Corder was born at Ararat, Victoria on 20 March 1895, daughter of Ada (née Byrne) and railway employee James Charles Freeman.

[1] She learned piano from Mother Mary Agnes during her schooling at the Faithful Companions of Jesus convent in Richmond,[1] where soprano Stella Power was also a pupil.

[6] With licentiate qualifications from the LCM, she enrolled in the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music in 1913, where she was taught piano by Edward Goll.

She was awarded the Ormond exhibition each year for achieving the highest marks and graduated in 1917 with a Bachelor of Music (honours).

[9] She was sought after as a piano teacher and nurtured the careers of students such as Esther Rofe, Geoffrey Saba and Nancy Weir.