Hot Topic Debate: Racial diversity in the music education workforce

Dr Steven Berryman is Executive Director of the National Centre for Arts Education. Former President of the Chartered College of Teaching and a Visiting Fellow at King’s College London (both the Music Department and the School of Education, Communication and Society), he is a nationally recognised leader in arts education whose career spans school leadership, teacher development, policy, research and practice.

Award Winning YolanDa Brown is the premier female saxophonist in the UK. Her music is a delicious fusion of Reggae, Jazz and Soul. As a broadcaster she presents across BBC Radio and TV, and in 2018 filmed her own music show for Cbeebies; “YolanDa’s Band Jam”. She was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts by the University of East London and in January 2018 she was appointed Chair of Youth Music.

Philip Flood is an experienced arts and music education and industry consultant with over 30 years’ expertise in business planning, strategic development, income generation, evaluation, and organisational change across the music and arts sectors. He is a passionate advocate for the arts and culture, combining a deep understanding of the sector with strong leadership and mentoring skills.

He is Chair and Non-Executive Director at PMLL (Printed Music Licensing Limited), part of the Music Publishers Association Group, a Trustee at Music Mark, an accredited Executive Coach, and a qualified Mental Health First Aider. He was previously Director at Sound Connections, following senior management roles at the London Symphony Orchestra and Spitalfields Music. He started his career as a music workshop leader and qualified secondary music teacher, progressing to be head of department at a large Further Education College in north London.

Clients include Arts Council England, Bristol Beacon, Britten Sinfonia, British Council, English Heritage, Faber Music, Independent Venue Week, Music Generation Ireland, Music Mark, Music Masters, the Musicians’ Union, Music Masters, Paraorchestra, Rocksteady Music School, the Royal Albert Hall, and Wigmore Hall. He also has extensive experience supporting Music Hubs and Services, Local Authorities, music education charities, orchestras, venues, and festivals.

Sharon Jagdev Powell has been a Trustee for the Music Education Council since February 2022. Her vision for the Music Education Council is to influence and implement change to enable access and improve outcomes in music education for all.

She is a Leadership Coach and has embedded music and a Theory of Joy into her practice. Sharon also works as a Music Education Consultant and she amplifies the voices of underrepresented people, celebrating creativity by embracing the power of music.

Sharon’s career in music education spans 30 years and she began as a secondary music teacher. She then project-managed Musical Futures Nottingham and developed an inclusive approach to curriculum music for Secondary schools. Sharon has also worked as Hub Leader, Programme Manager and Education Lead for a Music Industry charity.

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.