Kwame is from a traditional drumming family in Northern Ghana and he learnt to talk using call and response song. The best possible introduction to call and response song without getting on a plane! African Activities CIC are proud to be making outstanding, authentic African music widely accessible.

David has a background in drama, dance and languages. He has taught drama in England and France at primary, secondary and further education level, and has performed and directed in England, France and Italy. This experience has allowed him to work with individuals who have different levels of performance experience.

Coaching Lead at Guildhall Innovation (GSMD), Jane Booth is an international clarinettist, Executive Coach, and Coach Trainer. With nearly 20 years’ experience supporting artistic and career development in Higher Education in the UK and France, Jane has a track record for delivering individual and team growth, personal transformation and accountability.

Part of the newly appointed Friday Afternoons Ambassador team Charlotte Brosnan and Charles MacDougall have a vast amount of experience directing, work-shopping, teaching and coaching singing with a wide variety of young people and their leaders.

Kay Charlton is a composer and educator alongside playing the trumpet with Bollywood Brass Band for over 20 years. She co-founded the Bollywood Brass Academy in 2017 with a focus on progression from WCET/beginners to playing with Hub ensembles and beyond. Publications include ‘Bollywood Blast!’ tutor books for brass/wind.

Barbara Eifler leads the UK's association for leisure-time music, which represents over 3,600 music groups comprising around 200,000 hobby musicians. Having started on the cornet rather late in life and being part of a brass (training) band, she has experienced for herself the challenges facing adult music learners, and the personal and community rewards.

Jane Emmanuel has been excited by the challenge and logic of music theory for over 40 years.  Alongside her work as a professional session singer she has taught singing, theory and musicianship in schools, universities and privately, in both individual and group lessons, to students aged from 4 to 80.

David Farmer inspires, motivates and educates teachers about the power of drama to transform learning through live and online training. Following a stand-out career as a theatre director and producer of shows and workshops for children and young people across the world, he is an in-demand speaker, trainer and writer.

David Guinane and Hanh Doan have been the driving force behind the Beaumont School Music Department for ten years. Together they have built a thriving department, with an authentic music education at its heart. They are co-authors of How to teach Secondary Music and the OCR GCSE Study Guide.

Dr Erika Hughes is Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead for Performance at the University of Portsmouth. She studied directing at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Her directing work has been seen on stages in the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Israel, and Pakistan.

Inspire-works lead world-music and dance workshops with 70,000 children per year and a member of Youth Music’s funded Tri-Music-Together programme. They hold two Guinness World Records (largest drumming lesson & largest samba band), are three times finalists in the Music Teacher Awards and winners in the Primary Music Magazine Awards.

Malcolm Jennings is drama practitioner and lead Teacher/Actor at The Play House Theatre in Education Charity in Birmingham. Malcolm has 15 years’ experience creating and delivering participatory drama programmes for Birmingham primary schools and has worked with teachers nationally and internationally. He was head of drama at St Paul’s Special Needs school in Birmingham and Lecturer in the Performing Arts at North Warwickshire and Hinckley College. He has worked with many of the Midlands’ leading Theatre in Education companies over the past 30 years as a performer, storyteller and deviser.

Andy was a stand-up comedian, actor/director and part of a BAFTA winning team and has had EdFringe Firsts. He has taught, taken masterclasses and directed at many institutions such as the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. His book The Excellent Audition Guide is a best seller. He has helped 400+ people into drama schools, and coaches actors including Vanessa Kirby, Viveik Kalra and Maxim Baldry.

A trusted and well respected figure in Music Education, Debbie has 18 years leadership experience in representing Music Education across the South West and an extensive track record of delivering successful high quality vocal programmes for; Devon Music Service, Devon Music Education Hub, Babcock LDP and the BBC Concert Orchestra. She has worked alongside the Military Wives Choir, London Community Gospel Choir and colleagues from the Royal Opera House. In addition, she has over 22 years experience working in the music industry as professional musician; vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and singer-songwriter

Performer, composer, director and teacher, Frances M Lynch has pursued an international career at the forefront of contemporary vocal music, specialising in Music-Theatre, Electronic Music, Opera, and Chamber Music.

Part of the newly appointed Friday Afternoons Ambassador team Charlotte Brosnan and Charles MacDougall have a vast amount of experience directing, work-shopping, teaching and coaching singing with a wide variety of young people and their leaders.

Adam Milford is a stage actor, director, West End collaborator, and educator who has been working in theatre since 1993. His credits include UK tours, classical and contemporary productions, and international projects, and for the past 13 years he has run Theatre Workout, the leading producer of theatre workshops in London's West End.

Kjartan Ólafsson has PhD from the Sibelius Academy. Since 1988, Kjartan has been developing a composing system based on Artificial Intelligence technique called CALMUS. From 2005- 2014 Kjartan was Professor of Composition at the Iceland Academy of the Arts. Now he is CEO and head of research at ErkiTónlist sf.

