From: Ripon
Teaches ages: 5 to 100
Main instruments:
Bassoon (Grade 1 to Diploma)
Clarinet (Grade 1 to Diploma)
Jane also teaches:
Teaching experience:
I have taught since 1967, Bassoon, Clarinet & Piano at many schools all over the UK including Winchester College, Sedbergh School, Bermuda, Ripon College of Ripon & York St John, Ripon Cathedral Choir School, Queen Mary's School, privately. I have also coached many chamber/orchestral ensembles throughout the UK at all levels.
Many of my pupils are now professional musicians or teachers but more importantly, most of them still play because they "love" making music whatever profession they have pursued in life. This surely has to be the main objective when teaching an instrument!
Performing experience:
I started playing the Piano aged 4 years old, gained a music scholarship to senior school, starting the clarinet and then gained entrance to the Menuhin School. A year later I decided that the piano was not for me, certainly as a performer. I continued at Winchester College both to teach piano & play, as well as singing almost every day in church & chamber choirs. I started learning the bassoon that I entered Trinity College of Music as first study a year later, where II studied with Vernon Elliot & Roger Hellyer as well as Roger Birnstingl.
During my college training, I specialised in Chamber Music, forming with The Endellion Ensemble – this was a wind quintet & piano, working with a string quartet (the members of whom went on to form The Medici String Quartet.) We toured the country, featuring at the Endellion Festival and performing works written for us by modern composers (including Knussen & Bainbridge) at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. I also taught woodwind and freelanced as an orchestral musician during this time.
In 1975 I changed track completely to train with Bob Davies in the Lake District, making wonderful harpsichords as well as doing woodwind repairs for two years.
In 1980, now living in Ripon, I was offered some teaching at Ripon Cathedral Choir School & Ripon College as well as freelancing as a bassoonist again. Then a new challenge in Bermuda, building up the double reed teaching as well as playing over there and in the USA, as well as helping with the planning of the bi-annual Bermuda Festival.
Returning home after two years and after a short break, I started working as administrator for Vacation Chamber Orchestras (President: Sir Simon Rattle), St Cecilia and Mowbray Orchestras.
Vacation Chamber Orchestras is a student chamber orchestra that runs 4 courses every year in both Europe & this country. It is designed to give orchestral experience to students (either 6th formers or university & music colleges) who want to have a career in music. The standard of performance is exceptionally high and we work in close collaboration with string/wind tutors from the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, English Chamber Orchestra, RPO, Manchester Camerata & Psappha I am administrator & fixer for this organisation as well as a wind coach, nurse and “auntie jane!”
St Cecilia Orchestra runs as a large symphony Orchestra based in Ripon that performs at least 6 concerts a year to a very high standard. I also manage The Mowbray Orchestra which is the professional wing of St Cecilia and works regularly both as a chamber orchestra & chamber ensemble as well as an orchestra for accompanying choral societies all over the north of England. I was orchestral fixer & bassoonist for Opus 1 Opera for three years until it ceased to be.
In 2015 I am also a jury member/adjudicator for the largest Youth Music Festival in Europe in Neerpelt Belgium.
Level of Qualification:
FTCL (Fellow of Trinity College of Music)
