Our Team

“Finally I’ve met a music course trainer who really understands how to link all the different aspects of music together and how to break it down following the new national curriculum.”

“The best aspect of the course was the integrity of the delivery – honest, realistic and yet backed up by research and excellent and up-to-date familiarity. The fact that Liz had a background from many different camps really helped.”

“Liz had a very up to date knowledge of education and was obviously a very experienced musician. She was able to meet the different needs of all the participants in the room who came from very different starting points!”

MES is led by nationally-recognised music education expert Elizabeth Stafford. Elizabeth has over two decades’ experience as a Primary Music Teacher in numerous school & music service settings. Previously North West Area Leader for the KS2 Music CPD Programme (the government’s national CPD programme for music teachers involved in the Wider Opportunities scheme), she has held mentoring roles with Trinity College London, The Open University and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, and has achieved Mentor Certification from The Open University. Elizabeth has acted as training consultant to numerous Music Services and Music Education Hubs, and has developed interactive online training materials for SoundEd (The Open University and Trinity College London) and Music Tracks (Trinity College London). She has written articles for the National Association of Music Educators, Music Mark, the Music Masters and Mistresses Association and Teach Primary. She is Editor of Primary Music Magazine, Programme Leader for the Level 4 Certificate for Music Educators at Music Education Solutions, Senior Lecturer in Professional Studies (Music Tuition) at Leeds College of Music and music adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals.

Martin Ashley trained originally as a middle-school music specialist. He taught for 17 years in UK state and independent schools before moving into higher education at the University of the West of England, Bristol. There he led programmes of teacher development including the EdD and BA in Educational Studies. In 2007 he moved to Edge Hill University, where he was awarded a personal chair for his AHRC-funded post-doctoral work in young masculinity and vocal performance, and an institutional chair on appointment to the role of Head of Research. He retired from that role in April 2013 in order to concentrate more intensively on his research into young male singing and the promotion in the UK of the Cambiata singing concept for adolescent voices. He developed, in collaboration with the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, and continues to promote through the Association of British Choral Directors, the Cambiata based ‘Boys Keep Singing’ project.” He has written three books and several academic papers on the subject of boys’ singing, the most recent of which is available to purchase here.

David Ashworth is an education consultant specialising in music technology, and is Project Leader for www.teachingmusic.org.uk. He has been involved at a national level in most of the major music initiatives in recent years. David has successfully led Lancashire Music Service’s flagship ICT initiative, ICreaTe, for the last five years. This has had a major impact on the way primary and secondary schools across the county use music technology in creative music making. His recent publications and resources include: ‘Teaching Music – practical strategies for Key Stage 3’ (Rhinegold Digital); ‘Garage Band for Schools’ (an Apple iBook) and ‘Remixing using Technology’ resources for BBC Ten Pieces.

Professor Karen Burland is Head of theSchool of Music at Leeds University. Karen is a University Student Education Fellow and is investigating the ways in which undergraduate and postgraduate students engage with, and perceive, employability activities during university and beyond. She has research interests in musical development focusing on the environmental conditions leading to childhood musical success and the professional development of musicians during career transitions. Karen has published widely in well-respected journals and has participated in numerous interdisciplinary research collaborations.

Kay Charlton is a composer and educator alongside playing the trumpet with Bollywood Brass Band, who’s CD Carnatic Connection was placed #12 in Songlines Magazine’s top 50 world Music CDs of the last five years (2018). She teaches brass and WCET for Royal Greenwich Music Hub as well as teaching KS2 music at a Primary school in S E London.

Kay has composed examination pieces for Trinity College London and has brass/wind tutor books published by Spartan Press and Warwick Music. Her book of WCET repertoire & backing tracks, Are You Ready?, has also been converted into a series of online tutorials by MusicGurus, and she has delivered workshops based on this repertoire and her aural approach at the First Access Forum, Music Education Expo and as CPD sessions for Music Hubs. She composed the songs for Warwick Music’s pBuzz KS1 resource pack, which was awarded five stars in Teach Primary Magazine, and has also written resources for LSO Discovery and LPO Creative Classrooms.

Kay completed an MA in Music Education at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2018, and was awarded the Director’s Prize for Music Education.

Kirsty Devaney is a British composer who studied with Joe Cutler and Howard Skempton at Birmingham Conservatoire and is now a Junior Fellow at the Conservatoire. Her work specialises in working with and writing music for young and non-professionals and in 2011 she was nominated for a BASCA British Composer Award. Her music has been premiered by ensembles and musicians such as Orchestra of the Swan, Chroma, Ella Rundle and Richard Uttley, In Harmony, Orkest de Ereprijs, CoMA, Workers Union Ensemble, and BCMG.

