Training / education

I took up the flute at the age of 8 and found as many opportunities as possible throughout my school years to perform. This included playing as principle flute with The Colchester Youth Chamber Orchestra, Essex Young Peoples Orchestra and Essex Youth Orchestra. I graduated with a degree in music in 2001 from Royal Holloway, London University where I joint majored in performance and composition. During this time I performed in a number of concerts both as a soloist and in ensembles in places such as St Johns, Smith Square with the Royal Holloway Symphony Orchestra, and at the Bloomsbury Theatre with a production of "Sweet Charity." In 2004 I obtained a Master of Arts from Colchester Institute specialising in performance on the flute, studying under Chris Lacey and Charles Hine. I have also attended a number of international flute summer schools where I have benefited from the expertise of Trevor Wye, William and Michie Bennett and Ian Clarke.

Current work

I work as a freelance musician and woodwind and piano teacher in Essex - both privately and in schools. I am a member of the Essex Concert Orchestra, Trillium (a woodwind trio), and have a busy performance schedule as a soloist and also as a pit musician around various musical, choral and operatic societies. A passion for bringing music to children led me to form The Upbeat Youth Band - a group for musicians of grades 1-5 standard and I also conduct the Colchester Youth Chamber Orchestra Junior section. 1998 saw the birth of the Wethersfield Youth Music Festival; this annual concert brings together musicians from around the Wethersfield area, many of whom do not get the opportunity to perform elsewhere, to raise money for charity.