both look forward to each lesson and come home bursting with excitement and energy. The upcoming Cinderfella performance is curated to bring out the best in all the bubbly young adults and it’s something that everyone young and young at heart should be looking forward to! Hats off to Natalie for guiding and inspiring these beautiful budding youngsters to shine brighter every day, building and enhancing their self-expression, creativity and the sheer love for life!
Minette
Adele has blossomed being part of the senior drama group. She has enjoyed being with her peers in a fun atmosphere learning the craft of acting and putting on a stellar show!
Dee
Hayley has been attending Natalie’ s speech and drama class since 2021. She loves every second of it. Natalie has an excellent way with the children. She is so drawn to her. Her style of teaching is unique. My daughter Hayley come skips from her class beaming and full of smiles. I noticed as a parent how her confidence and vocabulary improved so much and that her memory for singing is wonderful. My daughter who is almost 10 years now is blooming with confidence and again her imagination and memory skills are outstanding. Natalie’s ability to enhance a child’s social skills is remarkable. This I have seen at first hand in my child. Every parent knows how important social skills are for a child to blossom. Natalie’s speech and drama school is a place where your child will develop at their own pace, to their full potential, while having a lot of fun.
Uvini
Anu & Abi are two little shy guys, who only performed their itsy bitsy pieces for the family. I am so happy to see how they have transformed to be two characters in a stage drama. I see remarkable development in their confidence & performance within this short period of about 6 months. This is their first ever class and they didn't want to go for a drama class at the beginning, but now they are fully geared by Saturday for the class. I am much grateful to Natalie for making the class interesting for children and also for organizing a performance evening where children get a stage to build their abilities & confidence.
Jayani
Dear Natalie, Our heartfelt gratitude for the amazing influence you have given to the children to blossom into confident and talented little artists. We witnessed a sense of discipline, teamwork, and self-confidence that will undoubtedly serve the children well in life. Though it has been a relatively short time since our daughter Nessya enrolled in the junior drama, her journey in your class has already been a great exploration of her strengths and talents. Thank you for creating such a nurturing and inspiring environment for our children. Keep doing the great inspiring work. Sending you our best wishes as you embark on your exciting journey!
Sachini
My little one was very shy, and she didn’t want to talk in front of people. I remember when she started drama class and was asked to talk about her week, she was wriggling and not speaking confidently. But now, she knows how to talk in front of people and get the attention of an audience. She loves drama class!
Indika
I have seen Diyon’s improvements in speech pattern after attending his drama lessons. His pronunciation is much better than before. He is so confident now when talking in public. I am so proud of him when I see him on the stage compared with other children his age. We are so thankful to Robins Music Academy for making our child confident.
Indula
My daughter Imandee is blessed to have such an amazing teacher like Natalie to move forward with her journey in choir and drama. I appreciate her hard work and the mesmerizing support towards Imandee and all the other students. Thank you!
Maliendra
Tharuki joined Robins Music Academy initially for Piano lessons only. But she was soon inspired by her teacher’s passion for Choir and performing Arts and joined both. Working under Natalie’s guidance Tharuki developed confidence in herself to a level that she wanted to try-out for solo performance at the festival of Music 2023 and managed to secure a solo performance and sang “Keep on Moving” to the largest audience she ever performed to. This is undoubtedly a great testimony of what a child could achieve under Natalie’s wings. Seeing her sister perform, Tharuki’s sister Jithuki is also showing interest in choir and performing arts.
Michelle
Tiffany is a senior drama student and apart of the senior choir group Bliss. Under Natalie's guidance we have seen her blossom and shine and has seen creativity from her which was never seen before. We can't wait to see all this come to fruition in the upcoming play, Cinderfella. We wish all the students the very best and we are confident that each of them will shine
Anu
It has been amazing to see Kevin progress in the drama class, building up his confidence each day to do all his funny acts on stage. He absolutely loves going for drama class, even though he is the only boy in the class. Kevin did an amazing job with his monologue performance which was his very first performance on stage and he was quite excited that he was able make the audience laugh with his acting. I am confident that he will continue to shine with Natalie's help and use drama class as an opportunity to express himself.
Piano
Suranya S (Student)
I've been a student of Robins Music Academy for about 2 years now. I began learning from Ms Natalie after moving to Australia, in search of a teacher who could continue and enhance my love for music, and Ms Natalie did just that and more. During her lessons, you can feel her immense passion for music and can't help but feel the same way. She teaches you how to listen to music the way she does, to truly feel the music while you’re playing. She patiently sits with you while explaining the different nuances of the music, be it by talking, singing or vivid stories to create a mental image of how the music you’re playing should feel. She has always been extremely understanding and supportive, and truly wishes the best for all her students. I'm sure I speak on behalf of all her students when I say that learning at Robins Music Academy is an enriching experience, and we're extremely happy to be a part of it.
