Jody Harrison is the daughter of Jack Harrison and Marcia Chayter.
Born in 1963, she grew up in City Beach and attended City Beach Primary School and St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School.
In 1967, Jody’s parents commissioned William Boissevain to painter her portrait.
From 1969 Jody studied the piano learning from Patricia Gladstones and later in 1978 with Michael Cole.
Jody studied ballet with Diana Waldron from 1969 until 1974.
From the age of 12 Jody learnt the oboe, initially from her brother Jay and then from Lawrence Frankel, Joel Marangella and Thomas Indermühle.
Jody was a member of the W.A. Arts Orchestra from 1980 until 1988 and augmented with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
Jody was a finalist in the 1983 Young Performers Award performing on cor anglais and performed in the Australian Youth Orchestra 1983 season in Perth and was Principal Oboe for their 1985 Adelaide season.
Jody Graduated from the University of W.A. with a Bachelor of Music Honours in 1984. She was accompanied by Graeme Gilling for her final recital who invited her back in 1985 to perform in his Masters recital.
In 1985 she was awarded Australian Music Board and Western Australian Arts Council grants to undertake post graduate performance studies at the Zürich Conservatorium of Music with oboist Thomas Indermühle where she studied towards a Soloist Diploma from 1986 – 1987 and attended a Summer School in Provence, France.
On returning to Perth, she continued performing with the W.A. Arts Orchestra and in 1988 completed the first year of a Bachelor of Arts (Arts Management) at Edith Cowan University which she deferred to move due to Melbourne and augmented with the WASO.
In 1989 Jody worked for Melbourne Radio 3L0 and then in December was appointed as Assistant Orchestra Manager with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and with whom she augmented on oboe and cor anglais.
In 1991 she returned to Perth to work in the management of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, occasionally augmenting on oboe and cor anglais.
Jody produced and created many concerts, including the inaugural Symphony at Sandalford with Kate Ceberano and many outdoor concerts in venues such as Kings Park.
In 2003 Jody curated an exhibition celebrating the history of the WASO, their 75th Anniversary and the publication of her mother Marcia Harrison‘s book.
In November 2004 WASO made Jody’s position redundant.
In February 2005 Jody created and became Director of her own company Solo to Symphony and was an agent for jazz and classical musicians until 2013, including Libby Hammer and Hip Mo’ Toast.
In 2006, aged 43, Jody had her third child, so was pretty busy.
As Director of Solo to Symphony, she successfully applied for several grants, including being awarded an Australia Council Grant for the Blackwood Project. Blackwood was premiered 2011 Perth International Arts Festival. It was commissioned for Iain Grandage (composer), Kevin Gillam (poet/lyricist) and performers Sara Macliver (soprano), Allan Meyer (clarinet) & Graeme Gilling (piano) and the art of Brendon Darby.
From 2009 until 2012 Jody was employed by U.W.A. as Manager, Festival Baroque Australia.
From 2011 until 2013 she was Online Editor of Scoop magazine.
Jody has three children:
Samantha
Jacqueline
Max
She is a passionate genealogist and historian and a proud promoter of music in Western Australia.