As well as being a renowned jazz musician, broadcaster and composer, Richard Michael is a teacher with over 30 years teaching experience. He is in constant demand as a guest speaker and radio broadcaster, combining his extensive experience with an approachable style, leading to an easy rapport with audiences when explaining how jazz works.

James has been teaching music for 18 years and runs a successful Music Department. He is also an active member of the music teacher community and sits on the Music Teachers Association Committee. James writes a music education blog and speaks regularly at conferences and events.

Chris Calcutt has been the European Product specialist for Focusrite and its sister brand Novation for nearly 10 years. Prior to this he had a 16 year background in supplying Music technology solutions to schools across the UK.

Patrick has been working at RSL (formerly Rockschool) for over a decade. In that time, he has acted as Programme Manager for Vocational Qualifications, Head of VQ and Responsible Officer. In his position as Head of Business Development, Patrick is responsible for promoting the whole RSL Vocational portfolio in the UK and overseas. Alongside his work at RSL, he has acted as an event promoter and blogs about new and emerging music.

David Mastrocola is the Head of Visual and Performing at The Bourne Academy in Bournemouth; where he has been teaching for 10 years. David has a wealth of experience teaching vocational music and performing arts to students aged 11 to 18. As well as teaching music David is a session musician for a number of record labels and performs with the critically acclaimed Ian Prowse.

Rachel is head of learning and development for Rocksteady’s skilled professional musicians, who teach over 30,000 primary school children every week. Her focus is to remove all barriers to learning music and inspire more children to engage and learn music in school. An experienced speaker at high profile educational events, she regularly hosts seminars and training sessions for primary schools throughout the UK, helping teachers support and inspire their pupils.

Mark Robinson is the founder of Rocksteady Music School. Music changed his life when he discovered the electric guitar and playing in bands as a child. He has spent his career so far providing the same opportunity to tens of thousands of 4-11 year olds in the UK, through Rocksteady’s progressive and inclusive approach to music education. He’s passionate about teaching and believes every child should have access to the magic of music and that our goal in education should be to build the whole person, which includes children’s confidence, wellbeing and independence.

Liz Rozier is a music education consultant and teacher based in the East Midlands with more than 25 years of experience as a music lead and subject teacher across key stages 1-5. Passionate about music and its role within education, Liz has created resources and given training for British Council and music hubs. Liz enjoys working to help teachers deliver the curriculum that their children deserve.

Mark Phillips is Ofsted’s national lead for music. He is also senior HMI in London, where his role includes leading on inspector training. Before joining Ofsted, Mark taught music for over 20 years (including as an Advanced Skills Teacher), led a large local authority arts advisory team and worked in county music services.

Rachel is passionate about composing in the classroom. She is the founder and director of I can compose (www.icancompose.com), an innovative company dedicated to inspiring the next generation of great composers. Based in Manchester, Rachel has taught in both state and independent secondary schools. She won the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation Business Award in 2018 and Outstanding Music Education Product Award in the 2019 Music Teacher Awards for Excellence. Rachel is author of How to teach Composition in the secondary classroom: 50 inspiring ideas (Collins Music) and is on the board of trustees for the charity, Drake Music.

Kay Charlton is a trumpet player, educator and composer and teaches KS2 music, brass and WCET (whole class ensemble teaching). She completed an MA in Music Education at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2018, and was delighted to be awarded the Director’s Prize for Excellence in Music Education. Her passion for making music fun and accessible for beginners has led to a number of tutor books, and she is the author of How to teach Whole-class instrumental lessons: 50 Inspiring Ideas (Collins Music).

With a background as a guitarist and guitar teacher, Merv has been working in the music and music education sector for more than 30 years. As well as teaching extensively, both privately and in schools, he was heavily involved with the Registry of Guitar Tutors for 10 years in both a business development capacity and as their chief examiner. Merv was employed as business development manager for LCM Examinations in 2016, a role he fulfilled until appointed head of LCM Examinations in 2018.

Hal Leonard Europe companies are part of the Hal Leonard group of companies - the world’s largest source of music publications, representing many of the world’s best-known and most respected publishers, artists, songwriters, arrangers and instrument manufacturers.

Hal Leonard Europe companies publish and distribute an extensive catalogue of printed and digital publications, sheet music, music education resources, instruments, gifts, accessories and pro audio in Europe and around the world.

Multi award-winning musician YolanDa Brown has become one of the pre-eminent champions of music education in the UK. Chair of the UK’s biggest music education, “Youth Music”, YolanDa has also been celebrity ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, Children and the Arts, Plan UK and World Child Cancer, as well as the London Music Fund, Greater London Assembly and ABRSM’s "Learn Music London” Campaign.