Aadi S (Student)
Robins' Music Academy is truly a special place to learn music. Whether it be education in the theoretical studies, the practical performance, or even the Arts, Natalie is always willing to provide for her students. I myself, have been one of Natalie's students for over 8 years now, and I hope I will continue to learn more as I continue to progress.
Firstly, I want to discuss Natalie's ability to teach. She has been teaching for many years as both a private instructor, and at multiple schools. Hence, experience is not an issue. She is an open book, and always wants what is best for the students. Her style of teaching is different, and at times can be strict. However, in the long run, this helps students achieve their goals. Through the time I have spent with Natalie, I have accomplished so much. I have successfully completed 6 grades of the AMEB piano syllabus, achieving high results for each exam. I have also partaken in two AMEB theory exams, both times achieving a score of 100%. This only proves that Natalie wants her students to aim high and excel in what they want to do. She constantly reminds us to reach for the stars, because it is possible.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Robins Music Academy to anyone who has an affinity for music. It is beneficial, quite interesting and truly genuine. Thank you Natalie for all the hard work you put in for me over the years!
Hailey J (Student)
Miss Natalie is an amazing teacher. I've been going to her lessons for over two years and I’ve made so much progress and gained a great amount of knowledge. I initially didn’t enjoy playing the piano much but after going to Miss Natalie, I found myself looking forward to my classes every week. Her teaching style makes lessons highly engaging and effective, producing results I'm very satisfied with. She has an infectious personality that makes classes entertaining and enjoyable. I would definitely recommend Miss Natalie to anyone interested in playing the piano!
Lanith P
Highly recommended. Natalie Robins is an amazing music teacher and has done wonders. Well Organized and great with students. Her new performing arts group has done very well giving the kids the confidence they need. Thank you so much for what you have done with Brianna.
Kiran S
Natalie Robins is a very passionate music teacher and I can see that she is very involved with the kids she teaches and ensures that we as parents also support the learning at home...our daughter has been with her since June 2020 and has really picked up the piano well...we as parents would highly recommend Robins Music and the unique experience both the parents and the kids have is the yearly recital she conducts that helps the kids build confidence and perform in front of a larger audience...we wish Natalie Robins every success.
Ashwin A
Natalie has and continues to be a kind, patient and creative teacher and guide to our son. A diligent, motivating and inspiring teacher. Her teaching and music have added a new and beautiful dimension to Aryans life. We cannot wait for him to explore and experience this to the best of his potential under Natalie’s consistent caring and creative guidance. We wish Natalie and Robins Music Academy and all the children and their families she has/will take in her fold the very best in their combined journeys ahead. Good luck and god bless
Prathibha B
Both my kids are learning piano from Natalie for almost a year now. Natalie is a very sincere teacher and you can see her passion for teaching piano during her lessons with the kids. She takes great interest in teaching them music notes in different ways, which my kids really enjoy. Also, the opportunity to play piano in recital has helped my kids in boosting their confidence. I highly recommend Natalie, as she is not only a great teacher but an amazing person. Thank you Natalie for guiding my kids.
Amrit A
We've been searching for a good piano teacher and finally found Natalie. She is very knowledgeable and highly experienced in this line. Ever since my daughter joined her classes, we've seen a drastic improvement in her performance. Within a short time, my daughter has managed to give exams and play the piano confidently. I am very happy with Natalie and would highly recommend her to anyone wanting to learn to play the piano.
Anna & Rajeev B
I have two daughters aged 7 and 10 both of whom have been learning piano from Natalie over the past 4 years. Both my girls have had their own journey of music with different challenges. Natalie has helped them both not only to love playing the Piano but to just enjoy music. She has taught them to persevere when the going gets tough and how to stay focused and give it your very best. I can’t thank her enough for all her encouragement and tireless effort to keep them engaged. They both now look forward to the piano classes, for opportunities to challenge themselves and absolutely just enjoy music. They just get on with their practices because they have to be accountable. They have made amazing improvement as they have worked on their exam pieces and set goals for themselves. The highlight for their year is the recitals which is made awesome by their solo and duet pieces they prepare and the amazing venue. Natalie’s encouragement and support as they play in front 100s in the audience, has given them confidence and they personally feel a connection with her individual attention. We thank Natalie from the bottom of our hearts for helping them in their musical journey.
