The Story Behind Lah-Lah
Lah-Lah was created by husband and wife - and most importantly Mum & Dad - team Tina and Mark Harris. An opera singer and a jazz double bass player, both with Masters degrees in music. Tina and Mark have been entertaining and educating children in music and language internationally for over 20 years.
After the birth of their daughters Lily and Emily, the pair opened and operated four early childhood music schools in Sydney. It was actually the parents at their schools, seeing from first hand experience just how important music was to their children's development, who suggested Tina and Mark present a live show. So, Tina and Mark hired a venue and got the band together - Lah-Lah was born!
After their first live season they were signed by Nickelodeon and started the adventure into TV. With three TV shows screening internationally, the highly awarded band is now a favourite for families all over the world. And now, in addition to their popular live and TV shows and albums, Lah-Lah's highly successful YouTube channel is growing exponentially around the world with over 1.3 billion views and counting!
LAH-LAH
Tina Harris
Tina is a mum first. She's also sung with top companies including Opera-Australia and The Melbourne and WA Symphonies. She's lived and studied in Paris and Japan, taught early childhood English and music and run 4 early childhood music schools in Sydney.
Tina jokes that she spent way too many years at university holding a Bachelor of Creative Arts, Diploma of Opera, and Masters of Music. But she met Mark at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music so it was all worth it. Tina and Mark created Lah-Lah in 2008 with a self-produced CD and live show which was then signed to Roadshow Entertainment and Nickelodeon Australia to make a series of music videos.
Tina co-created the live action/animated series 'Lah-Lah's Adventures', for CBeebies and 7TWO and Lah-Lah's Adventures for ABS KIDS TV. Lah-Lah is a 2 time ARIA awards finalist. TIna works as a composer, performer and producer for the Lah-Lah YouTube channel and also help mentor other artists with their videos and music because beautiful music makes the word a better happier place.
BUZZ THE BANDLEADER
Mark Harris
Mark Harris is best known by preschoolers Australia wide as Buzz the Bandleader from Lah-Lah. For older audiences, Mark is the comedic singing double bassist in triple ARIA winning word music band Monsieur Camembert and performs with Abby Dobson (Leonardo's Bride) and Lara Goodridge (Fourplay) in French nightclub band Baby et Lulu.
A Masters graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Jazz department (but it took a ver long time!), Mark has also performed, recorded and or toured with the Wiggles, James Morrison, Emma Pask, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sierra Boggess, Rhonda Burchmore and Tom Burlinson, and has performed in the Sydney productions of Crazy For You, My Fair Lady, Annie, The Boy From Oz, Chicago, Wicked, Fame, Jersey Boys, The Lion King, and Aladdin. On stage, Mark performs in venues nationally with Lah-Lah and also worked alongside Tim Rogers and Bojana Novakovic in The Importance of Mary Maclane By Herself for Griffin Theatre Co.
As a composer, Mark wrote an album of original jazz - Entrée - for his quartet Mark4. He also co-composed the score for the stage adaptation of Oliver Jeffers' book The Book Eating Boy with wife Tina for CDP Theatre Producers as well as the music for Lah-Lah's six albums, two of which were nominated for ARIA awards.
MISTER (ALTO) SAXOPHONE
Ross Harrington
Ross is the new Dad in the group, with 2 little ones under 4! So he really gets it.
Originally a classically trained saxophonist Ross is now an in demand multi-instrumentalist on the Sydney Jazz and words music scene. Ross plays saxophone/s, clarinet and flute and we've even made him play the tin whistle.
Ross' passion for jazz is largely due to his school work experience that he completed at the Australian Army Band which inspired him to pursue further musical study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he completed a Bachelor of Jazz Performance.
He has also been the recipient of a number of musical scholarships in his career. As well as playing in a variety of Sydney based ensembles, Ross composes and performs in his own project, Midnight Tea Party, which is inspired by the sounds of the balkans and dub/reggae.
TOM TOM
Nic Cecire
Nic or is a big favourite at Lah-Lah live shows, it's a drummer thing!
As one of Sydney's best jazz drummers, Nic is a legend. He's been playing professionally for over 25 years and performed and recorded with many of Australia's leading artists in a wide variety of musical settings including Jenny Morris, James Valentine, Dale Barlow, George Golla, and Tina Harrod.
He has also recorded with jazz, pop, rock and independent artists such as the Whitlam's, On Inc and Yothu Yindi. Nic is also a regular on the session scene recording jingles for Virgin, Telstra and AGL amongst others.
He's always practicing!! Nic just loves the drums and if he's not practicing he's studying or teaching. That's just one of the reasons we love him so much. He's studied with David Jones and Andrew Gander.
When not performing Nic is a highly sought after educator as a lecturer at the Australian Institute of Music.
MISTER (TENOR) SAXOPHONE
Matthew Ottignon
Matt's versatility and flare for performing sees him sought after by bands of many different flavours and styles. He has appeared on the recordings of Katie Noonan, Jackie Orszazcky, and Mike Nock and has appeared on stage with international legends Lou Reed, Brian Wilson, Steve Cropper and Donald Duck Dunn.
Ever since moving to Sydney from his hometown of Auckland NZ, Matthew has been in demand for his ability to add something special to bands, DJ's and recording artists from all over the world. His skills as a multi-intrumentalist have landed him in triple ARIA winning band Monsieur Camembert, and Matthew is often seen on stage with Guy Sebastian.
His own project Mister Ott is part of a worldwide movement of African inspired jazz ensembles, while being equally inspired by hip-hop, soul and electronica. Matt plays with the Musica Viva in Schools Touring program and teaches at the Australian Jazz Workshop.
SQUEEZY SNEEZY
Gary Daley
Gary Daley is Squeezy Sneezy. A loving dad and 'Poppy' to his 5 grandkids. He's also a jazz superstar, playing in some of the elite bands of Australian jazz; currently James Greening's band Greening from Ear to Ear and the jazz-world music band The catholics. Gary plays acoustic and electric piano, organ and also the piano accordion. An honors graduate from the Sydney University Music Department, Gary studied with Peter Sculthorpe and the late Roger Frampton.
In his home town Springwood, just west of Sydney, he is the artistic director of the music concert series Live at the Village which has presented leading musicians in a variety of improvised music since late 2009. Gary is a well-known contemporary composer with his project 'Sanctuary' supported by the Australia Council and acclaimed compositions for the Bungarribee quartet.
