Lincoln Abbotts is Engagement Director at the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM). A flautist, composer, director, teacher and leader, known for bringing together eclectic groups of people to make ambitious and original music, Lincoln’s career has included working with many of the world’s leading ensembles, festivals and venues as well as senior roles within the BBC, and as Chief Executive of Music for Youth.

Dr Clarence Adoo MBE is the Orchestral and Health Programme Leader at Sage Gateshead. He is also the Education Animateur with Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestra of Sage Gateshead.

He began his musical career as a child, playing cornet, piano and trumpet with The Salvation Army. He graduated from the Royal College of Music and built a reputation as one of the UK’s most talented and versatile trumpeters, playing with world-renowned orchestras including the Scottish Opera, the London Sinfonietta and the City of London Sinfonia. A road accident in 1995 left Clarence paralysed from the shoulders down and unable to play the trumpet, but he continues to perform and inspire audiences.

Clarence has learned to play the Headspace, a sophisticated electronic instrument created especially for him. Headspace is controlled by head movements and using delicate precise breaths, similar to playing a wind instrument.

He travels across the region visiting schools, colleges and adult groups for Royal Northern Sinfonia where he leads workshops and encourages people to enjoy new forms of music. He also conducts the Clarence Adoo Brass Band; leading dramatic performances from the band by moving his head and using facial expressions.

Clarence is a founder member of the pioneering British Paraorchestra which played at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics. The orchestra recognises and showcases disabled musicians with extraordinary abilities. He was awarded an MBE in 2012 in recognition of his services to music and the way in which he has inspired people since his accident.

Ace Ambrose is a DIY artist who uses storytelling through genre defying music and multimedia to bring the concepts and characters of her imagination to life. Elected through BBC New Voices, she is one of BBC CWR’s ‘21’ faces for Coventry City of Culture as a music representative. Her latest works have been supported by the likes of This Feeling, Arts Council England and Youth Music, with her upcoming project to be funded by the Youth Music Next Gen grant.

Zoë Ansah is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. With over 15 years’ experience in facilitating community projects, Zoë has a passion for encouraging music making at a local community level. This has included running choirs and instrumental ensembles for all-ages, as well as developing creative arts accredited courses for children and young people in Lambeth. Zoë has worked as a vocal and keyboard music tutor for Lambeth Music Service leading on keyboard pathway, and with InHarmony Lambeth in devising a scheme for music technology. Zoë has been a music specialist in schools across South-East London for the past 7 years, with a focus on improving singing quality and music curriculum development. She currently leads music at a primary school near Brixton, London.

Kristina Arakelyan is one of the UK’s most exciting young composers. Described as a ‘rising star’ (BBC Music Magazine, 2021), Kristina’s notable awards include the BBC Young Composers’ Competition and the NCEM composers’ competition and her works have been heard on BBC Radio 3 and in the most prestigious concert halls in England. Kristina took part in ABRSM’s inaugural composer mentoring programme in 2021 and her piece Daydream was featured in ABRSM’s Piano 2023 & 2024 syllabus.

Tara Baggott is a Community Music Leader and SEND Music Specialist. She is currently working as a SEN Music Leader and Tutor Champion with Bristol Beacon, Trainer and Orchestra leader with Open Orchestras, Teacher Trainer for Live Music Now, and delivers inclusive and creative workshops in various settings with local charities.

After starting her SEN music leader journey volunteering for Drake Music through Bristol Beacon, Tara went on to work for Open Orchestras, leading and developing orchestras in special schools around Bristol and Bath. She has been delivering teacher training on accessible music throughout the country and creates content for online training for Open Orchestras, including developing repertoire for their own accessible musical instrument, the Clarion. She began working for Bristol Beacon as a piano and singing teacher and now works at Elmfield School for the Deaf, delivering adaptive and inclusive music lessons to suit the needs of students and teachers. She is also a tutor and workshop leader for Flow Creative, an inclusive program for young disabled people. Recently, Tara began working as a trainer and mentor for Live Music Now, helping professional musicians deliver inclusive and interactive performances in SEN school environments.

Victoria Bates is currently Deputy Head of Service at Durham Music Service. Her role currently involves overseeing, Whole Class Provision, CPD Professional Development and more recently restructuring DMS’ Music Group offer.

Claire Batty has worked in music education since 2001. She is passionate about championing music as a vehicle to improve the lives of children and young people. In her role as hub lead, she has developed a range of inclusive programmes in Solihull in partnership with MAC Makes Music.

Georgina Biddle, Senior Specialist Music Service is head of Newcastle Music Service, Music Partnership North Newcastle, part of the Music Education Hub Music Partnership North. Georgina has twenty-eight years’ experience teaching music in all phases of education. As head of service she strives to improve opportunities for children and young people, strengthen and develop partnerships, and ensure that music education is inclusive across Newcastle and the hub.

Alongside her role as Head of Service she is a semi-professional musician in the folk metal band “Skyclad.” This leads to many opportunities including composing, recording albums, touring and performing across Europe and Asia.