As a pracademic, Clare has been both working and studying children’s musical development in the Early Years throughout her professional career. In her role as Director of Musicbuds, she has recently composed for the BBC, publishes EYs musical resources, and offers training for teachers and musicians working within this exciting and challenging field.

Annalisa is the National coordinator for the Ministry of Education’s National Committee for Practical Music Learning for all students, chaired by Prof. Luigi Berlinguer. She is also a national contact person for training activities for music teachers of all types of schools. A professional musician and former instrument teacher, she has for years combined her activity as a musician and that as a researcher and trainer.

Annabel Thomas is Arts Development Manager for Trinity College London, supporting schools and arts organisations across the UK and Ireland to successfully deliver Trinity’s suite of arts qualifications. Annabel is also a school governor and is passionate about equal access to the arts for all young people. Holly Barradell is Head of Expressive Arts at Skinners' Kent Academy and one of the founders of Open Drama UK.

Award-winning Head of Department/Youth Leader Benjamin Turner started Rap Club after a detention. Now a youth-led community/company, they have performed at Wembley Arena, Royal Albert Hall and been featured by BBC. Benjamin is now a Home Office #knifefree advocate, recognised for his work against knife cultures.

Dr Elizabeth Stafford is the Director of Music Education Solutions®, and Senior Lecturer in Music Business and Professional Studies at Leeds College of Music.

Lottie Brook is the Learning and Participation Manager at the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM). Jenni Cohen and Mark Howley are the NCEM’s project managers for the York, Hull and East Riding I Can Play! projects, that help deaf young people access music making.

Melanie Bowes is a Secondary Head of Music-turned early stages group piano teacher. Having experienced the huge gap in opportunities for early years learners and piano, and with her experience as a classroom music teacher, Melanie is passionate about providing opportunities for all learners to access creative piano lessons.

Mike Simpson is the Musical Director of Inspire-works, a Trinity College London examiner and author of Rhinegold Education’s Teach & Play world-music series. He is also a trained REMO HealthRHYTHMS facilitator, Rhythm2Recovery facilitator, Mental Health First Aider and an Associate of the Royal Society of Public Health.

Nathaniel is the Music Leader at Nelson Primary School in Newham and conducts nine regularly rehearsing ensembles, including the Barking Concert Band, Pavilion Brass Band, Newham Music Jazz Collective and a flourishing school orchestra of more than 60 children, most of whom are pre-Grade 1 standard.

Patrice Baldwin is an international freelance Drama for Learning specialist, having been Chair of National Drama and President of the International Drama Theatre and Education Association (IDEA). She has published several books, was a Primary Headteacher, Ofsted Inspector, Arts Education Adviser and Drama Editorial Expert for Rose’s proposed National Curriculum.

Paul Harris is one of the UK’s most influential music educationalists. He studied the clarinet at the Royal Academy of Music, where he now teaches. He is in great demand as a teacher, composer, and writer (he has written over 600 books); and his inspirational masterclasses and workshops continue to influence thousands of young musicians and teachers all over the world in both the principles and practice of musical performance and education.

Paul Tierney is a lecturer in music at North East Scotland College in Aberdeen.  He gained his PhD in composition from the University of Aberdeen and is musical director of the Haddo House Choral and Operatic Society and the Inverurie Orchestra.

Rebecca Berkley is a lecturer in Music Education at the University of Reading. She leads the BA Primary Education with Music Specialism (QTS), the leading undergraduate programme in the UK for training primary music subject leaders. She is the Artistic Director of Music at Reading www.reading.ac.uk/music

Cambridge graduate Stephen Marquiss journeyed from prize-winning piano scholar through struggles with physical injury and mental health to Piano Portals, a holistic route to piano mastery and radical substitute for conventional exercises. Stephen performs and speaks internationally, pioneering a healthy, fresh approach to playing and teaching.

Samantha Coates is an internationally regarded pedagogue and presenter. She is the creator of BlitzBooks, the series that has brought laughter and creativity to music theory, sight reading and rote repertoire. Samantha’s lighthearted approach is reflected in her ongoing dedication to making all areas of music accessible, enjoyable and memorable.

Sue Nicholls has published several resource books for non-specialists with Collins and OUP and has contributed material to many other publications. She works as an independent music education consultant delivering courses, seminars, workshops and teacher training modules. Sue also leads the ‘Fast-Track’ Trinity CME programme at Northampton University.

Head of Steel Pans/Steel Pan Development Officer at Leeds ArtForms, and vice-chair of YAMSEN:SpeciallyMusic. Victoria is authority on behaviour management and inclusion with children in challenging circumstances. She also works freelance setting up steel pans and giving workshops on behaviour management and inclusion in Music education.

