M U S I C M E N TO R S ROGER ARGENTE
Roger Argente is the artistic director of Superbrass and the series editor of Superbrass Music. A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, Roger studied with Professors Terry Nagle and Neville Roberts, and was a joint recipient of the prestigious Concerto Prize. During the past 20 years he has appeared as a guest performer with a wide variety of orchestras and ensembles, including: the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, London Symphony Orchestra, London Brass, Symphonic Brass of London, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; and, on three separate occasions, with the prestigious Super World Orchestra at the Tokyo International Music Festival.
PATRICK BAILEY
Patrick plays piano and trumpet, and studied music at UEA and conducting at the Royal College of Music. He went on to enjoy 15 years freelancing as a conductor, working with many professional orchestras and youth orchestras. His experience working with young musicians and working on educational projects with orchestras led him to change tack slightly and he went to work for the BBC Concert Orchestra as Learning Manager – organising work with young people and families. He then became the Education & Community Director for the London Philharmonic Orchestra until 2013. Patrick now lives in Cornwall and works for any orchestras who might be dropping in, including the Philharmonia, BBC Concert Orchestra and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
ISSIE BARRETT
Issie is an internationally active composer, arranger, conductor, baritone player, record producer and educator who has performed at many leading concert halls, jazz clubs and festivals across the world. Issie is the founding Artistic Director of the National Youth Jazz Collective, Executive Director of Fuzzy Moon Records, Board Director of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and external examiner for Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She was also the founding Head of Jazz at Trinity Laban. In 2012 Issie was short listed for the Paul Hamlyn Awards for Artists and in 2014 received the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Education.
PHIL BATEMAN
Phil is a Musical Supervisor/Musical Director/Arranger and Orchestrator working in theatre, film and TV. He grew up in Camberley, Surrey and trained at Birmingham University. He is currently MD/Orchestrator on a new production of Bugsy Malone at Lyric Hammersmith (nominated for Best Olivier Revival 2016). Recently he was MD/Arranger for Dr Seuss’ The Lorax at The Old Vic (also nominated for an Olivier), and was the original MD on Billy Elliot the Musical - helping create the show and conducting the first year in the West End. Other major West End credits include ‘Our House – the Madness Musical’, ‘Made in Dagenham’ and Harry Hill’s X Factor Musical ‘I Can’t Sing!’. He was Singing Coach/Vocal Arranger on the movie ‘Kinky Boots’ and co-composer on Gareth Malone’s ‘Big Performance’ and ‘Extreme School’, both for CBBC. www.philipbateman.net
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MALCOLM EDMONSTONE
Malcolm Edmonstone is amongst the most in demand of modern musicians, having forged parallel careers as pianist, arranger and educator, working across the broad spectrum of jazz and contemporary music. A prominent educator, he is Head of Jazz at the Guildhall School and Director of Jazz for NYOS (The National Youth Orchestras of Scotland). As an arranger he has written large-scale projects for jazz artists Liane Carroll, Iain Ballamy, Mike Walker and Jacqui Dankworth. In the commercial music arena Malcolm wrote and played for BBC1’s hit show Strictly Come Dancing for MD Laurie Holloway; his discography as a session musician is extensive and live TV broadcasts include accompanying Liza Minnelli. Malcolm writes for production music library Audio Network and lives in Bath with his wife Laura and their three children.
SARAH FREESTONE
Sarah started playing guitar with her junior school jazz combo “The Average Height Band” and learnt violin at her local music centre. She went on to study guitar and violin at the Royal Academy of Music and is now a multi-instrumentalist, conductor and workshop leader. She is a member of the BBC Concert Orchestra and is creative director of Animate, a young people’s creative orchestra. She is currently performing in the Threepenny Opera at the National Theatre where she gets to wear a silly hat and play five different instruments.
ANDY GRAPPY
Andy has worked as a freelance Tuba Player since 1985 and has performed with most of the major London orchestra’s including the London Symphony Orchestra, The Philharmonia , BBC Symphony and Concert Orchestras, and has played on many film and TV scores. Andy has also worked with leading jazz and world music artists including John Dankworth ,The Jazz Warriors, Lester Bowie, Hermeto Pascoal, Sam Rivers, Jason Moran, Charlie Haden and Carla Bley. Andy played in the Musical Chicago for ten years and since leaving has worked with artists as diverse as Tom Jones, Damon Albarn, Bellowhead, and Massive Attack. Andy is currently Head of Southwark “WAX” Music Centre.