A regular broadcaster on BBC Radio, YolanDa’s eponymous TV series, "YolanDa's Band Jam" for CBeebies, is now in its third series, recently winning the Royal Television Society Awards as “Best Children’s Programme.” The UK’s premier female saxophonist, YolanDa was the first musician to win a MOBO award for “Best Jazz” in two consecutive years and has released multiple albums, including her most recent 2021 “Band Jam Album.”

The Paper Birds are experienced, award-winning, prolific theatre makers; leaders in the fields of verbatim and devised theatre. For the past 18 years we have been listening to, working with and drawing from the communities around us to create original performances with breath-taking theatricality. Our vision is to provoke change, one encounter at a time. Our mission is to be quiet rebels, amplifying the voices of everyday people. We inspire change through the theatre and participatory opportunities we create. Our Creative Learning department sees us engaging over 20,000 children and young people per year as audiences and participants of our programme. We offer a range of workshops and teaching resources to schools including videos, schemes of work, performances and our celebrated Theatre Creativity Cards, a tool for developing skills and confidence in improvisation.

The Paper Birds are experienced, award-winning, prolific theatre makers; leaders in the fields of verbatim and devised theatre. For the past 18 years we have been listening to, working with and drawing from the communities around us to create original performances with breath-taking theatricality. Our vision is to provoke change, one encounter at a time. Our mission is to be quiet rebels, amplifying the voices of everyday people. We inspire change through the theatre and participatory opportunities we create. Our Creative Learning department sees us engaging over 20,000 children and young people per year as audiences and participants of our programme. We offer a range of workshops and teaching resources to schools including videos, schemes of work, performances and our celebrated Theatre Creativity Cards, a tool for developing skills and confidence in improvisation.

Philip Raymond studied at the Royal College of Music. He has been a tenor soloist in recital, oratorio and opera in the UK and abroad. He was Head of Music at the Webber Douglas Academy and currently teaches singing on the BA, MA Theatre Lab and Foundation courses at RADA. Philip is also a church organist and a keen competitive cyclist.

Dan has over 20 years’ experience as a senior leader and teacher in a range of educational contexts. As a trumpet player and pianist, Dan has performed across the UK and Europe in orchestral, jazz and pop ensembles and believe firmly in an holistic and integrated approach to music education.

Ruth Elder is a world-class violinist, arranger and educator. After studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, she has gone on to enjoy a performing career which has seen her appear with major orchestras, ensembles and artists including Muse, Madness, Sophie Ellis Bextor and ABC. Whether she's on stage at the O2 Arena, Royal Albert Hall, working in productions at the National Theatre, writing, arranging and recording in London's top studios, producing remote recording sessions from home, or teaching, Ruth's musical journey has spanned an eclectic range of styles and situations - a breadth of experience which she brings to the RSL Classical Violin syllabus.

Ollie is the director of ‘Beat Goes On’, a percussion workshop company specialising in STOMP-style Body Percussion and Afro-Brazilian Percussion. They deliver workshops and CPD sessions throughout the UK including at the Music & Drama Education EXPO, the Music Mark Annual Conference and for numerous music education hubs throughout the UK.

Beat Goes On also work with a range of international schools. This has included keynote presentations at the Latin American Heads Conference in São Paulo, BSME (British Schools in the Middle East)’s inaugural Music & Drama Conference in Dubai, Musical Futures Australia's 'Big Gig' in Melbourne, a residency at North London Collegiate School Jeju in South Korea, '798 ICAF' Festival in Beijing,  Little Kids Rock's 'Modern Band Summit' in Colorado, USA and numerous events throughout Europe.

Ollie is a former cast member of the hit show STOMP and their sister show ‘The Lost & Found Orchestra’. He is also an ex secondary music teacher and combines these to create experiences that are beneficial, memorable and great fun!

His body percussion tutorial ‘Body Beats - an easy and fun guide to the art of Body Percussion’, published through Hal Leonard, is available from www.beatgoeson.co.uk
For free downloadable resources, videos and all workshop and teacher training enquiries please visit www.beatgoeson.co.uk and follow @BeatGoesOnUK

The Canadian guitarist, composer, and arranger Tim Pells studied at the University of British Columbia, and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Jazz Performance). He completed his studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London (Classical Guitar-Performance and Advanced programmes). With a strong profile in education, Tim’s publications include ‘Sight Reading for Guitar’ (New Punchbowl Music, 1988), ‘Learn to a Play Guitar’ (Usborne, 1988), and ‘First Lessons and Repertoire for Beginners’ (University of Reading, 2000).
He has performed, broadcast, and recorded worldwide with the English Guitar Quartet since 1984.
Tim is Head of Guitar at the London Centre for Young Musicians, and Lecturer in Music at Colchester Institute, and is an elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.