Studio Scotch

Studio Scotch is the College's podcasting studio, presenting the voices of students, teachers and experts to the Scotch community and beyond, available wherever you find your podcasts.

Studio Scotch is proudly supported by Old Scotch Collegians, Scotch Parents and Scotch College Teaching and Learning.


The Range Project

The world awaiting our students is becoming increasingly complex, dynamic and unpredictable.

To thrive, we are told our students will need to be creative, adaptable and able to transfer skills from one context to another with relative ease. But how do they do that effectively? Inter-disciplinary education may hold the key.

The Range Project is an educational podcast that draws lessons from those who have made a habit of expanding their range. Each guest has gone beyond an area of specialisation, gained their own inter-disciplinary understanding of the world and found their passion in the process.

Listen or watch on:

Apple Podcasts  Google Podcasts  Spotify  YouTube

Episode 23: Sculpting creative careers with Toby O'Keeffe and Sachio Ingrilli (both OSC 2017)

Tune in as we welcome Scotch College graduates and good mates Toby O'Keeffe and Sachio Ingrilli (both OSC 2017) to the studio to discuss their journeys beyond school and how they've broken into and found passion in the creative and engineering industries.

About Toby O'Keeffe
Toby is a freelance designer specialising in brand design. In his short career, he's collected his fair share of industry awards and recently worked with Perth Festival as a Junior Designer for their 2022 and 2023 seasons.

About Sachio Ingrill
Sachio is an aerospace engineer who has worked closely with UWA Aerospace to build custom rockets. Last year, Sachio created his first-ever sculpture, which won the EY People's Choice Prize at Sculpture by the Sea.

Episode 22: Surviving a brain injury with former anaesthetist Dr Bruce Powell

What happens when your life changes in an instant?

Dr Bruce Powell is a former anaesthetist, writer and advocator living with a brain injury. Recounting how everything dramatically changed after a cycling accident, he details the discovery of his ADHD diagnosis while recovering and his inspiring journey to now.

Tune in as Dr Powell and our hosts Sam and Steve reflect on the challenges facing neurodiverse students in our education system, pivoting careers, seeking fulfilment and embracing uncertainty.

Episode 21: Exploring how we think and learn with neuroscientist Dr Mark Williams

Are smartphones making us dumber? Cognitive neuroscientist Dr Mark Williams reckons they could be!

Mark's journey began in regional Victoria amidst a challenging family environment and feeling disengaged at school. Curious about how we think and learn, Mark ventured into a neuroscience career, working for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Australian universities over the past 25 years.

Tune in as we touch on the rise of the attention economy, social media, brain plasticity, the neuroscientific differences between reading from paper vs a screen and the alarming new research that links increased screen time to ADHD-like behaviours.

Episode 20: Campaigning for change with Kate Chaney MP

Kate reflects on entering politics and balancing her responsibility to her electorate and motherhood and we touch on the unhelpful dichotomy of left vs right, climate change, renewable energy, gambling and integrity in politics.

After securing the federal seat of Curtin in a landmark election victory, Kate Chaney MP joins The Range Project to discuss her journey to the House of Representatives. As part of the climate-focused teal independent wave, Kate shares her diverse career experiences and her commitment to making change.

Episode 19: Raising kids with parenting expert Maggie Dent

Esteemed author and educator Maggie Dent is an expert in parenting and building resilience, and she joins us on The Range Project to share more. Author to best-sellers 'Mothering our Boys' and 'From Boys to Men', host to ABC's 'Parental as Anything' podcast and a regular TV and radio guest, Maggie's trusted advice has reached families across the world.

Speaking of her rural upbringing and parenting four boys, Maggie explores what the research says about screen time and technology addiction in today's young people. We discuss the need to bring play into the classroom, the links between neuroscience and learning and how we can create responsive teaching and learning programmes.

