The composition entitled "Farewell" was written after the death of a family member.

"Farewell is suited to more mature students who understand and are learning to express emotional concepts through music. It is quite a deep piece," said Jennifer.

"Dirge like, yet beautiful and requiring considerable touch control."

Jennifer, who lives west of Wingham, is a specialist instrumental and theory teacher at Sydney's Trinity Grammar Preparatory School.

Director of Music Kimbali Harding said "it is with great pride that we celebrate and congratulate the talented and dedicated Ms. Trynes."

In her congratulations, Kimbali touched on the gender injustice that pervades the composing industry in Australia.

"Women composers still struggle to have their works heard or published," she wrote.

Jennifer understands this all-too-well.

The best way to get compositions heard by the teaching fraternity - the market - is to "workshop".

"This involves running workshop nights for teachers at music stores or cultural centres," she explains.

"The composer performs and lectures on the benefits of teaching their repertoire hoping teachers will be interested in purchasing and using their work."

Jennifer doesn't like to generalise, but she believes because "most" women are the nucleus of the family, it is difficult for female composers to host such events whilst juggling family commitments.

This is the predicament Jennifer finds herself in.

"If we were male composers we would be well on our way."

However Jennifer's talent has pushed through these limitations, with her ultimate career highlights being included in the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) Publications - a Series of "Pianoforte" and "Piano for Leisure" Grade Books.

The AMEB publishes and creates the 'standards' for Music pedagogy in Australia.

Each Grade Book, commencing with Preliminary, is comprised of around 12 compositions.

There are a further 8 Grades then Diplomas which Jennifer describes as "the HSC of music exams".

Jennifer's compositions are now included in many of the books across different Series and Courses.

In each grade, around 9 of the 12 compositions are by 'classical' composers leaving three per grade to represent living composers.

Given these limitations, Jennifer is proud that her music is now regularly published in the AMEB's range of Grade Books.

Her work has also been included in the publications of other Australian Examining Bodies and in the 'Wirripang Australian Piano Anthologies."

Due to her frustration with out-dated, non-Australian tutors routinely used in Piano teaching, which she feels fail to engage children or support Australian artists and publishers, Jennifer has written her own set of tutor books which is published by Wirripang.

It is entitled the 'Progressive Piano Series' - the first pedagogical 'beginner to grades' series of its kind in Australia, composed and published by Australians. Besides her music, Jennifer is a passionate 'eco-warrior' who actively campaigns against CSG and logging.

She is deeply inspired by the Manning Valley - her favourite place to compose.

This played a big part in her decision to move to the Mid North Coast 13 years ago.

Jennifer was educated at James Ruse Agricultural High School and the University of Sydney where she completed a BA degree (Double Major - Music).

The Australian Women Composers' Piano Anthology was launched by Wirripang Press during the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference in early July.