Tutors
Jane Bryant, Chief Executive
Jane Bryant joined Coda as its new Chief Executive in January 2007. With a degree in Music from the University of Leeds, Jane has a background in music education and arts management. Prior to joining CODA, Jane was Head of Development with Arts Council England, South East (ACESE) – a post which she held from 2003 to end of 2006. Previous roles have included: Education Officer with Southern Arts the then Regional Arts Board for central Southern England (merged into ACESE); Director of Cumbria Arts in Education (an independent charitable trust); and, between 1986 and 1992, Jane worked as Tours Co-ordinator in the Music Department of the Scottish Arts Council. Her teaching roles have included Head of Music (1981 to 1985) with Dubai College, an international secondary school in the United Arab Emirates. She began her career as a Music Teacher in the Orkney Islands. Jane is also a keen performer and spends much of her free time participating in music making.
Guy Gardner
BA Hons Music, PGCE.
Guy studied piano privately with several renown jazz pianists. He studied composition at Dartington college of arts and later gained a PGCE in post 16 adult education. Since leaving university in 2000 Guy has performed nationally with top rank jazz players including Pee Wee Ellis; Roger Beaujolais; Dave O Higgins; Jim Mullen; Derek Nash and Mornigton Locket. He has recorded two albums, one featuring his own trio and one with vocalist Sue Hawker. Guy continues an active performance schedule as well as teaching.
Chris Hopgood
Chris Hopgood - a highly experienced and versatile guitar player who has been successful in a wide range of music genres. He is equally at ease with Folk, Blues, Country, Jazz, Funk, Rock, Metal, and Punk or with original pieces on electric or acoustic stringed instruments. He was lead guitarist for the highly acclaimed folk rock band, Arlen, and also Lady Winwoods Maggot. He has played at many of the national festivals including Glastonbury.
Chris is also a committed teacher. In addition to an HND in music performance and a Cert Ed he has five years experience of teaching students aged between 8 and 80. He brings experience from his teaching at the highly respected South Downs College and many other establishments across Hampshire to Coda.
He is a charismatic teacher and mentor who will encourage students to play music for enjoyment.
Linda Cameron
Linda trained as a Music Specialist teacher at Newton Park College, Bath, gaining a distinction in the Practice of Education. She has been the Musical Director at a number of schools, where extra curricular activities have involved her in many projects, including The Welsh National Opera and the Bournemouth Sinfonietta. In 2004 Linda trained 100 children in Salisbury for a performance of Britten’s Noyes Fludde, broadcast from Salisbury Cathedral on BBC4. Linda’s love of Musical Theatre and Opera has led her to direct several musicals including “The Boyfriend” “O what a lovely war” “Salad Days”. She currently enjoys teaching at Stagecoach Theatre Arts schools in Salisbury and Downton, where, for ten years she has prepared students vocally for many performances of Bill Kenwright’s touring productions. These include, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat”, “Whistle Down the Wind”, “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Scrooge”. She prepared children for an Ellen Kent Opera International performance of Tosca in Basingstoke in April 2007. Linda has directed a Stagecoach Regional Choir (Test Valley) winning the cup at the Stagecoach International Choral Festival in 2006 at The Birmingham Symphony Hall. Linda now enjoys bringing her enthusiasm to her local community in the New Forest where, in 2007 she began C.L.A.S.S. an adult singing school with a focus towards Musical Theatre. Linda also always looks forward to directing the Coda Choir each week.
Rachel More
www.rachelmore.com
Rachel became involved in singing as a teenager on the local theatre circuit with lead roles in productions shows such as Salad Days, The Wizard of Oz, Carmen, and West Side Story. On moving to London she trained as a classical singer which led to her first professional work as lead soprano for Voices Theatre Company. She then moved on to more contemporary singing, setting up her own show band, which toured Europe, and did session work as a backing vocalist for various pop and rock bands.
Whilst living in London, Rachel studied with the highly regarded West End singing tutor Penni Harvey-Piper, and was directed by David Kernan in a series of musical theatre workshops at The Theatre Museum, Covent Garden. Other theatre work includes concert performances of Les Miserables, Cats, gala tributes to the work of Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Through her links with Kingston University’s Drama department, she became involved in Sir Peter Hall’s high profile ‘Rose of Kingston’ Theatre project appearing in fundraising concerts with celebrities from theatre, film and music including Dame Judi Dench, Samantha Bond, Charles Dance and Laurie Holloway.
Over the last 4 years she has been building up a following on the UK jazz circuit as a singer / songwriter. Her debut jazz album All My Tomorrows, released by 33 Jazz Records, has been well received and benefits from regular airplay on a number of radio stations both in the UK and overseas. She has performed her own cabaret show at Live on the Park, and other appearances include the National Theatre, Radio 4’s Loose Ends and ITV’s Meridian Tonight. She has already worked with many notables in the music industry such as bassist Geoff Gascoyne, currently on tour with Jamie Cullum, Alec Dankworth, Derek Nash (Jools Holland Band) and Scott Hamilton. Recent events include headlining at the renowned Jazz Divas Festival. She is currently working on her second album a jazz / pop fusion which will include more of her own compositions and arrangements.
In addition to teaching at Coda, Rachel is a singing tutor at the Swish of the Curtain Drama School. Her teaching covers individual and group tuition in vocal techniques and performance where she is able to draw upon her varied music experiences.
Bob Burke
Bobby Burke, who is a lively and enthusiastic musician, leads Coda Community Singers. He loves singing and performing, and enjoys supporting others to do the same. Bobby has had a varied career as a performer, composer, teacher and researcher, and has an active interest in many fields of music. He has performed with numerous pop, rock, jazz and folk outfits, and currently plays with a Latin/Celtic band ‘Djambo’, progressive roots jazz group ‘The F&R Trio’, and folk jazz quartet ‘Blue Sun’. Bobby is also currently doing doctoral research in popular music at the University of Southampton.
