Books by Gillian Wills
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Gillian Wills
Gillian Wills

Gillian Wills is a graduate and and an honorary associate from the Royal Academy of Music and an author and arts writer who publishes with Inreview, Australian Book Review, Limelight, Griffith Review and The Australian. 

Her memoir Elvis and Me: how a world-weary musician and a broken racehorse rescued each other, Finch Pty was released in 2016 in Australia, America, Canada, the UK and NZ. 

Prior to relocating to Brisbane, Queensland from Victoria, Gillian was Dean of Music at the Victorian College of Arts, Melbourne.

Like Beatrice, nicknamed Beat, Gillian owns three horses, two rescue dogs and three ducks and lives on a small farm on the outskirts of Brisbane.

Books

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Big Music

Beat is given a chance to shine when she is appointed dean of Turalong Music School, but her role is not what it seems.

Fine-tuning this institution is like playing a cracked violin with broken strings. She’s determined to revive the school’s reputation despite gender bias, staff conflict, fraud, betrayal, a famous composer’s ghost and a...

Elvis and Me

How a world-weary musician and a broken racehorse rescued each other

After retiring from her position as Head of Music at a prestigious arts college, Gillian Wills buys her first horse on a whim. Elvis is emaciated, emotionally scarred, saddle-phobic and has a bad attitude to boot. Although he was described as ‘perfect for beginners’, Gillian soon discovers there is nothing perfect or standard about him! Leaning...

'Ah Music, A Magic Beyond All We Do Here,' p. 289, Gillian Wills, Sound Musicianship, ed. Andrew Brown, Cambridge University Press, 2012

Understanding the Crafts of Music

Sound Musicianship is a book for music educators and musicians about musicianship—about musical skills, abilities, habits, sensibilities and understandings. Musicianship is explored as a form of craftsmanship. Like most crafts, music requires a balance of theoretical knowledge and practical skills that contribute to a highly tuned ability to...

Latest Updates

July 21, 2025

My next Big Music event and author talk is in Townsville as part of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music is from 2.00pm - 2.45pm on the 26 July...

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July 21, 2025

As a young woman I read a biography about Florence Nightingale. I’d been privy to the Lady with the Lamp fairytale as most of us have been and was...

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July 21, 2025

“The attention is ‘to make Wagner accessible to a wider audience.’” David Kram, Artistic Director, More Than Opera.

Last week on the 5 June I...

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July 20, 2025

As a music journalist I am invited to many music events, concerts and festivals. Recently, as fate would have it I’ve had a lot to do with opera...

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