MARK GRIFFITHS
Mark first learnt music in the local church and in county youth choirs. He began his career as a singer, working with London’s opera choruses, and began to work regularly with the Berkshire Youth Choir. Mark soon found himself more in demand as a choral conductor and workshop leader. In 2003 he became Musical Director of Coro, a prize-winning London-based chamber choir with whom he has toured internationally, commissioned new works and recorded three CDs. Mark has also been a guest conductor for the Philharmonia Chorus. He conducts choirs for the Junior Department, Trinity College of Music and he recently took on the Choral Conducting seminar for the University of Winchester.
ADEY GRUMMET
JOANNA MANGONA
TONY HARRIS
DAVE MILLIGAN
Adey is a soprano, lyricist, animateur, writer, vocal consultant and conductor. She has created numerous roles in contemporary operas for major British composers and was a founding member of The Shout. She has worked for most of the leading opera companies in the UK and appeared as a concert soloist and recitalist in most major British venues. She is a programme advisor to the Spitalfields Festival and is a founding member of the Book, Music & Lyrics writers’ laboratory, developing new musical theatre. She works in outreach for the BBC, was part of the delivery team for Big Big Sing and teaches on projects in her local schools and with individuals of all ages. www.adeygrummet.co.uk
Tony is a music educator and Head of Teacher Education at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) where he has overall strategic leadership of initial teacher training, CPD and research in primary, secondary and post-compulsory education. He has previously held posts as a senior and principal lecturer and, for many years, led NTU’s highly regarded PGCE Secondary Music programme. Prior to joining NTU, Tony worked in the education team for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, lectured at Birmingham Conservatoire, and taught in primary, secondary and further education. An active composer and performer, he is founder member of the experimental duo The Pound Shop Boys with whom he has toured nationally.
Joanna is the Creative Lead, Composer and Author for Charanga Music, an award winning online digital music resource for teachers and young people. She was born and raised in Bristol and went on to study Clarinet and Saxophone at the University of Wales and the Royal Welsh College of Music. Following this, Joanna lived and worked in South Africa and studied Ethnomusicology at the University of Natal, with Darius Brubeck and Carol Muller. Upon her return to Britain she began working for Lancashire Music Service as their Head of Woodwind. As well as teaching, writing and publishing, Joanna has remained active as a performer in a variety of contexts and genres from theatre and orchestral work to big band and African Ensembles.
Dave Milligan is primarily a jazz pianist and improviser, but one whose musical imagination flows freely between all kinds of musical genres. Having performed all over the world, Dave is one of the most highly regarded pianists in Scotland. A highly skilled composer and arranger, he has written works for large-scale ensembles down to solos, duos, string quartets and numerous arrangements for small groups. He is currently Musical Director of youth folk orchestra, The Gordon Duncan Experience in Perth, and is in demand as a guest tutor and mentor at numerous youth learning projects throughout the country.
KEITH HEWSON
Keith started playing the piano at 7 and it is his main instrument. He also sings, plays guitar and can manipulate most brass instruments! Keith studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and then Leeds University. He became a teacher and throughout his career Keith developed school orchestras, brass bands, wind bands and choirs. He was appointed Director of Music at Egglescliffe School in 1979 and in the 29 years in post, his ensembles made 87 appearances at the MFY National Festival and 11 appearances at the MFY Proms. In 2002 Keith was voted Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year, and was given positions on the Specialist Schools Expert Panel and the government’s Music and Dance Scheme Group.
JENNIFER JOHN
Jennifer John is an entrepreneurial tour de force within the world of singing and performance. With an impressive track record of creative collaborations, a diverse array of recordings in her own right and with her international band, Killerfernandez, her career has been both innovative and dynamic. As the founder of the award winning music company, Sense of Sound that specialises in a cappella singing, she has been a major part of changing the face of choral singing across Merseyside and beyond. Having worked extensively in education, TV, health and wellbeing and the commercial music industry some highlights of her work with choirs includes, Gareth Malone’s ‘The Choir: Boys Don’t Sing’ and ‘Sing While You Work’, ‘Last Choir Standing’ and is currently one of the vocal coaches on ITV’s ‘The Voice’.
TREVOR LINES
After finishing a post-graduate course at the Guildhall School of Music, Trevor made his professional debut recording ‘The Cats Hide Under the Bed when I Play my Gary Windo Records’. The record is a strong mix of original compositions and re-workings of traditional British folk music. Trevor now performs in Birmingham based Bonfire Radicals who emerged from the folk/world scene with a fresh approach to traditional tunes and a host of creative original material. He has also been involved in playing traditional folk music and other projects, working with singers and developing original material and arrangements. Check out Trevor’s forthcoming folk album, which features guests Joe Broughton on violin, Paul Dunmall on reeds and Tom Chapman on cajon.
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