Episode 18: Leading for the future with Naomi Flutter

Naomi Flutter is a woman of seemingly endless talents, and she joined The Range Project to share her journey. Naomi is the Executive General Manager of Corporate Affairs Wesfarmers, the Pro-Chancellor of the Australian National University and a member of the Scotch College Council.

In this episode, Naomi discusses the diverse experiences that shaped her worldview. We take it back to her upbringing at the binational French-Australian Telopea Park School, a formative experience as a teenager on exchange in Germany and a profoundly impacting time at Harvard University's John F Kennedy School of Government. Taking a closer look at her journey to now, Naomi shares her work in Indigenous affairs with the ANU, her somewhat unpredictable career path in the corporate arena and life as a Scotch mum.

Episode 17: Closing the gap with Young Australian of the Year Yarlalu Thomas (OSC 2015)

Yarlalu Thomas (OSC 2015) is a Nyangumarta Pitjikarli man from Warralong and a Young Australian of the Year on a mission to close the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Australia.

We welcomed Yarlalu to the studio to discuss his journey to becoming a doctor, improving healthcare in remote areas and how we can boost access to education for Indigenous Australians. Learn more about his groundbreaking work with Pilbara Faces and the Lyfe Languages Project as Yarlalu reflects on his upbringing and how it inspired him to create change.

Episode 16: Changing the way we teach with educator Jim Eagen

Jim Eagen is a trailblazing educational leader and the Principal of the Synapse School, located in the heart of Silicon Valley. In the great spirit of Silicon Valley innovation and with the help of some enthusiastic parents and donors, Jim started the Synapse School from scratch out of a garage with a handful of kids. It is now a thriving K–8 school with a fascinating model of education underpinned by three key pillars: social-emotional learning, innovation and leading-edge academics.

We discuss neuroscience and learning, leading a school through a pandemic, the benefits and dangers of tech, what makes the Synapse School such a unique place of learning and more. We hope you enjoy our chat with the gregarious and fun-loving Jim Eagen!

Episode 15: Talking Tech and Making Magic with Ethan and Nathan Buzza

Tune in as Studio Scotch delves into the unique world of tech with current Year 10 Scotch student Ethan and his entrepreneur father, Nathan Buzza (OSC 1988).

After overcoming a brain tumour at 14, Nathan tackled his education and career with a tenacious outlook and is now considered a global tech pioneer. He has 25 years of experience across software, electronics and medical technology, including founding his own multinational business, CommtechWireless. In true like-father, like-son nature, Ethan is obsessed with all things tech and has started his own 3D modelling business, Droneify. Placed as a finalist in this year's Teen Entrepreneur of the Year award, he is keen to make his mark on the construction and agricultural industries – all while still studying at school.

We touch on the crazy story of how U2 acquired Nathan's software technology Quasar, using technology to solve problems and the attributes necessary to succeed in business before our hosts get put to the test with Nathan's magic tricks!

Episode 14: Creating foil boards with Year 12 students Noah, Hugh and Max

In a first for The Range Project, we welcome Year 12 students Noah Matthews, Hugh Mitchell and Max De Nardi to the studio to discuss their phenomenal student-led foil board project.

While these students have different interests, they have a shared passion for a new and exciting sport sweeping the globe: prone foiling. For those unfamiliar with the term, it is a challenging and alternative water sport to conventional surfing. From a rough sketch to riding the local Swanbourne waves, these students are excellent examples of what it means to pursue a range of immersive educational experiences beyond the norm. Chatting candidly about the design process, we uncover the pros and cons of project-based learning, student motivation, and how the learning journey is enhanced when the teacher becomes a student.

Episode 13: Heather Cowan

Heather Cowan is the President of Scotch Parents, a support group committed to helping the boys and staff at the College and a parent group that has played a pivotal role in enabling Studio Scotch and the Range Project.