Liz Birch is a recording artist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist with an interest in music technology and accessible instruments. She is an experienced Music Leader and works on a variety of projects, including Solihull Inclusive Choir and Creative Sounds where she develops an inclusive approach within music and creativity. She is passionate about youth voice, and is always looking for innovative and creative ways to harness young people’s creativity.

Rob Bradley is a poetic rapper and storytelling songwriter. He’s a freestyle rap world champion who has performed around the world, from underground clubs in New York to festivals throughout Europe. He’s built a solid reputation as an astute lyricist, captivating storyteller and unrivalled improviser. Rob runs an organisation called ‘The Rap School’ through which he helps young people develop their literacy and confidence skills. He’s a multiple time TED talker and author of the anthology ‘Reasons To Write Rhymes’.

Ian Brennan’s experience comes from 20 years teaching in the classroom, the most recent 8 has been teaching music with SIPS Education. Currently teaching whole class and small group students ranging between 3 and 14 years old, Ian’s passion is enabling all to achieve their potential and have fun making music. Ian delivers EDI training in how to deliver a more inclusive and bespoke offer; works with Student Voice and the Children In Care programme.

Elle Chante is a musical self expressionist based in the West Midlands UK. Fueled by her experiences, she threads her reality of complex mental health and disability into her work. Elle began producing in 2020 aiming to create more authenticity in her tracks,and released her first produced EP in September 2022, titled ‘Into The Night’. Alongside her creative work Elle also co-founded Radical Body aiming to make careers in the arts more accessible for disabled artists. She hopes to make the world a little better through sharing her vulnerabilities and raising awareness for access barriers.

Baz Chapman is Joint Head of the Sing Up Foundation, which explores and promotes singing to support children & young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The Foundation is a registered charity which is part of the wider Sing Up group, and seeks to develop and share a deeper understanding of the unique power of singing and vocal work to improve children & young people’s lives.

Baz is also Manager of the Singing for Health Network, Co-Founder and General Manager of the National Teachers’ Choir, and an arts and education consultant. His career has included roles with Birmingham Opera Company, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Youth Music and Ambition Institute, and from 2007-11 he was Programme Director for Sing Up, the Government’s national singing programme for primary schools. As a freelancer he has worked with organisations including Arts Connect, Britten Pears Arts, Ex Cathedra, Friends of Cathedral Music, London Youth Choir, National Youth Choirs, National Opera Studio, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sing for Pleasure, The People’s Orchestra and a number of music education hubs.

Baz writes, arranges and self-publishes choir repertoire, and is accompanist for his local choir in the Scottish Highlands.

Kay Charlton is a trumpet player, educator and composer with many years’ experience of teaching brass, WCET and KS2 music. She plays with the Bollywood Brass Band who perform internationally and work with schools and Music Hubs across the UK. Kay is passionate about making music fun and accessible, particularly for beginners and WCET. Publications include ‘How to Teach Whole-Class Instrumental Lessons: 50 inspiring ideas’ (Collins Music), ‘Flavour Fusions’ (Kevin Mayhew) and ‘Are You Ready?’ for WCET (Warwick Music).

Francesca Christmas is Director of Music at Trinity College London, with responsibility for the development of the global music qualifications portfolio, and music-focussed academic research activity. She is a qualified teacher and has worked in music teacher education at tertiary level with The Open University. She is a published author of chapters and academic papers on the subjects of music teacher training, instrumental teacher pedagogy and assessment in music education. She is currently finishing her PhD in Education with Birmingham City University.

Siobhan is a freelance musician who performs with RNS Moves, BSO Resound and Paraorchestra. Recent highlights include: BBC Relaxed Proms with BSO Resound, recording session with Paul Weller on album Fat Pop,  ‘The Lost Thing’ at the Royal Opera House and Sky Documentaries ‘Reinventing the Orchestra with Charles Hazlewood’ and Paraorchestra. Education work has been hugely important to Siobhan as a result of her work with BSO’s Participate Department, which began in 2018. She is currently involved in discussions as a result of her work in England, with organisations such as, Disability Arts Cymru and National Youth Arts Wales, to improve accessibility to music in education within Wales. In 2020 she completed her LRAM violin teaching diploma at the Royal Academy of Music and this year has completed her Certificate in Music Education, ran via Bristol Beacon.

This year Siobhan has run a CPD session for Tri-Borough music service exploring how to support hearing impaired children, been appointed as the Music Leader for the Bristol NOYO centre and is looking forward to running a hearing impaired workshop in March at the Royal College of Music.

Richard started work as Bristol Beacon’s Primary Music Lead in May 2022 following 7 years as a Bristol primary school teacher and music subject lead. During this time, he brought children to almost all the music education events produced by Bristol Beacon including orchestra workshops, big sings, BBC Music Day, singing for HRH Duke of Kent, as well as working with multiple local and regional theatre companies to regularly bring theatre workshops and performances to the schools he worked in.

His passion for the arts in education is born out of his own experience growing up. Richard began in choirs and children’s theatre workshops as a child in North Wales and understands the value of the arts because he benefited enormously from them as a place to feel included and welcome, as well as a foothold into a career.

