Little Rockers

EMMA MCNEILL

Emma is a bubbly and energetic music mentor with a passion for helping young singers discover their voice and fall in love with music. She is the Co-Musical Director of QUT Vox Pop and has recently toured regionally an Associate Choir Director. With a Diploma of Music Industry (Performance and ongoing music studies, Emma loves creating supportive, joyful learning spaces. She especially enjoys teaching musical theatre, pop, contemporary and R&B styles. 

CHELLE JANSE VAN RENSBURG

Chelle has been a treasured core part of The Buttery team for years, and is adored by all of her students. She has a patience and warmth that brings the most timid of little musicians out of their shell and into exploring music. It is absolutely magical to watch.

Chelle is a passionate songwriter and vocalist who has been immersed in music since early childhood. From performing solo acts to playing in large groups and choirs, she has built a diverse set of skills to share across the genres of jazz, R&B, folk, soul, pop and musical theatre. As an educator, Chelle value the foundations of theory, aural analysis, the study of great technique, and a consciousness of the body and psyche. She also advocate for the joy of exploration in lessons, in hopes to keep her students’ connection to the music strong. Chelle focuses on building lessons around each student’s personal needs. She is a diligent individual with high standards for her students, although her approach is centred on inspiration and curiosity rather than judgment.

She has found that fostering an environment of creativity and enthusiasm has been pivotal to her achievements in teaching both children and adults.

Jess Chate

Jess is a singer-songwriter who’s been making music since before she could speak. Raised in a musical family in the Northern Rivers of NSW, she’s grown up with a deep love for music’s power to bring people together through connection and community.

Performing since the age of 12, Jess now shares her heartfelt, “fizzy indie-folk” songs under the artist project Serendipiti. Alongside her band, she’s had the joy of supporting acts like Infinity Song, Saije, and Jem Cassar-Daley, and performing at events including the Woodford Festival of Small Halls and QUBE Effect Finals.

Currently finishing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music at QUT, Jess also contributes to youth creative education through her work with The Infinite Game, a UNESCO-awarded documentary exploring the power of the arts in young lives. She’s deeply passionate about creating inclusive, emotionally safe spaces where children feel free to explore their feelings and begin to use music to make sense of the world around them.

In her wider world, she’s loved leading songwriting workshops for children at the Byron Writers Festival with author Zanni Louise, co-conducting choirs, and supporting youth through mental health camps. At The Buttery, Jess endeavours to bring a warm, uplifting presence to every session and to create a space where children feel seen, supported, and inspired to fall in love with music.