About Me
I have experienced a wide and varied music education, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level. My first degree in Music embraced a broad programme of study, contrasting traditional academic disciplines such as musicology, stylistics, analysis and inter-related arts, with musicianship skills in performance, orchestra, conducting, composition and music technology. In my final year I specialised in piano under the direction of John Parry and gave a 45-minute public recital at the Michael Tippett Centre, Bath for which I was awarded a first-class grade.
In the autumn of 1999, I embarked on postgraduate studies at the University of Reading under the supervision of esteemed analyst Jonathan Dunsby and historical performance specialist Christopher Wilson. Research included Classicism in Debussy and Tempo Rubato in Chopin, alongside a portfolio of analyses using Schenkerian and Set-Theoretical techniques. This led to the award of Master of Arts in Theory and Analysis.
I became a Licentiate of the National College of Music, London (LNCM) in April 2002 following a successful diploma in piano performance. I am also a Member of the National College of Music Society (MNCMSoc), and take a keen interest in supporting the work of the College and keep abreast of developments in all areas of music education generally. I am a member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (the professional body of classical musicians) and had my application to be listed on the ISM Register of Professional Private Music Teachers formally approved, providing a valued endorsement of professional competence. Between 2002 and 2006, I served on the committee for the ISM Wiltshire Centre, until I became a registered examiner for GCE (A Level) Music for Edexcel. I have also been appointed Area Representative for LCM Examinations [Swindon].
I have written two articles for the leading educational journal Music Teacher ('The Latest Theory', August 2002; 'Casting your Net', August 2004) and have a forthcoming feature lined up for another. Research papers derived from my studies as a postgraduate were published at www.teoria.com and at the Observatoire Musical Français at the Sorbonne, Paris. Both of these papers approach analysis using formal and set-theoretical based techniques.
