Join James Valentine in conversation with the world’s most famous early childhood teacher, Murray Cook. Friday March 14, 2014 • Sydney Opera hOuSe bigFatSMile.cOM.au/cOnFerence Murray cOOk Murray is a musician, In 2011 the band was inducted into the ARIA Hall of teacher and one Fame and in 2012 Murray retired from The Wiggles fourth of The (original) front line (although he is still very much involved Wiggles. He met his with the iconic brand he helped build). fellow band mates at Murray was made a Member of the Order of Macquarie University Australia in 2010 for service to the arts and to while completing an the community as a benefactor and supporter early childhood degree. of a range of charities. He is ambassador for the They formed the iconic charity Action Aid, whose education programs children’s band in 1991 and Murray worked as a in Cambodia provide children access to quality preschool teacher before wiggly success forced education. him into full time band mode. Murray continues to be heavily involved in the Murray’s schtick in the band was his obsession Sydney music scene. In addition to playing for with his guitar. All that practice paid off and he is the band Bang Shang A Lang, he was the guitarist now ranked as one of the nation’s top guitarists. for Luke Russell and The Proposition and was As a member of The Wiggles, Murray wore the involved in the production of the play Sons red skivvy, he was considered the intellectual of Sun. He loves it when young people on the member of the group (something referred to in contemporary music scene cite The Wiggles, as several episodes of their TV show). The Wiggles their inspiration (Yep. It happens a lot). have earned 17 gold, 12 platinum, three double- platinum, and ten multi-platinum awards for sales of over 17 million DVDs and four million CDs. JaMeS Valentine James is a broadcaster, musician in the 1980s and a member of bands writer and musician. He such as Models, Absent Friends and the Wendy presents Afternoons Mathews Band. He toured and recorded with Jo on 702 ABC Sydney, Camilleri, Steve Cummings, Kate Ceberano, and a writes regularly for host of others. The Australian and a On television, he’s been the host of the children’s weekly column for the program The Afternoon Show on ABC TV, Northshore Times. He presented Showtime Movie News for over ten plays saxophone and years, been a regular on Sunrise, Midday and Good his quartet has performed weekly at the Golden Morning Australia, a judge on It Takes Two and a Sheaf for the last three years. The band has Playschool presenter – he struggled to make a released two CDs, the last entitled The Power and spider out of pipe cleaners. The Passion. He’s the author of six books. The JumpMan series He is the writer/narrator of Come Dine With Me is a science fiction trilogy for young adult readers, for the Lifestyle Channel. He recently produced The True History of Stuff is for children and The and presented Exhumed a television program on Form Guide and Spotfull are two books of adult amateur music for ABC TV. humour based on his radio show. James has been part of Australian media and He lives in Sydney, is married to Joanne a clinical entertainment his entire working life. He was a psychologist and they have two children..