Heather is a multi-talented and engaging woman of considerable range who, with 30 years of experience as a dietician, understands the value of maintaining a well-balanced life, the habit of a healthy lifestyle and the continual pursuit of creative passions. When someone has a diverse skill set, they are able to look at different systems from a holistic perspective. Heather is adept at this way of thinking, having spent years diagnosing complex health issues in her patients. Heather brings this wealth of experience and vitality to her role as President of Scotch Parents.

In this episode, Heather shares her views on education along with the many new projects undertaken by the association in recent years. We also hear about some new and exciting initiatives underway, sure to generate even more engagement from the parent body and benefit the Scotch community.

Episode 12: Kav Temperley

Kav Temperley has been making incredible music for over 20 years and is considered Australian Rock Royalty. Kav is the Multi-Platinum award-winning lead singer and bass player of the band Eskimo Joe. He has also had a successful journey to become a solo artist, where his blend of heartfelt songwriting and a distinctive voice combine to make timeless works of art.

Kav is a true creative and in this interview we discuss the history of Eskimo Joe, being able to adapt in a creative industry, the tenacity required to have a career as a creative and his commitment to helping young people find their own creative talents.

Episode 11: Drummond Orr

Drummond Orr graduated from Scotch College in 2016 before receiving a Chancellor's Scholarship and studying Economics at Melbourne University. Drummond is now off to study a Master of Economics at Oxford University having recently been awarded a Ramsay World Universities Post-Graduate Scholarship.

In this interview, we discuss Drummond's keen interest in economics as a discipline filled with complex, wicked problems that demand an interdisciplinary approach. We discuss the intersection between economics and mental health, universal basic income, education and many other topics. Drummond also reflects on his time as a student at Scotch, the challenges he faced and the benefits he derived.

Episode 10: Professor Peter Quinn

Professor Peter Quinn is the Executive Director of ICRAR, the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, an organisation spearheading one of the largest scientific endeavours in history. The mighty Square Kilometre Array telescope. This is a telescope 20 years in the making, one that will allow us to look back to the very first objects ever formed in the universe and one that is being built right here in Western Australia.

This is a wide-ranging conversation as Peter shares insights from his incredible career in astronomy. We discuss dark matter, black holes, the edge of the universe, future careers in astronomy, the benefits of taking multiple pathways as a scientist and all the most recent news on the development of this world-conquering telescope.

Episode 9: Bob Hunter

Bob Hunter is a soldier, storyteller, leader, perennial adapter and quintessential man of 'range'. Bob's many hats include: former SAS Commander, security risk consultant, rugby and cricket tragic, recently retired CEO of Rugby WA and former Scotch parent.

Bob shares his early days as a Hutchins boy growing up in Tassie to his time at Duntroon and his subsequent appointment as SAS Commander of Australia's Counter-Terrorism squadron. Bob shares a number of powerfully moving stories, none more harrowing than the tragic circumstances and aftermath of the 1996 Black Hawk disaster when Bob was in command. Bob also reveals details of his time as a private security risk consultant for the UN when he oversaw an incredibly high stakes operation in Iraq transporting ballot papers across the war-torn country.

Bob discusses mental health, PTSD, Scotch rugby, the critical importance of being adaptive and many other topics.

Episode 8: Alan Harvey

Professor Alan Harvey is a world-leading neuroscientist, author and passionate musician. A graduate of Cambridge University and Australian National University, Alan has over 200 major publications including his 2017 book Music, Evolution and The Harmony of Souls – a sweeping inter-disciplinary look into the importance of music in human evolution and its continued relevance in modern society. Alan recently delivered a series of talks and workshops at Scotch College, exploring the connection between music and cognitive development in young people.

In this episode, we discuss many topics close to Alan's heart including the universality of music, music education and the increasing neuroscientific evidence for the many benefits associated with social music-making. We were also lucky to be joined by our colleague, Jenny Sullivan, Scotch College's Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12 Music Curriculum Coordinator.

Episode 7: Jon Evans

Jon Evans is a musician, surfer, runner, intrepid traveller and Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Western Australia. In this episode, we travel back in time to Jon's early high school days in England as a self-confessed unruly and disengaged student.

