Robyn began her career in education as a generalist primary teacher at Fruitvale School, Auckland, in 1979. The best part of the following ten years was spent at Favona Primary School in Mangere, with one year’s teaching at an independent school in London. Robyn came to the Auckland College of Education as a lecturer in primary music education in 1989 and is currently employed as senior lecturer in music education. Throughout her time in tertiary education Robyn has maintained strong links with primary schools and still enjoys working with children and teachers in the community.

Robyn has been actively involved in a range of national curriculum development projects including the development of The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum document, and the Ministry of Education resources Into Music 1, Into Music 2, and Into Music 4: Classroom Music in Years 1-13. Robyn has had ongoing involvement with the National Education Monitoring Project, which involved task development and review for music assessment. Robyn has been a committee member of the Society for Music Education since 1986 and during that time has delivered and organized a range of workshops for teachers.

Robyn has been received two Excellence in Teaching awards - the first in 2002 for sustained excellence in teaching, the second in 2004 for excellence in collaboration with Judy Inkster, a colleague from Team Solutions.

Research and Creative Outputs

• Maori music in the New Zealand classroom. Australian Society for Music Education national conference, Melbourne, 2005. [Workshop]
• Catering for cultural diversity in the New Zealand classroom through music. International Society for Music Education, Tenerife, Spain, July 2004. [Workshop]
• Ko toi te uri o mahara pohewa - art is the child of imagination. Australian Society for Music Education national conference, Darwin, Australia, July 2003. [Workshop]
• Assessment opportunities. (2006). Music in Action: For Australian Educators. Vic., Australia. [Article]
• Trinick, R. & Lines, D. (2005). More than just a song: Enhancing classroom singing. Sound Arts 1(3).
• Robyn has composed several children’s songs and musicals. One of her songs, "Kaiako" composed with David Lines, was published in On a High Note (Kids Music Company, 2000).