what people are saying.
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"Naomi Geste’s musical voice is made unique by her unbridled willingness to dig deep down into the musical rabbit-holes of her own mind. Unafraid of marathon sessions at the piano or the computer, it’s not uncommon for Naomi to spend hours upon hours coercing the musical visions of her mind into fully realised musical pieces. In doing this again and again, she has developed a voice as a composer that is characterised by cinematic arrangements, rich harmonic textures and rigorous attention to detail. Naomi works hard to break free of limits to her compositional abilities and in doing so has developed the capacity to write with inventiveness and nuance across a range of instruments and palettes. She experiments fervently and has finessed the process of writing for multiple vocals, full bands, strings sections and horn sections. Her arrangements are written meticulously and her self produced demos are carefully crafted, allowing her visions to come to life fully imagined in the rehearsal room and on stage. The result of her creative instincts and years of hard work is a writer with keen pop sensibilities who, put simply, isn’t just unafraid of musical exploration, but genuinely yearns for it."
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“Naomi is an incredibly dedicated and ambitious songwriter/composer. I’m always interested to hear what she’s been working on… her melodies tend to live in your head long after you’ve heard them, and she chooses chords I would never have expected, with a real sense of grandiosity in the arrangement. You can really tell she pours everything into her work and is forever striving to create something new and exciting.”
— Timothy Nelson
Musician & Songwriting Mentor
Indoor Fins, Timothy Nelson, Timothy Nelson & the Infidels, & The Kill Devil Hills
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"I've been writing songs (lyrics and melody) for nearly 40 years, but I lacked the musical background and vocal ability to bring them to fruition. Tired of hearing about my songs rather than hearing the songs themselves, my son hunted around until he found someone who was willing to take on a "special project". He literally gifted Naomi to me for my 70th birthday present. Over several sessions, I sang my very rudimentary tunes for Naomi and she picked up the baton and ran with it. Within a year, in addition to everything else she had going on in her life, Naomi managed to arrange and produce five of my songs, engaging the considerable musical and vocal talent that exists among the student and faculty population of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). That collaboration fulfilled a dream for me and I could not have been happier with the outcome. In my opinion, Naomi is the complete package. She is blessed with a natural ability, which sparks the desire to perform and share her talent with an audience. Over several years of study, she has acquired a musical foundation from WAAPA that is rock solid. But more importantly, she has the passion, energy and drive to succeed in a volatile and fickle industry. I've witnessed her ability to bring out the best in her fellow musicians, and she has developed the organisational skills to complete her projects on time and on budget. If she has a fault, it would be that she's a perfectionist – a double edged sword that is both a blessing and a curse. I always knew that Naomi was destined for greater things than Perth could offer and now she has her sights set on a career in the film industry. I look forward to the day when I can sit in a darkened theatre and see Naomi's name up in lights as the credits roll. With a tremendous sense of pride and affection, I'll be able to say, "I knew her when..."
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"Naomi is an unbelievably creative and talented composer and arranger. She worked with us to create vocal arrangements for our 9-piece Christmas show act and she delivered everything and more. All arrangements were considered, not just musically – with her creative sense of harmony, rhythm and lyrical appropriation – but she really wrote with the emotion of the performance in mind. I appreciate the respect she had in honouring our overall concept and the intention of what our performance is all about. Naomi is thoughtful with putting forward her ideas. She is organised and reliable. She was also so open to researching into new musical styles whenever I brought up new concepts for future performance projects. She is definitely somebody who puts a lot of pride into her work. We will certainly be doing ongoing performance project with her, and our vocalists are so excited to start learning her vocal arrangements for the upcoming Christmas performance season."
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"Naomi studied at WAAPA as a Music Artist student from 2016, graduating with a Bachelor of Music (Honours) in 2020. During her studies, Naomi was an outstanding student, constantly exceeding expectations. She was a role model for other students, possessing a passion for music, an amazing affinity for collaboration, and the ability to inspire those around her. Naomi’s performances were prepared and presented at the highest standard, and her Honours graduation recital was a magnificent example of extraordinary talent, creativity, originality, and her constant pursuit of excellence. Naomi is highly motivated and has an innate ability to captivate an audience. I am aware of and can vouch for the numerous outstanding reviews and accolades from her peers, teachers, and live audience members. I have no hesitation in highly recommending Naomi.”
— Vinnie Crea
Music Artist Stream Coordinator, WAAPA
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"As the Academic Coordinator of Contemporary Music at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University, I have known Naomi for the past five years after she completed her Advanced Diploma in Contemporary Music then her Bachelor of Music (Contemporary) with Honours (completed in 2020). Not only did Naomi complete these courses, but she excelled in every capacity. She graduated with the highest recital mark, making her the most outstanding Contemporary Music graduate at WAAPA in 2020. Naomi is highly creative and authentic in her creative approach. She has an innate ability for composition and has a passionate story telling voice in her songwriting. Her music has a strong, unique identity and Naomi's work ethic is something to behold. It's rare that you see a student with such will and motivation to learn, explore and implement. Aside from her musical skill, she also completed a research dissertation into the composition and songwriting techniques by some of the greatest pop music writers as a part of her Honours degree. I had the pleasure of being one of the examiners and found her research to be deeply thoughtful, relevant to her practice, and timely in its contribution to the field. There quite simply is no better student than Naomi. She is kind, sensitive, self-reflective in her practice, abundantly talented, and always wants to know more to further her skillset. I know Naomi will go on to have a great and extensive career in composition and performance. Without any hesitation, I strongly support Naomi in any endeavour."
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"I have known Naomi Geste for over 2 years in my capacity as lecturer and examiner at Edith Cowan University’s Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). During this time, Naomi has not only met, but has always exceeded requirements and expectations in all areas of her study in which I have been directly involved. As Naomi’s lecturer (3rd and honours years), Naomi has continually impressed me with her exceptional work ethic, sincerity and dedication to striving for, achieving and maintaining high standards in music performance, creativity, organisation and research. Naomi has a natural talent for being able to understand, interpret and perform original music and is constantly searching for greater depth, challenging existing thoughts and methods. The level of her skilled performances and research, will I am sure, create pathways for others who may want to follow this example. Further, as a member of the contemporary music program at WAAPA, Naomi has led by example in practice and performance, as well as being a key figure in motivating and inspiring fellow students in the program. Throughout her time at WAAPA, Naomi continuously explored and discovered creative pathways and, combined with an ever-growing thirst for knowledge, has been a primary driver for her consistent achievements. I wholeheartedly support Naomi and am confident that she will be an asset to any project."