We stop off at the Great Barrier Reef where Jon had his first real epiphany and swing past St Andrew's University where he completed his PhD. Finishing up the tour we arrive in Perth, where Jon shares his enduring passion for scientific inquiry and the projects he is currently involved with at UWA.

We discuss a wide range of topics close to Jon's heart including marine and evolutionary biology, the power of experiential learning and what it's like to teach an undergraduate interdisciplinary course, Darwinian Revolution.

Episode 6: Dr Alec O'Connell

Scotch College Headmaster Dr Alec O'Connell is at the forefront of Australian education. In this interview, Alec reflects on the key people and pivotal experiences that have shaped his diverse career, spanning 35 years.

Alec shares his insights into the challenges of leading a school in the midst of a looming pandemic and a community gripped with uncertainty and fear. We discuss some of the silver linings to emerge as the College was forced to rapidly transition to its remote online learning model, SCOT.

Finally, we explore how we might balance depth and breadth in a 21st-century curriculum that values both specialised and interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning. Fremantle Dockers tragic, Bob Dylan fan and man of considerable 'range', we hope you enjoy our chat with Dr Alec O'Connell!

Episode 5: Areen Shahbari

Harvard Instructor, business consultant and former TV show host, Areen Shahbari, joins Studio Scotch from her home in California via Zoom in the midst of a raging pandemic and an unprecedented Presidential election cycle.

Areen's work at Harvard focuses on entrepreneurship and the intersection of business and psychology. Areen discusses the interdisciplinary nature of entrepreneurial thinking and its clear benefits for young learners hoping to solve the many problems facing us in the future.

She questions our current system of grading students and finishes with a personal story, reminding us of the dangers of when one's self-esteem is too closely linked to their academic achievement… and if stuck on a desert island… what music would Areen turn to? The great Algerian singer Souad Massi of course!

Episode 4: Ross Warren

After 10 years at Google, creative juggernaut Ross Warren joins us in the studio following his return to Perth.

With a career trajectory many of us only dream of, Ross looks back on some of his most memorable experiences along the way including the infamous Google interview process, joining Google's Creative Lab, the Summit Against Violent Extremism, heading up Youtube's Brand Operations and his most recent stint at Google's in-house incubator, Area 120.

Ross also reflects on the kinds of interdisciplinary skillsets required to lead audacious projects such as 'Web Lab', a year-long interactive robotic experiment at the London Science Museum and 'Life in a Day', a Youtube facilitated feature-length film by Ridley Scott. Ross finishes our chat with a glimpse into Perth's burgeoning tech industry and the role he might play in its future.

Episode 3: Dr Dave McCutcheon (OSC 1996)

Join us for a conversation with Scotch College alumni, Dr Dave McCutcheon: emergency specialist, father of three kids and a life-long musician.

Dave gives us some fascinating insights into the challenges faced by emergency health workers in the context of a global pandemic. We also discuss ways in which emergency medicine demands an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving in what are occasional life and death situations.

Finally, Dave reflects on his own educational experience and shares some lessons for the future.

Episode 2: Akram Azimi

Perennial student and passionate teacher, Akram Azimi, shares his incredible life journey as a young boy seeking refuge from war-torn Afghanistan to winning the Young Australian of the Year in 2013.

As a keen inter-disciplinarian, Akram holds a triple major degree in law, sciences and the arts from the University of Western Australia and is now a practising sociologist completing his post-doctoral studies at UWA under a Hackett scholarship.

In this episode we explore many topics close to the Akram's heart including education, ethics, law, epistemology and the interdisciplinary nature of problem-solving in the real world.

Episode 1: Pierre Ulric

Pierre makes a living by deceiving people... but not in the way you might think.

Pierre is a professional magician. In this episode, Pierre shares his varied educational background from his early days as a budding young magician in Quebec to his work as an environmental scientist in Western Australia before turning his passion for magic into a full-time gig.