Some information about me:
Born and raised in Huddersfield, my music tuition began at an early age thanks to the local peripatetic service. I pursued HE music study at Leeds College of Music on the jazz degree, graduating with a First. After a short spell of violin and piano teaching at the Amati music school in Granada, Spain, I undertook teacher training at Bretton Hall College. After gaining my PGCE I worked for Sefton Music Service, teaching upper strings and directing ensembles including Sefton Youth Jazz Workshop. Until 2020 I was Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) in Popular Music at the City of Liverpool College, and I have also taught at HE institutions including LIPA, Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Salford and Edge Hill University. I am now Senior Lecturer in Music Performance at Liverpool Hope University, where I am Programme Lead for Music and PGR Coordinator for the School of Creative and Performing Arts. From 2016-2021 I was an External Examiner for a University of Sussex validated programme at BIMM (Brighton and Manchester) and I am currently an External Examiner for LIPA. I occasionally teach privately at home.
My curiosity has led me to embark on part-time postgraduate study, resulting in an MA in Music (with Distinction) from the Open University in 2005, and a PhD in 2014 with the University of Salford (main supervisor Prof. George McKay). My research at Salford contributed towards a major HERA-funded project (led by Prof. Tony Whyton), Rhythm Changes, and produced many conference papers and several publications. I continue to write and research as time and funding allow.
As a musician, I am involved in various music activities including performance, composition/arranging and recording, covering a wide range of 'popular' and 'art' genres but mainly, I think, under the wider generic descriptions of jazz and classical music. I have also been involved with the promotion of live jazz in Southport.
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