Originally from Dublin, Colette has been living in Wexford for the last 23 years and working for many of those as a professional musician, while also working as a full time primary school teacher. Her love of music was developed in the Loreto Secondary School, Crumlin by Cait Cooper, her music teacher and Sr. Cecily who was a major driving force behind the school Orchestra. She is responsible for Colette taking up the Double Bass.
Colette has been teaching in WIT for over ten years but spends many of her evenings playing either the Double Bass or Bass Guitar. She has performed all over the south east for musical societies/ pantomimes in Wexford, Gorey, Kilkenny, Waterford, New Ross, Enniscorthy etc.. She has performed with many choral groups such as Vocare for their concerts also.
Colette was a founding member of Wexford Sinfonia, an amateur orchestra in Wexford which has grown from strength to strength. She spent many years on the Committee as Treasurer.
Colette and her husband Fintan Cleary have a five piece band called 'Top Cats' and she performs regularly with them at functions, weddings, corporate events etc. . They have a four piece band called 'Blackjack' that performs a different style of easy listening music such as swing, light jazz, soul etc.. She is also part of an 18 piece swing band called 'Some like it Hot'.
She works in Rathgarogue National School where she works as the Learning Support Teacher/Coordinator and completed a post graduate Diploma in Educational Studies where she specialised in Special Needs.