Richard worked as an actor for eleven years which took him to more than forty countries around the world including performances at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing, Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica in Central America and was also part of the first Western production of Romeo & Juliet in Vietnam. His current ambition is to make music happen in as many Bristol primary schools as will have him! Richard continues to perform locally and is also a school governor.

Yogesh Dattani has taught music for over 25 years and has authored Indian Takeaway – Rāg and Tāl Basics, an innovative online resource for the teaching and learning of Indian music. Since 2004, Yogesh has led the Music Education Hub for Ealing.

Formerly research leader for the Changing Tracks National Working Group for Musical Inclusion, Michael Davidson is currently postdoctoral research associate at SOAS, University of London.

Tanya Derham has been the Service Manager for SIPS Music and Arts Service in Sandwell since 2018. She has over 23 years’ experience delivering music in Sandwell schools. Before working for the music service, Tanya was a KS2 Primary teacher.

Tanya is passionate about music and the arts and the role these subjects play in enhancing the lives of children and young people across the region and community.

Fred Dove was born in Hamburg, growing up in Germany, Nigeria, the Netherlands and the UK. After university, he spent four years teaching in Sudan, before joining BBC World Service radio. Initially working as a Current Affairs producer, he gradually moved into presenting. From 1995 to 1998, he presented ‘Does He Take Sugar?’ on Radio 4, and from 1998 to 2008, he was the main presenter of the World Service magazine programme, ‘Outlook’. Fred is married to Chrissy, a former primary and music teacher.

Laura Durrans has been teaching music for over 20 years in a number of different settings encompassing primary, independent and special schools. She is currently completing a Master’s degree in Singing For Health focusing on supporting inclusive singing activities and producing innovative research within the Deaf community.  As Inclusion Lead for Calderdale Music she specialises in motivating others to lead creative lives through going beyond the curriculum and exploring the wellbeing, social and emotional benefits of music.

Mike is a User Experience Designer, Brand Consultant and Director of software company Melded. Having developed campaigns for private companies for 20 years, he now applies his problem-solving experience primarily in music education. Mike has ADHD, and says he owes much of his ability to think laterally to his neurodivergence. Mike designed Melded from the ground up with business partner and Web Developer Lee Anderson. By working closely with music teachers the Melded team continues to develop intuitive, data-driven music admin tools. Melded is proud to be a Music Mark Industry Partner, and can be seen exhibiting at the Newcastle conference this year.

From a background of teaching in both Primary and Secondary schools, and senior roles in Local Authority School Effectiveness work, Billie Farrell is currently the Cluster Officer for a group of eleven Primary schools in Elland, West Yorkshire. Cluster schools work cooperatively to raise standards of achievement for their pupils. As Cluster Officer, Billie coordinates and supports the collaborative initiatives for example, ‘My Voice Matters’ and other activities which promote sharing of effective practice across the Cluster.

Barry Farrimond-Chuong has over 15 years of experience developing, strengthening and leading social enterprise and third-sector arts organisations. He co-founded Open Up Music in 2014, supporting his team in launching a range of successful programmes including the National Open Youth Orchestra (the world’s first disabled-led national youth orchestra) and Open Orchestras (the UK’s largest community of inclusive ensembles.)

Respected as an authority on the development and application of accessible music technology, Barry has led the development of the Clarion – an award-winning musical instrument playable with any part of the body, including the eyes. He was awarded an MBE for services to Accessible Music Technology in 2018.

Debbie Fawcett joined Severn Arts in September 1993 as an Instrumental Music Teacher and was promoted to the management team in 2006. In 2014 Debbie became Director for Learning with responsibility for Severn Arts music offer to schools, the organisation of large-scale music events, training for teachers and a wide variety of projects with inclusion, in the widest sense, being at the heart of everything. Debbie is passionate about the ability of music and the arts to transform and enrich lives.

Jess Fisher is a musician, educator and Uprising representative for Inspire, Nottinghamshire. She was a founder member of the Inspire Youth Arts ABLE Orchestra, progressing through its ranks to become a tutor and workshop leader. She recently won an Emerging Artist award from The Mighty Creatives and a Creativity and Innovation Award from Inspire Youth Arts.

Jo Gill has many years’ experience as a primary school class teacher, music specialist and music co-ordinator. She currently teaches curriculum music and Music for Wellbeing for Oxfordshire County Music Service as well as contributing to the service’s teacher CPD programme and running two children’s choirs. Jo is a trained Kodaly practitioner and also works for The Voices Foundation, supporting music teaching in primary schools through training and in-class mentoring for class teachers.

Simon Glenister is the founder and CEO of Noise Solution, a multi-national award-winning youth work organisation. His work draws on an MEd completed at Cambridge University investigating well-being in a digital youth work context. Noise Solution fuse music mentoring with a cloud-based platform that captures and shares participant experiences and automatically analysis shifts in self-reported well-being. We’re currently fusing research with practice and the implementation of robust impact capture and analysis, including sentiment and natural language processing.