Daphne Harris
BA Hons
Daphne is a graduate of Liverpool University and has taught recorder and ocarina at local junior schools since 2002. She has a good rapport with young children and has completed a training programme for teaching music to 2-7 year olds using the Kodály approach. She has Grade 8 on recorder, and also plays clarinet, saxophone and piano. Daphne is also studying for an AMusTCL.
Meherunisha Vurchio
Meherunisha studied at Winchester School of Art & Music (cello and piano) and has completed a training programme for teaching music to young children using the Kodály approach. She has been working in schools for 4 years with classes age 3 upwards providing general music lessons and group instrumental lessons in recorder and keyboard.
Laura Toms
BA (Hons) Arts & Event Production
Laura has trained in Ballet, Tap and Modern Jazz/ Street and performed at the Millennium Dome in 2000 and for the Queen and Prince Phillip in 2004. Laura graduated from the Arts Institute at Bournemouth in 2004 and has been CODA's Music Projects Officer since October 2003 organising the ‘Play Making Music Weeks’ and administers the Coda Fiddle Orchestra. Laura set up the Baby Ballet class at Coda in September 2005. Her teacher training and certificates are with the British Theatre Dance Association in Leicester and Royal Academy of Dance in London.
Joel Heys (Admin)
BA Honours in Music
Joel graduated from Exeter University in 2000. He spent the following six years working in a variety of roles for Barclays bank before joining Coda in May 2006. Joel has always been a keen amateur musician and is particularly proud to have performed at the Royal Albert Hall and on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival.
Stephen Kenyon
BA, Dip ABRSM
Stephen took a 4 year postgraduate course of guitar and composition at Trinity College of Music and has attended many masterclasses. He is the musical director of the Dorset Guitar Society. He is an active composer and his music is included in all the exam syllabuses. He has produced three guitar concertos; the third has been played frequently in Germany whilst the first was premiered in June 2003. Stephen has an interest in jazz, folk, Indian – has played internationally - and is a member of the Quartetto Concertante.
Simon Mellish
Simon Mellish has won the British Snare Drum Championships and performed in many local theatre productions as acting Musical Director and show percussionist. He has performed with Robert Palmer, Earl Carpenter and Universal recording artist Colette van Sertima - taking over the drum chair from Sting's long time drummer Vinnie Coliauta. Simon enjoys teaching and has written drum instructional books for the Drumsense Teaching Project. One of these has become known as the "Snare Drum Method" and is used as part of the Trinity College Drum Kit exam syllabi.
Hilary Beckingham
ALCM Honours in Musical Theatre
Oobtained a degree in Primary Education at Manchester Metropolitan University and is a music specialist (Piano and Voice). In 2003, Hilary obtained an ALCM Honours in Musical Theatre performance from the London College of Music. Hilary has been teaching music and developing choirs for over 10 years both in Lancashire, and more recently locally, together with private tuition of voice and piano. Hilary joined us in January 2005 as our new Choral Director and runs the Coda Choir, Coda Singers, and is developing a youth choir, Codafonics.
Carol Davies
GWCMD PGCE
Carol graduated from the Welsh College of Music and Drama where she studied piano, recorder and violin and then gained a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at Cheltenham. She taught for several years at St Peter's School Bournemouth and now works for Dorset Music Service. She enjoys teaching a wide range of pupils and has gained the RSA, CertSPLD (Dyslexia). Carol also plays crumhorn and cornamuse and has taken part in productions of Twelfth Night and Britten's Noye's Fludde
Sandra Black
BA Hons Music
Sandra is a graduate of Colchester Institute's School of Music. She plays both oboe and piano. Sandra has taught piano to both children and adults as well as leading groups of young people on educational adventure holidays.
Gillian Tolliday
B.Ed, Dip.Ed, ALCM, LTCL
Gill graduated in music & education at Southampton University and obtained her diplomas at Trinity College and London College of Music. She is Professional Team Leader at Coda Music Trust. Gillian leads the Grainger String Quartet and plays viola in Stromenti String Quartet. Gillian also plays violin ‘Grapelli’ style in ‘Swing 39’ jazz quartet.
Joseph Koos
Joseph moved to London from his native Hungary and studied the cello with William Pleeth at the Guildhall School of Music and after that in Paris, with Paul Tortelier. He has freelanced with all the major London Orchestras. He joined The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and later The BBC Symphony Orchestras. In 1969 he was offered the principal cellist position in the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, which position he held for 27 years. He teaches at CODA Music Centre and frequently coaches the NCO and NYO.
Susan Nares
GTCL, PGCE, MT, FAMI
Susan obtained her music degree at Trinity College of Music and went on to become a teacher, performer and workshop. She joined the Coda team in 1995 and later went on to train as a music therapist at Bristol University where she gained her post graduate diploma in 2004. Susan was awarded an advanced practitioners fellowship (FAMI) in Norway in 2008 and currently lectures in advanced improvisation and music and community at Chichester University.
Frances Attwood
B.ED MT
Frances, a graduate of Bath University, was a class teacher and music-coordinator in a primary school for nine years. She has taught violin and piano privately and in a variety of schools for over 20 years. In addition she was a teacher at The Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street for nine years.
She qualified as a music therapist in 2002 at the Guildhall School of Music when she came to work for Coda. She spends part of her time working within the music therapy department at Coda as well as teaching violin and piano and enjoys working with all ages, abilities and people with a range of special needs.
