Born in Melbourne, Roland has completed a Master of Arts degree major in conducting studies and music education at Columbia University (NY) and also holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Melbourne. Conducting wind bands and orchestras is his performance specialty. Roland is principal conductor and music director of The Grainger Wind Symphony and was on its founding committee in 1986. He was awarded life membership in 1996.

Roland was Director of Music at Carey Baptist Grammar School from 1993 to 2012. Prior to that he was music teacher and co-ordinator at Blackburn High School, a special music school in Victoria. At Carey, he taught classroom music and lead a staff of 36 classroom and specialist instrumental music teachers.

Roland has worked at state-wide level on music curriculum and assessment for the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority for over 20 years. He presents regularly to music teachers and senior secondary students on VCE Music. He wrote the 10 units of innovative VCE Music and Music Craft in 1990, the two course development support material documents and assembled the solo prescribed lists. Since then he has been contract writer for subsequent reaccreditations of the VCE music studies.

He was State-wide Verification Chair and was Chief Assessor of VCE Music Solo Performance.

Roland is life member of the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors Association and the Association of Music Educators (Vic). These awards have come to Roland from recognition by his peers.