Tuba player and teacher Andy Grappy has played with most of the London orchestras including the LSO, Philharmonia , BBCSO and Chineke!. His Jazz and pop work includes artists as diverse as McCoy Tyner, Abdullah Ibrahim, Charlie Haden, Hermeto Pascoal, Damon Albarn, Massive Attack, Disclosure and Bellowhead. He is currently an artistic lead for the LSO Next Generation and workshop leader for many organisations; Head of Southwark Wax Music Centre, and a mentor for the ABRSM composer programme.

Triple A Performer was born from the personal story of a young person diagnosed with Autism, ADHD and Anxiety (triple A). The purpose of the charity is to raise the profile of neurodivergence in performing arts and how children, young people and adults can be supported within the sector to access their passion, on a level playing field.

Triple A Performer was born from the personal story of a young person diagnosed with Autism, ADHD and Anxiety (triple A). The purpose of the charity is to raise the profile of neurodivergence in performing arts and how children, young people and adults can be supported within the sector to access their passion, on a level playing field.

Kris Halpin, aka Dyskinetic, is a singer, songwriter and live performer. Primarily known for using Imogen Heap’s groundbreaking MiMu Gloves, Kris has used the gloves to overcome his own physical access barriers. Kris is a disabled person, and his work happens at the intersection between Music, Technology & Disability. As well his work as touring and recording artist, Kris is an accomplished music leader and Disability Equality Consultant.

Katie Harris is a secondary trained classroom music teacher with 20 years’ experience teaching internationally and across the UK. Katie specialises in working with children and young people who have additional SEMH challenges and has taught in a huge range of settings including specialist schools, hospitals, group living facilities and mainstream settings. Katie currently works for Oxfordshire County Music Service co-ordinating the Music for Wellbeing and the Folk music provisions.

Paul Harris has established an international reputation as one of the UK’s leading educationalists. As composer and writer, he has over six hundred publications to his name, including the highly acclaimed Improve your teaching! and Improve your sight-reading! series. Paul writes frequently on music education and is in great demand as a workshop leader and adjudicator around the world.

Dr Robin Harrison FRSA NPQLTD is founder of The Maestro Online, a digital music education platform that seeks to enhance the musicianship of learners. It does this through pro-music masterclasses that enhance creativity, harmony, improvisation, composition and ear training for all instruments and styles.

The platform enlists global classical, popular and jazz musicians who’ve reached the pinnacle of their musical careers including performs and conservatoire lecturers. Many have received royal awards (MBE/OBE/CBE/BEM) for their musical contributions.

In 2024 he also founded The Maestro Online Popular Piano Exam Board which is a fully accredited UK and EU exam board. The exams encourage individuality in performance from subtle nuances to improvisation and complete cover versions.

Robin began his journey as a student and later tutor at the RNCM, gained a PhD from University of Wales Bangor, has been Head of Music and other senior roles in state, independent and international settings. He also delivers masterclasses in choral directing, choir and vocal training, piano, organ, aural training, Kodaly for all ages, composition and improvisation.

David Heywood is the Principal of Calderdale Music. He has successfully led the organisation through a number of reforms including the move from self-employed to a fully employed workforce, undertaking a full organisation rebrand and relocating premises to the Former Magistrates Court in Halifax which comprises a state of the art performance space, practice and ensemble rooms and a coffee shop. David is passionate about enabling all children and young people to have access to a high quality music education.

Prof Nate Holder BA (Hons), MMus is a musician, author, international speaker and music education consultant. Nate leads CPD training and workshops for schools, hubs and universities; helping to address bias, and underrepresentation in music classrooms, departments, hubs and boards internationally. He has performed or recorded with Ghetts, Emeli Sandé and Ed Sheeran, and he has consulted or worked with the BBC, Hal Leonard Europe and Collins Music. As well as serving on different advisory boards, he has written eight books including I Wish I Didn’t Quit: Music Lessons (2018), Where Are All The Black Female Composers (2020) and Listen and Celebrate (2022)

Anita Holford is a freelance communications consultant/practitioner, copywriter and fundraiser who’s been working with music services, hubs and their partners for more than 14 years, and in communications for more than 30 years. She specialises in working with music/arts organisations with an educational, social or wellbeing purpose, helping them to communicate their value, win hearts and minds and grow their reach and impact. Anita has worked with many organisations across the sector including Charanga, Live Music Now, Restore the Music, Mac Makes Music, Youth Music, Anthem, Rocksteady Music. She hosts a podcast, Music for Education & Wellbeing, featuring people making change through music and runs the Music Education Works website, collating and summarising evidence of the impact of music. Anita started her career as a journalist on a local newspaper and went on to hold senior marketing and communications roles at a music venue and a national community music association, before freelancing.

Jenetta Hurst is a music specialist with 17 years’ experience working in secondary schools in a range of settings. Jenetta is currently Head of Department for Music in a large secondary school in East London. Jenetta graduated from UCL Institute of Education with the MA Leadership in 2019 and her interest in staff development sees her heading up the Teacher Studio for PMLL’s Every Copy Counts Campaign. Jenetta is also a graduate and Honorary Member of the Birmingham Conservatoire.

