Projects / CV / Courses and workshops

I work as a visiting lecturer/musician in schools and colleges, run courses, teach groups and individuals, in Cumbria and London.

MUSIC DIRECTOR - CHOIRS
Improv Choirs

2010/11 Project involving parallel choirs in Penrith, Cumbria and Islington, London - small groups of people getting together to play with vocal and instrumental sound plus visuals and movement. See webpag2

'All You Gotta Do Is SIng!'

2010/11 Monthly open vocal group at Bluebell Bookshop in Penrith for people who enjoy that great group sound - blues, gospel, world and jazz.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Moving On Together - Penrith Area Transition Choir

2010/11 Awards For All funded project using music, drama and philosophy to move through the transi- website: penrithtransitionchoir.com

SINGING LEADER
Vocal Union Programme - Schools

2010/11 Penrith Area Transition Choir. Sessions with 12 primary schools and Ullswater Community College, with 6 full rehearsals and final performance at Penrith Leisure Centre in July 2011. See parallel project: Moving On Together - website: penrithtransitionchoir.com

2010/11 Jazz and opera project with Wreay School - working with the whole school. Co-facilitator, Sarah Wall. Introducing students to new music genres and working with them on core singing and music skills.

2008/9 Follow-up project at Beaconside Primary, setting up a Singing Orchestra, which uses singing as a way to learn music both vocally and instrumentally. See www.vocalunion.org.uk and www.teachingmusic.org.uk for reports and lesson plans.

2007/8 I have been working at Beaconside Junior School in Penrith on the second phase of the project with Jennifer Ellin, a classical singing graduate from CIA.

2006/7 A year long project working on singing, songwriting and percussion with pupils and staff at Warcop primary school. Co-led by Ailsa Thomson, a performing arts graduate from CIA.

CREATIVE PRACTITIONER
Creative Partnerships Programme - Schools

2010/11 : Kirkby Stephen - CPD project for teachers from feeder primary schools, demonstrating composition methods and teaching songs for a Big Sing event in July.

2010/11 : Hayton School - project underway to bring singing into the school as an activity that everyone can join in with.

2010/11 : 2nd year at Bewcastle School. The Community Choir is thriving and is going to carry on beyond the end of the project. There are 5 young music leaders in the school now and all the juniors are in bands and writing their own songs. The singing is fantastic from infants upwards.

2009/10 : Community Singing project at Bewcastle School. Working with Charles Adam Day on singing skills with the whole school, and setting up a Community Choir for parents, staff and local people

2010/11 : YardBards project at Montreal School, Cleator Moor. Follow up with staff in 4 CPD sessions, looking at Creative learning and risk-taking. The staff enjoyed trying out instruments, forming a samba band, and inventing themselves as a gospel choir. Watch this space!

2009/10 : YardBards project at Montreal School, Cleator Moor. Exploring speaking and writing skills with Year 2,3 and 4, through playground songs and games.
Puppetry by Jess Mills, live video by Byrony Jarman-Pinto.


Facilitator - Vocal Force Eden Valley

Skills and training strand of Sing Up. Singing Squad - fortnightly on Thursdays at Eden Rural Foyer 7-9pm. Co-facilitator - Alison Scott.

Singing Squad Residential: March 3,4,5 2008 Haybergill, Warcop. FREE.

Download a programme and songs and tips from the sessions.

*Follow up event at Haybergill March 21 2009 in collaboration with Sing Up/Soundwave. Please contact me for a programme.

Sing Jazz/Gospel Choir

Ullswater Community College, Penrith

Adult Education programme (NB This class is no longer running - it went without a break from 2000 to 2008. Time for a change!!!)

Mondays 7-9pm - currently 20 strong, anyone can join. It is a friendly group looking to explore the voice both individually, performing, improvising, or as part of a group sound. If you like singing with rhythm and energy and don't need to look at music come and see what we are about.

Beaconside Infants

Throughout 2007 I have been working with the whole school on Thursdays exploring singing, dancing and percussion. it is a joy to work in this school.

The students are really enthusiastic and often we have up to 4 adult teachers, parents and assistants singing harmonies alongside the session. A development from the Singing Communities after-school club of 2004.

Outreach Projects

Cartmel School - Transformations

A project working with boys from the school. Involving circus skills, samba drumming, music tech and drama.