Creative Music Projects
I create music and creative arts projects for all sorts of people on a small and large scale, all over the UK. I often collaborate with other musicians and artists.
If you would like to discuss ideas for a project please get in touch and we can shape it together.
Here are some of the projects I have been involved with over the last few years...
If you would like your own tailor-made creative music project, just go the contacts page and get in touch...
with: adults - schools - teachers - hospitals - special needs -
Spring 2016
composing with Y1, Y4 and Y6 at Somers Park School in Malvern
Music for Young Players and Singer:
The Dreamland Tree,
Pieces for Young Trombone Players
Local Composing Projects 2015
Autumn 2015
Malvern Concert Club hosted a Young Composers' Day with 32 local children from Northleigh C of E Primary and Somers Park Primary Schools on Nov. 16th.
We spent the day composing music inspired by Stravinsky's Three Pieces for String Quartet and Mozart's String Quartet in D minor K421.
It was fun because we could play lots of instruments
and make music. We were famous!
I liked playing music in other peoples' styles.
I liked that there were different adults there who played
instruments. It feels like it's not just children that learn instruments.
We didn't play just one piece.
Loved the warm up game. It made you think.
The adults helped you out a lot. I learned a
lot.
I enjoyed working the professionals. They knew
what they were doing and how to play the instruments well.
The children and their parents attended the Cavaleri performance of the Mozart and Stravinsky at Malvern Theatre on 26.11.15.
I didn't expect it to be this amazing!
Somers Park Primary School Malvern:
Summer Term - Composers' Club
An after school club for Y2-Y4 composing jingles for the school radio, creating a huge music machine, composing using conducting and composing a brand new school song.
Spring Term - Short Ride in a Fast Machine Project
12 afternoon workshops with each class Y1-Y6 creating brand new class compositions inspired by John Adams' piece.
Malvern Concert Club - Stravinsky Inspiration November 2015
A whole day composing workshop for KS2 pupils who play instruments from local schools, taking inspiration from Stravinsky's 3 pieces for string quartet. 
My work at the BCMG Learning and Participation Programme includes:
Music Maze creative music workshops for 8-11 year olds
IMAGINE COMPOSE....working with Birmingham Music Service to develop composing with peripatetic teachers and their beginner pupils
RESOLUTION....working alongside scientists to create music inspired by bio-medical science with young composers at GCSE level
THROUGH THE MUSIC MAZE....documenting and sharing our Music Maze resources creating exciting composition projects with Primary age children
Young people's comments about BCMG's Music Maze
'You get to try out different instruments'
'If I had to give it marks out of 10 it would be 10/10'
'I like everything at Music Maze workshop'
'You get the chance to meet new people, play different instruments other than your own, all the time and learn more about music'
'It gives me a wonderful opportunity and experience. I like meeting the professional musicians.'
'All the staff are really kind and Music Maze is really fun.'
Parents comments:
'I like the fact Music Maze brings together children of differing musical ability, ethnicity and societal aspects and enables them enrich each other through guidance to add diversity to music'
'I like the enthusiasm of the organisers, the variety of musical instruments, letting the children be creative, mixing with children of varied musical ability including others with very little experience/not playing a musical instrument'
'I liked the way the adults talked to the children and got them to think and do things themselves'
'Having not been interested in music at primary school he's been very keen to go to Music Maze'
'They give children who may otherwise not have an opportunity to do so, a chance to experiment with music; to explore their individual interest and to interact with others.'
'Learning new styles, pride and self-esteem from sharing with audience, working collaboratively with people outside school as well as experiencing contemporary music in a child-focussed environment.'
'Thanks for your efforts, you do a great job!! (And are always smiling and polite!)'
Children do not need to play a musical instrument to take part. Places for workshops are limited and must be booked in advance. To book please see the BCMG diary for workshop dates this season.
If you would like to be informed of future Music Maze workshops, and are not on the bcmg mailing list, please ring BCMG tel. 0121 616 6525 or email: info@bcmg.org.uk
October 2011 - July 2012
Old Stones Remember - Presteigne Festival
Project co-ordinator for 5 primary schools creating and performing a new cantata
based around the Battle of Pilleth.
June 2011
Presteigne Festival Outreach - Sounds New
2007 ongoing
King Edward VI Girls, Handsworth
Composition coaching with sixth form music students writing for AS and A2
composition briefs.
May - July 2010
Creative Partnerships - Changing Minds, Changing Practice: working with
teachers and students at St John's Special School, Bedford using Soundbeam,
samplers and the school's media suite to create multimedia experiences for
students with multiple sensory impairments and/or autism.
January - April 2010
BCMG - Schools' Concert Plus: Serenade to a Satellite: exploring the
fascinating soundworld of BCMG's concert programme through practical
composing workshops with children at KS2.
October 2009 - July 2010
BCMG - Banded About: a year long project working with City Road Primary
School and Our Lady Of Fatima RC Primary School creating our own class "band"
and creating our own music. Featuring The Banjitos (CR 6J), The Elastic Band
(OLOF Y5), The Banana Band (CR 6B), The Bandoholics (OLOF Y6) and the
Banned Bandits (OLOF After School Club). "I've loved every second!" Y6 pupil
City Road.
April - June 2009
Keys2Music: a collaborative project with dancer Gill Callaghan with 2 Primary
schools leading to a performance in June 2009:
Mighty Mountain - Chase View Primary
The Magic Carpet - Etching Hill C of E Primary
May 09
NIACE Adult Learning Week "Composing is Easy" sessions
"Very inspiring!" session participant
June 2008
Sonic Connection: a multimedia performance involving disabled students
(16-20 years) at Beaumont College, Lancaster incorporating
...film, digeridoo, koto, cello, soundbeam, samplers and more...
April - July 2008
Songlines: working with 60 primary children, elders from Handsworth Age Concern
alongside poet Mandy Ross and musicians from WNO and Birmingham
Conservatoire, funded by WNO MAX and Birmingham Hippodrome
July 07
Soundbeam - The Rainbow Fish with Key Stage 1 autistic/language delayed
pupils at Rushall JMI School, Walsall, funded by Creative Partnerships.
June 07
MusicMakers A 3-day intensive project with teenagers from the National Assoc.
of Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY)
March -June 07
CovCoolKids Warwick Arts Centre Arts: a creative project leading to a
performance with 500 children at Warwick Arts Centre ...Alien Environments....
April - July 06
Carnival Multicultural Music Project at Windsor Nursery School, Wolverhampton
with 3-4 year olds. ....Tingalayo, Brown Girl In the Ring, Abeeyo abeyo, and more...
January -May 06
Soundbeam Acoustic Mix Transition Project with Y6 and Y7 pupils from 4 schools
funded by Sound Futures.
October 04- May 05
Earth From The Air - creative composition and performance project with GCSE
Music students with a performance at the Adrian Boult Hall, funded by the
Birmingham Chamber Music Society and Making Music.
Autumn 04
Transformations working with an actor and visual artist to transform Surestart
nursery spaces through creative play with parents and toddlers
Spring 04
Soundbeam at Birmingham Children's Hospital Arts Council funde
d project
working with the most severely ill children at BCH in oncology, liver
and neurology wards