Jo James is EDI Lead for Durham Music Service (lead partner in the Durham and Darlington Music Education Hub). Jo has a special interest in SEND music education and has been leading Signing Choirs and SEND singing opportunities for many years.

Ruth has worked in youth arts and music education for many years as a consultant, project manager and trainer. She’s worked on many national and regional youth arts and music initiatives, and now works for Charanga. She has experience of working on access and inclusion strategies within her work, and she has a personal commitment to raising awareness of mental health illness and issues, especially in young people. Ruth identifies as a person with autism, and has one daughter diagnosed as autistic and another diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD.

Adam joined Bristol Beacon as Director of Creative Learning and Engagement in June 2022 where he is responsible for creating the future vision for Bristol Beacon’s education and community work, working with underrepresented communities including 2,500 young people with disabilities and in care, and providing community-based health and wellbeing programmes.

Prior to that he was part of the senior team leading and delivering Sage Gateshead’s creative learning music programme.

Aleishia Lewis is currently an Acting Headteacher in Essex and also works for the Church of England’s Education Office as part of their Racial Justice Team. She is Chair of the Diocese of Chelmsford’s Global Majority Education Association, co-lead of BAMEed East and she runs an Identity & Diversity Network Group in Southend. Aleishia has worked with schools and school leaders nationally, supporting them as they begin their journey into diversifying their curriculum and working with staff on their understanding of identity and belonging. Throughout her work, her focus is on increasing the representation of BAME staff in leadership roles, developing the curriculum so it reflects society and recognises the importance of global citizenship and ensures that pupil voice is at the heart of everything that is done.

Jen Loffman is Co-ordinator for MAC Makes Music. She has helped develop a variety of music-making programmes for young people, working closely with a team of Music Leaders to reflect, and re-evaluate what makes a quality inclusive approach.

Christina Luchies is Head of Participation and Schools Music at Hertfordshire Music Service, where she leads work to strengthen access, inclusion and progression in music education across schools and communities. A former orchestral musician, music teacher and senior school leader, Christina has worked across performance, classroom education, community music and strategic arts leadership.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Leading in Education, a Bachelor of Music and a Higher Education Teaching Diploma, with specialist qualifications in Music Technology. Her MA research explored the impact of music on adolescent wellbeing and behaviour in mainstream education. Her work is deeply rooted in inclusion, participation and the belief that music can support whole-child development.

Since joining Hertfordshire Music Service in 2015, Christina has led inclusive community music projects, supported school partnerships and championed music as a driver for confidence, belonging and learning. Christina is passionate about inclusive music education and strong school partnerships. Her work focuses on connecting music education with wider school priorities, including language development, literacy, self-regulation and readiness to learn.

Simon Lyon is a music producer/songwriter and Secondary qualified teacher working for Ableton in the UK/IE.

Gideon Malitskie began his as a career as a musician and workshop leader before training as a Music Therapist. He works with individuals and groups as part of Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust inclusive provision, and represents his hub as part of the Music Education Hub East Midlands Uprising! Project.

Isabella Mayne has worked in a wide range of contexts within the music education world: from class music teacher and Head of Department, to workshop facilitator, ensemble leader, hub tutor and project manager. She was the former Education Lead and later on Deputy CEO of Newham Music, and has previously worked for Brent Music, Lewisham Music and Bromley Youth Music Trust.

Clair McColl has worked in music education since 2003, with ten years as a manager in Devon, and now leads the music hub for Dorset. She champions access to the arts across rural communities, and now advocates for better understanding of neurodiversity in education after her own ADHD diagnosis came later in life.

Cat McGill is an autistic musician and arts practitioner, and Head of Programme Development and Delivery for Drake Music. Cat has worked in the disability music sector for over ten years, and has as experience as a practitioner, educator, project lead, and event manager, specialiing in using music as a tool for communication and building relationships.

As a musician and educationalist, Kyle McInnis has been championing the arts and music education from his teenage years. Kyle has worked as a Head of Music in inner-city London schools since 2016 and is now Head of Music and Drama, and an Associate Assistant Principal leading on Mental Health and Wellbeing. He works closely with the Centre for Young Musicians (CYM) and Kinetika Bloco with whom he is currently collaborating on a music resources project which focuses specifically on de-colonising the music curriculum. Kyle is also a freelance tuba player and gospel keyboard player, touring, and performing nationally and internationally. Kyle’s passion is for young people across the UK to have fair access to high quality music education which provides them with opportunities for self-expression, personal achievement and developing a lifelong love and appreciation for music regardless of the musical categorisation.

Mary Mycroft has spent over 20 years working in music education, a qualified secondary teacher who has led music at every key stage and for numerous schools and Services. She has been Head of Waltham Forest Music Service since 2015 where she is committed to ensuring all young people can access high quality musical experiences. Mary is a violin/viola player and singer working with nu-soul duo, Flyt, and is currently working towards a MSc in Leadership and Management.