Anna is Head of Programmes for Orchestras for All, a music education charity supporting young people with complex lives to access inclusive ensemble music-making opportunities. Anna oversees work across OFA's three programmes: the National Orchestras for All, the schools and communities Modulo Programme and ensemble leadership development programme, Conductors for Change. Prior to this role, Anna taught and led classroom music for eight years across a range of primary and secondary age groups and contexts.

Emma is Artistic Associate at Orchestras for All, a music education charity supporting young people with complex lives to access inclusive ensemble music-making opportunities. Emma develops OFA's artistic programme, and supports with pedagogical delivery across the three OFA programmes, conducting OFA ensembles, creating large-scale inclusive orchestral arrangements, and leading conducting training for music leaders. Emma previously taught secondary music for eight years and continues to conduct a diverse range of amateur and professional ensembles.

Keyboard player, composer and vocalist. John has a "unique and flavoursome" style that sits in a harmonic dimension of its own. John has worked as a gigging musician for 15 years, playing with bands of many different styles and genres. John is also an educator and manages a Rock School accredited music course for 16-24 year olds.

Neyire Ashworth is a coach and Clarinet Professor at the Junior Guildhall School. Towards a More Flexible Musician of the Future (Neyire’s professional motto) inspires her students to engage with the world around, whilst developing a form in which instrumental playing and theatre can marry seamlessly and meaningfully.

Dr Alison Daubney is a qualified teacher and researcher. She’s been involved in projects considering the health and well-being of young musicians; worked with the University of Cambridge International Examinations on international curriculum and assessment development and works with the University of Sussex. She is the co-author of Performance Anxiety.

Gregory Daubney is a Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist registered with the British Psychological Society. Greg has worked extensively across performance psychology domains since 2008. He has developed a thorough understanding of the psychological impact of performance on individuals and groups, with a particular interest and specialism in sport and other performance settings.

National Youth Theatre Associates are trained to deliver fun and informative workshops to both educators and young people.

Gareth Malone OBE is well known in the UK and around the world as a choral animateur, singer, composer and workshop leader.

Catherine de Sybel is a composer, pianist and music educator. Her teaching career, spanning over twenty years, has encompassed work in mainstream, private and specialist schools, always driving inclusive music education to the forefront of the curriculum.

Emma’s career spans nearly 30 years of music teaching, training, research and developing resources in early childhood. Emma’s life, studies and work confirms multimodal approaches combined with pedagogical know-how in communication and learning is positive. She founded Music House for Children to nurture early development and wellbeing through music. Emma’s deafness is a secret but useful to know in the context of her passion for nurturing communication through music and imaginative play.

Zeena has been a teacher for over 20 years, in roles from the classroom to pastoral to SLT and back again and in a range of schools. She has taught primary, secondary and post-16, and delivered GCSE, BTEC, GNVQ, NCFE and A Level. Zeena contributes to National Drama as Vice Chair and Reviews Editor, and through the Drama Matters campaign. She has enjoyed delivering well received sessions at regional TeachMeets, ND sessions, the Music & Drama Education Expo | London, and BSME Music and Drama 2017. Zeena studied at Bretton Hall, Homerton and Central School, and achieved AST and Leadership certification.

Alison Warren & Catherine Nash collectively have 50 years Drama teaching experience. Alison is currently subject leader at Clarendon Academy in Trowbridge, teaching AQA GCSE Technical Award in Performing Arts & BTEC Performing Arts whilst Catherine is Head of Drama at Kingswood School in Bath teaching AQA GCSE and A Level Drama. They are two of the five co founders of ‘Open Drama’ - a new organisation which seeks to create Drama networks across the educational and theatre sectors. Together they are No Nonsense Drama’, creating written resources and offering support to UK Drama teachers. They have been involved in delivering ‘The Clarenwood Project’ - a collaborative venture to students at their respective schools for three years.

Jo Lock Smith has passionately led the PGCE Drama at Plymouth University since 2006 and has been a 14-19 Coordinator of Expressive Arts, Head of Drama, AQA Examiner and Drama teacher for the last 20 years across schools in the South West of England.

Judith McAuslan BA Music, MA Education is a Conservatoire trained singer, violinist and Kodaly teacher. She has 14 years of experience teaching in primary and preschools and is currently a music specialist teacher in a school in Warrington, providing class music, choir training, strings programme, and CPD for teachers

Francesca is Head of Music at Trinity College London. She trained as a singer at Music College, then moved into secondary teaching after doing her PGCE. She worked with The Open University on the Music PGCE programme, and joined TCL in 2008. She is studying for her PhD at BCU.

Jane Cook has 25 years of mentoring, coaching and leadership experience in education and the arts, including as a headteacher and national education adviser. As Senior Associate and Specialist Adviser to the Guildhall School, Jane devised GSMD’s training programme 'The Coaching Approach', an EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council) accredited course available at Foundation and Practitioner levels.

