Biography
Chelsei Bright (2001) is an Australian musician and educator based in Narrm (Melbourne). Identifying as a funk/fusion drummer, drawing inspiration from a wide range of genres is her passion and loves also exploring the world of rock, pop, blues and anything in between, and sharing this with her students.
Aspiring to play a loud instrument, Chelsei began taking drum lessons from the age of 9 with Craig Plummer. Once reaching high school, Chelsei was introduced to the wider variety music had to offer, extending from pop music into the world of jazz and swing which became an influencing eye opener. At the age of 13, Chelsei moved into country Victoria where she joined music classes with David Ashfield and his Galen Catholic College Big Band; performing musicals such as Joseph and His Technicolour Dreamcoat and Hairspray, and touring around Australia’s hotspots including, Gold Coast, Canberra and Tasmania where she experienced playing in an array of settings. The Salamanca Markets, Melbourne’s Red Steps, The Great Hall in Australia’s Parliament House Canberra and Dreamworld as some of the highlights.
Chelsei reunited with the Melbourne music scene through studying at the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) under the guidance of Gerry Pantazis. It was AIM that introduced her to the world of funk and latin music, this combined with her Jazz and big band experience led to the genres she identifies herself within now. Over her time at AIM, Chelsei picked up a job at the Paris Cat Jazz Club, joined bands including Skerzo and The Omens, recorded sessions for local artists Beth Weinert and Anshika Goyal, collaborated with other artists within the community and began her teaching career at the Sam Welf Performing Arts School.
Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Music Performance in 2022, Chelsei continued to play in venues around Melbourne with various artists, started her band ‘vangomango’ with composer and keys player Gene Cleary and maintains her teaching schedule in her home studio and with Adrian Whyte’s Drum Suite.
Still young, Chelsei aims to inspire the next generations of musicians from around Australia, reaching to the regional communities and decreasing the gaps in music education; researching deeply into the world of music history, while continuing to play the music she loves both live and in the recording studios for many years to come.