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Me
I’m a flute player, teacher, events organiser, administrator and researcher. I love playing flutes of all sizes (and occasional other instruments) and all sorts of styles of music. I’m fascinated by and passionate about the impact of music education and participation on people’s lives. My approach to teaching is to bring all the ideas that I've gathered from my own learning, reading, attending workshops, watching and listening to other players, and from outside of music, and use them to give my students the tools to experiment and find out what works for them. I don't believe that there's one "right way" of doing things, and my role is to help you find out what suits you best. Whether that's a technique to produce the tone you want, or finding a practice routine that fits with your life, my priority is for you to find a happy, healthy way of making music. My teaching is very 'adaptive' - I'm very efficient when it comes to organising my diary and planning events, but I'm not big on lesson planning. I spend lots of time thinking about what my students need and want, but 'play it by ear' in lessons, responding to what comes up on the day. I love it when a student brings me a new idea - "I want to learn this song" or "I wondered what happens if I...". I know that I can't teach you everything, and I'm so happy when my students embrace opportunities to learn from others - whether that's going on a flute course, getting breathing tips from a singer, picking up ideas from their colleagues in wind band, or getting performance inspiration from Chuck Berry's 1972 concert on the BBC (that last one was me - I think the range of moods he puts across and his charming rapport with the audience is amazing). I understand that learning and playing music can be both fulfilling and frustrating (sometimes at the same time!) - it still is for me - and I hope to help you through those ups and downs to make music part of your life throughout your lifetime, whatever form that takes. I've worked in all sorts of different jobs, and I know what it's like to share your time between music and other things, whether that's something else you enjoy (I love studying linguistics and doing research) or something you'd rather not be doing (I wasn't a fan of sitting at a desk 9-5 in an open-plan office, and am so much happier travelling around Sheffield to teach, even if the buses do sometimes let me down). I believe that it's never too late to learn, and it's never too early to start playing with other people. As soon as you start making sounds on an instrument, you're a musician! Away from music, I love gardening - although it has its frustrations too. A bit like learning music, it's a process which is never 'finished' - you have to embrace the imperfections and the challenges, and accept the impact of outside influences. The outcome is rarely 100% how you imagine it, but it's still a wonderful thing to transform bare soil and seeds into things to eat (I mostly grow vegetables), just as it's amazing to transform notes on a page, via your physical actions, into music! I also really love being by the sea, and seek it out in most of my holidays. The sense of expanse and freedom makes me really happy and helps me clear my head. I like swimming in the sea, and swim regularly at home too, for a little snippet of that seaside feeling and some exercise for my lungs and muscles away from the flute. I think I'm what Elizabeth Gilbert calls a "hummingbird" - fascinated by lots of different topics and areas of life, and bringing ideas from one to another. I find teaching deeply fulfilling, and equally I'm always learning from the people I teach! |
Playing Telemann - one of my favourites!
Beachcombing
Lovely sketch by an audience member!
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Performing with Platform Four at the Classical Sheffield Festival. Photo © Fox Moon Photography
CV
I grew up in Scotland, and studied music at Edinburgh Napier University. I attended St Mary’s Saturday Music School, played with my school and university wind bands, Lanarkshire Schools Orchestra, Edinburgh Children’s Orchestra, Edinburgh Youth Orchestra (including performances at the Edinburgh Festival and a tour of Scandinavia), Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra, Meadows Chamber Orchestra, the Tomlin Consort flute quartet, for weddings and in pit bands for shows. I took part in the Edinburgh Competition Festival and the Audi Junior Musician Competition.
Now based in Sheffield, I play flute, piccolo and alto flute in orchestral and smaller ensemble concerts, for shows and recording sessions. I'm a member of Yorkshire Wind Orchestra and Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra, and have recently played with St Matthew's Orchestra, rarescale Flute Academy, the National Flute Orchestra and the Platform 4 contemporary composers’ ensemble. I also perform as a duo with Tim Knight on piano, harpsichord and organ. My upcoming and performances are listed here, and you can hear some soundclips and video hereI teach a wide range of students in Sheffield. Currently they range from seven years old to in their seventies, learning recorder, fife, flute, piccolo, alto flute, bass flute and music theory, from beginners to diploma level. Many of my students play with folk bands, wind bands, orchestras and other groups in their school or community. Recent students have gone on to study music at Leeds College of Music and the University of Oxford.