My work as a freelance musician entails working with communities of all ages, and experiences in many settings in the UK and abroad over the past 35 years. I have worked with theatre, puppets, dancers, opera, visual arts, in hospitals and care settings, on social prescribing projects, in addition to the formal music education sector. My long working relationship with AYM has allowed me to share and extend a rich vein of musical pedagogy.

Emma Nenadic is a Research Assistant in music education at Birmingham City University where she is currently researching partnership working, primary composing pedagogy, the use of accessible instruments in whole class tuition and creativities in the primary curriculum. Emma is also an experienced arts project manager and recently managed Fair Play, which explored inclusive musical pathways across Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Music Education Hubs, and Music Makers of the Future with West Midlands Music which centred on youth voice development.

Adam Ockelford is Professor of Music at the University of Roehampton and one of the UK’s leading authorities on music education, musical development and inclusive musical practice. His research spans music psychology, music theory and special educational needs, with a particular focus on how children with complex disabilities, including visual impairment, autism and profound and multiple learning disabilities, engage with and develop through music. Adam is the creator of Sounds of Intent, an internationally recognised framework for understanding and assessing musical development in children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Developed through long-term research in partnership with practitioners, Sounds of Intent is now used extensively across the UK and internationally to support teaching, assessment and curriculum planning.

A composer, researcher and educator, Adam has written more than twenty books and numerous journal articles on music, education and psychology. His publications include Music, Language and Autism, In the Key of Genius, and Comparing Notes, and his work has helped shape professional practice across education, music therapy and community music settings.

Alongside his academic work, Adam is actively involved in the charitable sector as founder of the Sounds of Intent Charity and a trustee of several organisations supporting music education and children with disabilities, including The Amber Trust, Live Music Now and Sempre. Through research, teaching and collaboration with practitioners, he continues to champion the belief that every child, regardless of ability or need, has the potential to develop musically and to enjoy a rich and meaningful musical life.

Rodrigo Orquera is an experienced Music Leader, multi-instrumentalist, composer and writer who works with people of all ages in a variety of settings including primary and secondary schools, college, university, and community groups.

Born in Spain to Nigerian parents, Sully Ososanya is a Head of Music in SE London and balances his job with a PhD as well as running choirs and vocal ensembles. Awarded “Creative Teacher of the Year” by the African Teacher Association in the UK, Sully is passionate about Curriculum Design, Songwriting and researching the intersection between class, race and musical taste!

Kath Page trained as a secondary music teacher after completing a music degree at Exeter University. Kath worked in many schools across the Southwest region, winning the Teacher of the Year in 2002 before stepping out of the classroom in 2008. She was the secondary music consultant in Hampshire before joining the Southampton Schools Inspectorate in 2008. Kath became an Artsmark assessor and KS2 strategy trainer. Kath now leads two music hubs and is Music Education lecturer at Winchester University.

Siggy Patchitt is Head of Strategic Change at Bristol Beacon. His job involves facilitating a range of change projects associated with the reopening of Bristol Beacon in Autumn 2023, including developing a new data model, improving the integration of education and artistic activity, and leading a community consultation on toilet signage. He was Chair of Sound Sense from 2017 to 2020 and, between 2018 and 2022, headed up the National Centre for Inclusive Excellence at Bristol Beacon, developing the HEARD model of inclusion and co-authoring Guidance for Music Education Hubs: Developing an inclusive approach to the core and extension roles.

His background in music practice is as a community musician, working primarily in schools and youth settings, using Music-Based Mentoring and Social Pedagogy to help young people from diverse backgrounds develop their personal and social skills, and foster a lifelong love of music.

Mark Patton is a passionate music educator and inclusion specialist who leads on alternative provision and targeted music engagement across Coventry. In his role with Coventry Music, Mark oversees the development and delivery of high-quality music programmes for young people in pupil referral units, alternative provision settings, and mainstream schools where students may be at risk of exclusion.

A strong advocate for equity in music education, Mark has worked closely with Children’s Services and Coventry Virtual School since 2017 to increase access to meaningful musical opportunities for children in care. Through a combination of instrumental and vocal tuition, holiday workshops, performance opportunities, and enrichment events, he has helped create a broad and inclusive programme that removes barriers to participation and supports young people to develop confidence, aspiration, and a sense of belonging through music.

Recognising the need for a clear progression pathway beyond individual lessons, Mark established a dedicated band project for Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 children in care in 2024. As the project lead, he oversees and delivers the weekly sessions, bringing together young musicians from across the city to rehearse, perform, develop their skills, and experience the benefits of collaborative music-making. The band has become a powerful vehicle for creativity, connection, and personal growth, providing opportunities that many of the young people may not otherwise experience.

Neil Phillips is the Connect Programme Director at Young Sounds UK. A former professional rock musician, he retrained as a youth worker and has worked in a range of settings delivering programmes designed to support young people facing barriers, including those in the criminal justice system and young carers.

Neil oversees the Connect programme at Young Sounds UK and leads on the delivery of the Department for Education funded Music Opportunities Pilot, coordinating the work in 22 Music Hub regions and additional partners ABRSM, BBC Orchestras, Music Mark, Music Masters, the National Youth Orchestra, Open Up Music and Liverpool Philharmonic.