Jennifer Cohen is the project manager for I Can Play! in York and Hull. Alongside this role, she enjoys leading music workshops (for the National Centre for Early Music and for Music and the Deaf), lecturing and researching in music education, performance and musicology at the University of York, teaching her private instrumental students, and performing as a professional flautist.

Rachel Hawker is Head of Academy at Rocksteady Music School, a nationwide independent music service teaching over 30,000 primary school children each week. With a plethora of experience teaching music, Rachel is responsible for the learning and development. She regularly hosts Inset days in primary schools throughout the UK, helping teachers introduce music education across the curriculum. Rachel is an experienced speaker and passionately believes in teaching children life skills which build the whole person.

Holly Barradell is currently the Head of Expressive Arts Faculty at an all ability Academy in Tunbridge Wells. Holly trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in Stage Management and worked in industry before re-training to be a teacher. She has been teaching for over a decade, won a teaching award as an NQT and recently was nominated and granted an FRSA. Holly has been a moderator/examiner for several exam boards and is currently a critical friend for the Action for Children’s Arts as well as an external subject expert for OFQUAL. Holly is a co-founder of Open Drama UK and is at present working as a co-author on a teacher textbook for HarperCollins Publishers.

James is the Director of Music for Windsor Learning Partnership. He works with students from Year 1-13 and leads a number of school based choirs, orchestra, bands and ensembles.

Douglas Noble works at a strategic level nationally for Drake Music, as Programme Lead on the Youth Music Fund C Programme, Think 22. He manages the Drake Music training programme, offering a range of courses in the use of Assistive Music Technology to overcome disabling barriers to music making, and leads on bespoke consultancy activity, including working closely with Music Education Hubs.

James Rae is one of Europe’s most published writers of educational wind music, having at present over 250 publications to his credit. His music includes instrumental jazz study books, tutors, five musicals, transcriptions and many volumes of duets along with sonatinas and chamber works for all woodwinds and saxophones. Many of his publications are to be found on all the major wind examination syllabuses worldwide. As a freelance clarinettist and saxophonist, James Rae has worked professionally in nearly every possible musical situation from West End musicals to engagements with some of the country’s major orchestras. As well as writing and performing, James Rae has tutored and conducted on many courses over the last 35 years including the highly popular Northern Saxophone Course, Ace Foundation Courses (Cambridge) and Jazz Zone. James Rae lives in Carshalton Beeches in Surrey with his wife Sue and two sons Andrew and Stephen. His interests are food, drink and anything at all to do with railways!

British Youth Music Theatre (BYMT) is the UK’s leading music theatre company for young people aged 11-21. BYMT is a youth theatre like no other putting young people at the centre of the creative process to produce vibrant, innovative and original works in some of the UK's top venues and festivals. We work with leading industry professionals to offer our young participants unique opportunities and high-quality training. Since 2003 we have trained over 8,000 young people, many of whom have successfully entered the creative industries such as Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Lauren Samuels, Charlotte Ritchie, Jack Bence, Lucy Griffiths and many more. We've also created over 100 brand new musicals, including Loserville the Musical, which went on to be produced professionally at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and in the West End and was nominated for Best New Musical at the Olivier, Whatsonstage and BroadwayWorldUK awards.

Keith Burt has been working in Drama Education for 20 years. Graduating from the Central School of Speech and Drama, he went on to get a Masters in Drama and Education at Middlesex University. An experienced and established Head of Drama and former Artistic Director of a Theatre Company, he is also the author of the website Burt’s Drama. Keith delivers CPD and one-to-one support, both direct in schools and in venues, across the country. As an author, Keith regularly contributes to Teaching Drama and Drama & Theatre Magazines and is currently publishing a book “Next Stages: Building and Assessing a Knowledge Rich Drama Curriculum”.

David's groups have won "Outstanding Performance Awards" at the National Festival of Music for Youth, and a Guinness World Record in the Royal Albert Hall. His music and teaching methods have been recognised on Radio 2 by Chris Evans and in Parliament by the then Education Secretary Ed Balls.

Jo Franklin is Head of Technical Theatre Arts at Guildford School of Acting (GSA), part of the University of Surrey, where she is responsible for the BA Theatre Production and MA Stage and Production Management. She has a BA in Drama from Aberystwyth University and trained in stage management at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Having worked as a professional stage manager in a variety of companies, she then moved into teaching at GSA. She has recently completed an MA in Higher Education at Surrey, focusing on the pedagogy of training in stage management and technical theatre, and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is also a secondary school governor and has recently worked as a stage manager on two large scale community opera commissions for Surrey Arts.

Teachers Rock® Youth Choir - the core mission behind Teachers Rock® - to inspire, develop, educate and empower young people. Discover how this new learning community of young people can help support the development of music education across your school or setting.