I love seeing students enjoying and developing their playing, and sharing their music at our regular student concerts. I organise workshops with visiting tutors to help flautists explore different perspectives on playing and benefit from expertise in different areas. I regularly attend courses and conferences to keep improving my own playing and teaching skills and knowledge. I run Sheffield Flute Choir, a group for adult flute players which meets monthly to rehearse - and to have lots of tea and cake - and performs at events in and around Sheffield.
I am Secretary and Events Co-ordinator for the British Flute Society, Europe's longest-established flute organisation, and review new sheet music for their magazine, PAN. I’ve loved writing and been fascinated by language possibly for even longer than I’ve played the flute, and I enjoy supporting other people with their writing too. I offer academic writing support to diploma and university-level students in music, linguistics and philosophy.
I have diplomas in flute playing and teaching, an Open University degree which includes philosophy, literature and linguistics, and a Masters where I used linguistic analysis techniques to research how adult music learners describe their experiences of learning music.
As well as music, I have lots of experience in administrative roles, and often have a couple of arts/ education administration or research projects on the go - I've worked for universities in administration and research, for the UK Research Councils, and for the Social Research Association.
I grew up in Scotland, and studied music at Edinburgh Napier University. I attended St Mary’s Saturday Music School, played with my school and university wind bands, Lanarkshire Schools Orchestra, Edinburgh Children’s Orchestra, Edinburgh Youth Orchestra (including performances at the Edinburgh Festival and a tour of Scandinavia), Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra, Meadows Chamber Orchestra, the Tomlin Consort flute quartet, for weddings and in pit bands for shows. I took part in the Edinburgh Competition Festival and the Audi Junior Musician Competition.
Now based in Sheffield, I play flute, piccolo and alto flute in orchestral and smaller ensemble concerts, for shows and recording sessions. I'm a member of Yorkshire Wind Orchestra and Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra, and have recently played with St Matthew's Orchestra, rarescale Flute Academy, the National Flute Orchestra and the Platform 4 contemporary composers’ ensemble. I also perform as a duo with Tim Knight on piano, harpsichord and organ. My upcoming and performances are listed here, and you can hear some soundclips and video hereI teach a wide range of students in Sheffield. Currently they range from seven years old to in their seventies, learning recorder, fife, flute, piccolo, alto flute, bass flute and music theory, from beginners to diploma level. Many of my students play with folk bands, wind bands, orchestras and other groups in their school or community. Recent students have gone on to study music at Leeds College of Music and the University of Oxford.
I love seeing students enjoying and developing their playing, and sharing their music at our regular student concerts. I organise workshops with visiting tutors to help flautists explore different perspectives on playing and benefit from expertise in different areas. I regularly attend courses and conferences to keep improving my own playing and teaching skills and knowledge. I run Sheffield Flute Choir, a group for adult flute players which meets monthly to rehearse - and to have lots of tea and cake - and performs at events in and around Sheffield.
I am Secretary and Events Co-ordinator for the British Flute Society, Europe's longest-established flute organisation, and review new sheet music for their magazine, PAN. I’ve loved writing and been fascinated by language possibly for even longer than I’ve played the flute, and I enjoy supporting other people with their writing too. I offer academic writing support to diploma and university-level students in music, linguistics and philosophy.
I have diplomas in flute playing and teaching, an Open University degree which includes philosophy, literature and linguistics, and a Masters where I used linguistic analysis techniques to research how adult music learners describe their experiences of learning music.
As well as music, I have lots of experience in administrative roles, and often have a couple of arts/ education administration or research projects on the go - I've worked for universities in administration and research, for the UK Research Councils, and for the Social Research Association.
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Qualifications:
DipABRSM Instrumental Teaching (Flute) DipLCM Flute Performance (upper level) Higher National Diploma in Music - Edinburgh Napier University BA(Hons) Humanities - Open University MA English Language (distinction) - Lancaster University ABRSM Grade 8 Flute (distinction) ABRSM Grade 8 Music Theory (merit) Safeguarding training (NSPCC Child Protection Awareness in Music) Effective Mentor's Toolkit - OCN qualification in online mentoring DBS (CRB) Enhanced Certificate Professional memberships:
Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) - ISM Registered Private Teacher British Flute Society
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Keep in touch
I have an email newsletter where I share my latest blog posts, news from the flute and wider musical world, my current projects, and things I've found that I think are interesting and useful and would love to share with you. Expect lots about music and education, plus the occasional dip into research, language, freelance life, gardening and other nice things. |