Kirsty has worked as a freelance composer and workshop leader delivering workshops for a variety of different age groups including working for organisations such as with THSH, In Harmony Liverpool, CBSO, Stratford Literary Festival, and leading the ‘Young Composers Project’, an initiative set up by Birmingham Conservatoire to encourage more young people to compose. She has also closely worked with BCMG and lead CPD for Birmingham Music Service on composing. She has recently gained a research position at Birmingham City University under the supervision of professor Martin Fautley and Janet Hoskyns, researching composing in education.

Originally from Australia and now residing in Scotland, Vaughan has a broad range of teaching experience, ranging from Primary through to University, Instrumental through to Community Music, and everywhere in between. Vaughan studied both Music and Education at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane (Australia). This was then followed by a Masters of Music Education, majoring in Instrumental and Vocal Education, at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago (USA). He has worked extensively throughout Australia, Scotland, and North America, in positions such a Teacher of Music, Director of Bands, and Teaching Fellow in Music Education. Vaughan currently teaches Music at the Edinburgh Academy Junior School, having most recently been the Teaching Fellow in Music Education at Edinburgh University. In addition to this, he is the Conductor of the Peebles Concert Band and the Edinburgh University Female Voice Choir. Away from the classroom and podium, Vaughan is in demand as an adjudicator and educational speaker.

Anna worked for over 18 years as a classroom music teacher, Advanced Skills Teacher, Head of Department and Head of Community Music. Anna was a founder core team member of Musical Futures UK and now works as a freelance music education consultant.

As a consultant she has supported the work of many organisations in the UK including Music Mark, Trinity College London, and The BBC as well as working regularly with Music Education Hubs. An experienced presenter, speaker and practical workshop leader, Anna has also led presentations, panels, keynotes and workshops in China, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, USA, Europe and the Middle East.

Gemma works both as a professional classical singer and as an educator. As a performer, she sings in Dublin with Chamber Choir Ireland; in Birmingham with Ex Cathedra; and in Warwick with Armonico Consort. She also performs across the UK as a soprano soloist. As an educator, Gemma currently works on a variety of projects, including Ex Cathedra’s Singing Medicine at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Singing Playgrounds in primary schools and Singing Pathways in Solihull Hospital. She teaches singing and piano privately and until 2013 she was Head of Music at Ludlow School in Shropshire. Gemma is also Assistant Director of Music at The Parish Church of St Laurence in Ludlow.

In her 20 year teaching career, Jenny has worked for schools and Music Services across the Midlands. Whilst a manager at Entrust Music & Performing Arts in Staffordshire she took on a number of roles, including Curriculum Leader, and most recently Teaching & Learning Leader. She also coordinated the Staffordshire Music Partnership, a high profile Arts Council funded initiative in 2008-9. Jenny now also works as a Trainer, Mentor and Workshop Leader. As well as being a Mentor for the Trinity CME she is also UK Lead Teacher for Yamaha Class Band and delivers training and seminars across the country to Music Service and School Teachers. She also works as a freelance trainer for Charanga.

Phil Mullen is one of the world’s leading experts on musical inclusion and community music. Phil has worked for thirty-three years developing music with people who are socially excluded. He specializes in working with excluded children and young people at risk. Phil spent 8 years working in Northern Ireland using music as a tool for peace and reconciliation. He has run workshops and seminars in 27 countries across Europe, North and South America and Asia.

Phil has been national inclusion advisor to Sing Up and has been involved as an evaluator for the National Foundation for Youth Music’s nationwide Musical Inclusion programme. He works with Hubs, music organizations and schools around inclusion training and strategic development on inclusion.

Phil has a PHD from Winchester University and has written a number of book chapters on musical inclusion including for the Oxford Handbook of Community Music (2018).

Graeme Rudland has worked in an advisory capacity for almost 30 years, following 15 years experience teaching music in the Primary and Secondary sectors. He has supported the development of specialist and non-specialist teachers, trainees, and instrumental tutors as well as developing the education programme of a professional orchestra. He was a Chief Examiner for GCSE music from 2001-2014, and between 2007-2011 he was deputy to the National Subject Leader for developing the Key Stage 3 music curriculum. He has also worked with instrumental tutors within the government funded Key Stage 2 programme (2008 – 2011) and between 2012 and 2015 he supported the establishment of the award winning Tri-Borough Music Hub in Central London. He retired as a Senior Manager in the Leicester Music Education Hub in 2017, and currently undertakes freelance work.for a number of organisations including the role of Secondary Curriculum consultant to The Music Partnership in Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent and Telford and Wrekin.