Jennifer Raven is Deputy Director of Sound Connections and a specialist in Youth Voice. She co-authored the Handbook of Youth Voice & Participation and has facilitated Youth Voice training and consultancy for over 100 organisations and practitioners internationally. She is also Co-Director of music charity Fairbeats, working with refugees and asylum seekers across South London, and performs regularly as a flautist.

David Rees is Chief Executive of Merton Music Foundation, a South London music service and charity part of the London Southwest Hub. David studied Jazz at Leeds Conservatoire and taught classroom music at primary and secondary level before joining Merton Music Foundation in 2018.

James Risdon is the Access Lead at ABRSM, responsible for provision of reasonable adjustments and access arrangements for ABRSM exams. He is also heavily involved in projects and partnerships which promote wider access and inclusion in music-making, and he sits on the UK Association for Accessible formats Music committee.

From 2008 to 2017, he was the Music Officer at RNIB, part of a small team supporting the music-making of blind and partially sighted musicians of all ages. James is also a professional recorder player.

Kate Rounding has over 25 years of experience in music, education and inclusion leadership. As Executive Director for Technology in Music Education UK (TiME) she is passionate about the role Music Technology can take in supporting more young people to access music making. Kate brings her experience as a professional musician, studio engineer and music lecturer, in addition to working in Inclusive Music settings to develop and lead a comprehensive set music and arts education projects.

Ben Sellers is the programme lead of MEHEM UpRising and a UKRI-funded doctoral researcher at the UCL Institute of Education. His research explores approaches to music teacher development in specialist settings. He works closely with music and arts organisations nationally and internationally to support the development of their inclusive offers.

Sarah Share is an experienced leader in music education and currently works as Assistant Head at Leicestershire Music. She is a teacher, trainer and education consultant who strategically plans, delivers and evaluates music education within Primary and inclusive settings.

Mark Sharp is Headteacher of Cross Lane Primary School, Elland, Halifax, and Lead Headteacher for the Elland Cluster schools, a group of schools that works collaboratively on a range of support programmes and initiatives to best support the achievement of children within the area – one being ‘My Voice Matters’! With a particular passion and interest in the arts, this has been both a personal and professional highlight, with learning opportunities galore for all involved.

Annie Sheen is a Cornwall based programme manager and evaluator working across the participatory music and arts sectors. She has developed programmes and strategic partnerships with both cultural and higher education organisations, co-curating cultural projects with a broad range of participants. Annie is a trained youth worker and trauma informed practitioner. She is passionate about embedding evaluation and research into practice, and exploring how cultural organisations can collaborate more closely with the health and social care sectors.

Director, Contemporary Music at Sage Gateshead, Wendy Smith has always lived and worked in the north-east. She started her career as a performing artist, a founding member of the band Prefab Sprout.

In 2002 Wendy joined Sage Gateshead where she leads the Contemporary Music, Artist Development and Creative Learning programmes, which supports the development of diverse musicians from early years to professional artists. Trained in systems change Wendy’s interest is in collaborating with people and organisations to create sustainable change.

Liz Stafford is Director of the consultancy company Music Education Solutions, Editor of Primary Music Magazine and Music Hubs and Services Magazine, and author of The Primary Music Leader’s Handbook.

Mark Steele has been the Lead for Coventry Music since September 2017, having previously worked in Sheffield and Wakefield Music Services and at the charity Orchestra’s for All. Mark has developed the redesigned offer in Coventry to work with a broader and more diverse group of young people including work in all alternative provision sites in the city, including transformative music programmes enabling young people to return to mainstream settings through the power of music and use music as a tool to support personal and social development. As the consortium lead for Heart of England Music the newly established Music Hub for Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire he is committed to developing new and exciting ways to ensure music education is available for all young people across genres, styles and communities.

Sam Stimpson (M.Ed/B.Ed) is the Founder and CEO of SLS 360 Ltd, a consultancy supporting organisations to build cultures where equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging are embedded into everyday practice. Working predominantly across the cultural, education and music sectors, she combines deep sector knowledge with strategic expertise to help organisations create lasting cultural change rather than short-term interventions.

Sam is a musician and former music educator, who works with Music Hubs, National Portfolio Organisations, charities, public and private sector organisations across the UK. Her work focusses on supporting organisations to strengthen leadership, governance, workforce culture and organisational strategy. In 2025, she received the Music Mark Talk into Action Inclusion Award in recognition of her contribution to the sector.

Alongside her consultancy, in 2025 Sam founded the I.D.E.A.L. Network, a growing leadership community for people leading inclusion and organisational change. Through this work, and in partnership with Sound Connections, she has supported more than 50 inclusion leaders. Sam also serves as Chair of Trustees at Sound Connections.

Known for her practical, thought-provoking and compassionate approach, Sam challenges organisations to move beyond compliance and into meaningful cultural transformation, creating environments where people can thrive, contribute and truly belong.

Michael Summers is Head of Durham Music Service. Working in over 330 schools. He leads training and for schools and staff across the region.

