My musical life began with singing in choirs and playing in the recorder group at primary school. Keen to find the instrument I'd enjoy the most, I tried the violin, guitar and piano and decided that the piano was the one for me. However, at the age of 16, I began to learn the flute and realised immediately that this was the instrument I really wanted to specialise in!
After leaving school, I left London to study music at Dartington College of Arts where I gained a BA (Hons) in Music. I then went onto the DeMontfort University in Bedford to complete my PGCE teacher qualification. This lead me into my first professional career as a Primary classroom teacher where I found myself back in the choir and recorder group, only this time I was the teacher! Later, I learned to play the clarinet and saxophone and outside of school, I also played in bands, orchestras and small ensembles across South Devon.
In 1997 I left full time teaching to have my children and later began a career as a peripatetic music teacher, providing lessons in woodwind, piano and theory. In 2004 I was appointed as Head of Woodwind at Devon Youth Music and later I was commissioned by Torbay Council to complete consultative assessments towards teaching standards and quality assurance across Torbay schools. In 2006 I was engaged by Trinity College London as a Mentor on their Keystage 2 Music Teaching programme for peripatetic Music teachers, to train and prepare them for large group lessons.
Throughout my teaching career, I have continued to perform as a musician at many venues and events across South Devon and beyond, as I firmly believe that performance is the pathway to improving personal skills and knowledge that can only be gained through live performance experiences. Currently I am the principal flautist with both Torbay Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Naval Volunteer Band, based at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.
I am dedicated and driven towards improving the musical skills and knowledge of all my students, whatever their level or age. Helping them to achieve their musical goals and ambitions is my primary objective and indeed, it is this that I find the most fulfilling and rewarding part of my musical career.