Nancy X
"Natalie is an inspirational music teacher and she has been teaching our daughter Yuana for about a year. It has been her input and enthusiasm for music that has kept Yuana focused. Natalie has an extraordinary ability to motivate and foster a child’s love for music. She is patient, good-humoured and passionate about teaching piano and my daughter always looked forward to her music lessons. She gets on very well with children and, best of all, makes learning fun and interesting. Natalie makes sure that kids progress every lesson. I have to mention that she conducts recitals every year and all her students get to perform on stage. The recital gave an opportunity for my daughter to feel successful. I would totally recommend Natalie as a piano teacher as she has the ability to lead, cajole and inspire students to achieve standards that they could not dream of reaching.”
Kylie B
We have been coming to piano lessons with Natalie for about twelve months now and my daughter Evie has learnt a lot in that time. She enjoys the way Natalie shows her something new each week as well as the repetition of anything she has learnt the week before. She especially loves when Natalie includes a game or challenge in the lesson. I feel Evie has progressed well and as well as learning to read music, can play some pieces from memory, both of which Natalie encourages. Learning for the recital earlier in the year was especially motivating and Evie was excited for the performance which was her first time playing for an audience. Natalie's encouragement and positivity made what could have been an overwhelming event for a young child a very enjoyable and rewarding one. From a parent's point of view, I enjoy watching my child's lessons so that I can assist her to practice at home. Natalie provides a place for parents to watch the lessons if they choose to and is always willing to answer questions. I think this is incredibly helpful when your child is starting out. You can then learn with them and support them at home more effectively when you know what is expected for the following week.
Amali K
Natalie has been our daughter's piano teacher for the past year and a half. Our daughter had never played a piano before and the progress she made with Natalie, as a teacher, far exceeds any expectations. Natalie is kind, very patient, compassionate and has a wonderful personality and sense of humour. With Natalie, she developed a love for playing the piano and gained the skills to play increasingly complex pieces. We are extremely lucky to have such a talented and friendly teacher, and I highly recommend her to everyone. I hope that her new students will discover the same joy for playing the piano, in the way our daughter has.
Mahesh T
"My daughter Dewmini has been taking piano lessons from Natalie for more than three years and we are truly enjoying her teaching approach. Natalie was her first music teacher and day after day Dewmini shows more interest in having piano lessons there. Natalie is very patient with students and spends an appropriate amount of time developing technique, exercises & improvisation. She is so talented in preparing children for exams and my daughter has shown great results. Natalie has recitals each year and it gives children more confidence in playing in front of an audience. It gives parents the opportunity to see the talents in all children. I wish Robins Music Academy a great future and I am looking forward to start piano lessons for my younger daughter in the near future."
Subhashini W
"Natalie is an amazing teacher who keeps her students motivated and engaged all the time. My daughter loves her piano lessons from day one and she is excited to learn a new musical ‘piece’ every day. Natalie helps her students to build their confident in playing piano and performing. It was incredible to see how much my daughter learnt during a very short time and performed in the yearly Piano Recital just six months after starting her piano lessons. I am quite impressed by Natalie’s approach to teaching. She makes learning fun for the kids and keeps them encouraged to practice daily."
Dilrukshi J
My daughter Hailey has been attending Robin's Music Academy for almost 2 years. Since she started taking piano lessons from Natalie her passion for music has grown tremendously. Hailey enjoys Natalie's teaching approach which is both fun and methodical. As a parent I'm delighted with Hailey’s learning progress and I feel her love for music in general has grown exponentially since attending classes. I also appreciate the honest feedback Natalie provides which helps Hailey and us as parents to identify areas for improvement. I highly recommend Robin's Music Academy to anyone who loves the piano.
Renji G
Natalie has been instrumental in our daughter Michelle's learning and appreciating music. She is a fantastic piano teacher, very knowledgeable in her field. Michelle has grown in her love for the piano and has come a long way. She loves playing new pieces on her own and is very keen to complete all her grades and has received excellent results in piano exams done so far.
Nadeeka W
Four months ago we enrolled our 7 year old son with Ms Natalie’s for piano lessons as a beginner. He seems very interested taking lessons from Natalie. It is such a joy watching him learn, practice and progress under a truly passionate, experienced and caring teacher. Even though it has only been 4 months, I have witnessed her commitment and enthusiasm and how she passes them on to her students and their parents. Often she updates us on how he is doing and shares ideas on how we can assist in my son’s learning.
Achini A
Thank you very much for being an amazing Piano teacher! Thank you for inspiring Oneli to follow her love for music and for providing that guidance and support in an organised and disciplined manner. Natalie, you are truly a dedicated teacher who loves what you do. When we attend the annual concert, we see the remarkable performance improvements of your students. We wish you all the best!