Jenny Trattles has an established reputation for enthusing adults and children to sing and cultivate their musical skills as a freelance music education specialist and now as Musicianship Director at the Voices Foundation. She enjoys working in partnership with other organisations, consultancy work with Multi Academy Trusts, writing and formulating resources and leading an exceptional team of practitioners delivering quality music training to class teachers and their children.

She is also a choral conductor, working with Music Hubs, S.C.I.T.T. schemes, choirs, and several successful community projects. She is a conductor and workshop leader for Scunthorpe Cooperative Junior Choir, focussing on outreach to local schools and professional development for teachers. Jenny also currently works as a Music Subject Lead at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, keeping abreast of current education initiatives.

Miles Wallis-Clarke was brought up in Buckinghamshire arriving in Newcastle in 1985 as a student at Newcastle Polytechnic. After studying Creative and Performing Arts he trained to be a teacher. He taught in secondary, special education and primary schools. Following his role as Deputy Head at Christ Church, Shieldfield, Miles became Headteacher at West Walker and finally served as Head of Hotspur Primary in Heaton for 16 years. Hotspur had a national reputation for its arts provision – with a particular specialism in singing.

Miles had a particular interest in cultural education and was a board member of Culture Bridge North East, Chair of Newcastle Cultural Education Partnership and Chair of the Trustees of the national singing charity Sing for Pleasure. He has been a visiting lecturer at many universities and spoken at a variety of conferences.

He is a keen singer and conductor of choirs. He chairs Norty Tyneside music Education Hub. Miles is married to Gary Wallis-Clarke and has two adult children.

In 2020 Miles trained as a celebrant and left teaching after 31 years. In addition to celebrancy, Miles and Gary, also a former Headteacher, offer support to schools through their company Palladio Education Ltd.

Max Wheeler is a producer and DJ who has released albums on Gilles’ Peterson’s Brownswood, Tru Thoughts and First Word Records. As half of Anushka he has performed live from Saigon to Siberia via Texas and Berlin with over 10m streams online. He has worked with artists ranging from members of Kraftwerk to Grime legend Trim, also remixing artists from Snoop Dogg to Gorgon City. Over the last couple of years he has built a healthy online audience with his weekly analog hardware studio jams recorded onto reel to reel tape – and just this month launching his own label ’Near Future’.

He has been an educator for nearly 20 years, starting with Youth Clubs in West Yorkshire and Lancashire and currently the author and Programme Director of the VIP Studio Sessions online learning platform for Charanga, winner of the Music Teacher Award for Best Digital Resource in 2018 and currently in use by 40,000 secondary school students in the UK and around the world. During the pandemic Max worked on a small team developing a new accessible online DAW ‘YuStudio’ which is available free of charge for all Youth Music Projects and now available to all Charanga students (currently over 11,000 schools). Max also delivers CPD, training and workforce development on Music Technology, Engagement and Inclusion to a number of Music Hubs and Community organisations around the UK.

Bridget Whyte became CEO of Music Mark in 2017. She started her career at Arts Council England before going freelance, working with over 50 music & music education organisations. Key clients included Youth Music, the Department for Education (DfE), and she was a Strategic Advisor to the British Council, setting up and managing their World Voice Programme which supported the use of singing as a tool for learning in over 20 countries. As Music Mark’s CEO, Bridget is in demand as a keynote speaker, advocate and advisor at a national and international level. Most recently she supported the Welsh Government on writing its National Plan for Music Education which was published in May 2022, was part of the Department for Education’s English National Plan for Music Education Expert Panel, and has now joined its Hub Monitoring Board.

Matt Wigley is Head of Young People’s Programme at Sage Gateshead. Born in the West Midlands, Matt has worked at the University of Birmingham and as Programme Manager for Aldeburgh Young Musicians at Britten Pears Arts, developing a passion for inclusive, high-quality music making that enables young people to express themselves through creativity. At Sage Gateshead, Matt leads a diverse programme of activity and partnerships to support young people to realise their potential within the North East.

Jenny Williams works for North Tyneside and Music Partnership North Music Education Hubs as a secondary schools’ music adviser. In her previous capacity as head of music for many years, Jenny became passionate about singing as an accessible route into developing all aspects of musicianship. Working with a range of partners as part of Newcastle Sings, Jenny leads on the Newcastle Youth Choir Project, an open-access opportunity for young singers from across the region to experience the many benefits of singing together.

Hailey Willington is Youth Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion Leader at Merton Music Foundation. A passionate violinist and educator, Hailey is trained in Youth Voice work and facilitates MMF’s Youth Council as well as Leading on Equity Diversity and Inclusion. Hailey is the author of the online resource The Inclusive Music Lesson: A Pocket Guide and currently serves as an elected member of the Musicians’ Union National Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Having been brought up in a family of teachers and musicians, it was inevitable the teaching profession beckoned! Qualifying in 1989, Andrew Withams started teaching in primary schools in Essex so he could lead his two passions of music and PE. Eventually, moving to Southend on Sea, Andrew took up the post of head of the Hub, Music on Sea, in 2015.