Information About Steve - Buckfastleigh teacher

Personal Description:

Steve began studying the clarinet at the age of 10, first with Cyril Chapman (clarinetist with the Royal Philharmonia Orchestra) and later with Colin Courtney (clarinet professor at the Royal College of Music). He was a member of the Bromley Symphony Orchestra from ages 14 to 18 playing anything from Haydn and Mozart to Stravinsky and Shostakovich. At 16 he took up the saxophone with a pile of Charlie Parker 78’s as his main guide and inspiration. He completed an Earth Sciences degree at Leeds University before deciding to become a professional musician.

He was a key member of Loose Tubes (the highly acclaimed 21 piece jazz orchestra that became the focal point of the British jazz renaissance of the 80s). During this time, he was closely associated with the London African and Latin American scenes, playing with bands such as Taxi Pata Pata (a top Zairean Soukous outfit) , Bosco D’Olivera’s Grupo Folia and Roberto Pla’s Latin Jazz Ensemble. His own projects included Orchestra Rafiki, co-led by long-time associate Chris Batchelor and featuring Kenyan Nyatiti player Ayub Ogada and Ghanaian drummer Nana Appiah. He also toured and recorded with Ashley Slater’s Microgroove, Norman Cook’s Beats International and the contemporary classical ensemble Jeremy Peyton-Jones’ Regular Music. He was also involved in several Django Bates’ Projects.

His continued connections with African music led him to travel to Ghana to work with The Pan African Orchestra and with Kakatsitsi in the UK. He has also played and recorded with Massukos from Mozambique.

Steve’s main area of work has always been within the contemporary jazz scene, playing and recording with artists such as John Taylor, Julian Arguelles, Eddie Parker, Iain Ballamy, Steve Noble, Huw Warren, Colin Towns, Seb Rochford, Mark Lockheart, Mike Outram, Joseph Jarman, Jonathan Joseph and Kit Downes to name but a few. Steve’s close association with Chris Batchelor has continued with projects such as the internationally acclaimed Big Air, featuring Myra Melford, Jim Black and Oren Marshall. In 2006 Steve and Chris received the BBC Jazz on 3 award for best new work with “Ten Tall Tales”. More recently he has played and recorded with the legendary South African pianist Tete Mbambisa and also with a re-united Loose Tubes.

New projects include Zone-B, a Buckley/Batchelor production featuring guitarist Rob Luft, bassist Tom Herbert and drummer Gene Calderazzo.

Tutoring Experience:

I have over thirty years of experience working as both a performer and music educator at a high professional level. For the last five years I have been working for the Bromley Youth Music Trust (BYMT) as a licensed peripatetic instrumental teacher working in several secondary and primary schools. I have also worked for BYMT as one of the Jazz School tutors and also as part of the Band on the Run scheme running beginner ensembles. I continue to be a visiting tutor at The Royal Academy, Trinity Laban and Guildhall music schools. Between 2010 and 2018 I lived and worked in Devon as a peripatetic instrumental and music ensemble teacher in several schools in the South Hams and Teignbridge areas including Coombeshead Academy, Teign School and Doddiscombsleigh Primary. I was one of the tutors involved in assisting Andy Tyner with the Bushell Youth Communty Orchestra.

Tutoring Approach:

My aim as a teacher has always been to take every student as an individual and find that which will ensure that their lessons are constructive, enjoyable and inspiring, which hopefully will encourage them to commit to their musical studies; it’s very important to me that my students’ association with, and experience of, music making is, and always remains, a positive one.