Music Staff

Music > Music Staff

Alex Forsyth - Saxophone Teacher: Alex's varied musical career includes big-band jazz, folk music with a ceildh band, experimental music and performance poetry with writer Ben Okri. Outside College, Alex runs his own ensembles and is in great demand as a saxophonist.
Arrun Saunders - Bass Guitar Teacher: Arrun has over 14 years worth of playing experience ranging from solo projects to quartets, 10 piece funk bands to Big Bands. His musical tuition started at Eggars School, Hampshire, where he played in the Big Band, Jazz Band, Modern Jazz Quintet and many other ensembles. These ensembles toured France and Italy playing in such places as Verona, Venice and Vicenza. After Eggars, Arrun went to Alton College where among others he studied A-Level Music. Here he was able to be part of the prestigious Alton College Jazz Band. Alongside Alton College, Arrun joined HYJO (Hampshire Youth Jazz Orchestra) where he was able to perform in many of the local and not so local jazz venues, including concert tours to Prague, Copenhagen and Malmo. During his time at Southampton University, Arrun played in numerous funk and soul bands, most notably the 7 piece 'Buster Groove' as well as the three-piece 'Brown', lead by Hitch Thompson. His main influences have been from the late Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, James Brown, Herbie Hancock, Mark King and many, many more. Arrun teaches on the Rockschool @ Alton College Saturday school.
Barbara Henvest - Accompanist: Barbara studied at the Royal College of Music - gaining an ARCM in Piano Teaching and LRAM in Piano Accompaniment, since when she has acted as accompanist and repetiteur for many international singers. She currently teaches at Brockenhurst Sixth Form College, and for the last 26 years has been employed as the Principal Keyboard player with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Just recently Barbara has taken up the trombone - studying with Donal Bannister (2nd trombone BSO) and plays with the Lymington Band and is principal trombone in the Dorset County Orchestra. She enjoys travelling, reading, walking with her dog and solving crosswords.
Carly Weaving - Singing Teacher: Carly is a coloratura soul soprano currently working in Southampton and teaching on the Rockschool @ Alton College Saturday school. After studying at Alton College, Carly went on to graduate from Southampton University - majoring in vocal performance under the direction of Nichola Christie. Her final year dissertation studied the social and economic and success factors within the modern day popular music industry. Carly is a member of the girl group The Vanillas as well as the close harmony vocal ensemble Chasing Butterflies.
Carole Jenkins - Violin Teacher: Carole is a teacher and musician with a passion for viola and violin. Her music teaching and playing styles encompass a wide range of music genres from Classical, American Bluegrass, Louisiana Cajun songs and Irish jigs to Eastern European Sirbas. Carole studied viola at Huddersfield and teacher training at Bretton Hall College, Wakefield. She worked for the Hampshire Music Service and Alton College for 12 years teaching instrumental music including violin, viola, cello, keyboard and guitar. After obtaining an A level in Music Technology, Carole took up the position of course leader and tutor for BTEC Music Technology at South Thames College in Wandsworth and became Advanced Practitioner for tutorial and student support for the Music and Performing Arts department. Carole has set up her own recording studio and is now the violinist in a four piece all women band called The Rosa Band.
David Gibson - Accompanist and Piano Teacher: David Gibson began his musical training as a chorister and Lay Clerk in Chichester Cathedral Choir. As an Organ Scholar, he later studied music at the universities of London and Sussex. He has worked extensively as a pianist and organist but has been a freelance conductor for the past sixteen years, working with many of the top orchestras in the country, including the Philharmonia, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the London Mozart PlayersIn 1991 he was appointed Assistant Director of Music and Chorus Master of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. He is currently Musical Director of the Southampton Philharmonic Society, Basingstoke Choral Society, the Occam Singers and, since 1999 the Croydon Philharmonic Choir. In 1994 he was appointed Musical Director of European Chamber Opera and took up a similar post with Opera Holland Park in 1996. He has also conducted extensively for Travelling Opera with repertoire including Carmen, Don Giovanni, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Magic Flute, Barber of Seville, La Bohème, Tosca, Madam Butterfly and Un Ballo in Maschera, performing in Singapore, Hong Kong, France, Italy, Barbados, and the USA. Future plans include conducting Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius at the Basingstoke Anvil and an Opera Gala in September. An invitation to return to the London Mozart Players and a debut with the Hanover Band are also scheduled for next season.
Diana Vivian - Singing Teacher: Diana Vivian studied singing at the Royal Academy of Music and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Rudolf Piernay. She was awarded a Countess of Munster Scholarship and gained the Principal's Prize for outstanding performance. Whilst still at college, she sang Arie Antiche at the Purcell Room and on BBC Radio 3. In October 2004, she was invited to sing Starenka in Robert Carsen's highly acclaimed production of Jenufa for Vlaamse Opera, whilst last year she sang Verdi's Requiem in Guildford Cathedral and she sang in Mahler's 4th Symphony and Strauss's Four Last Songs in Oxford. She has recently returned from a concert tour of Italy where she sang the solos in the Messiah and Haydn's Nelson Mass in Rome and Florence, and future projects include Nabucco at Richmond Theatre and Ariadne auf Naxos in London and Windsor.
Emily Chapman - Violin Teacher: Emily Chapman has been playing the violin for over twenty years. She studied for her undergraduate degree at Royal Holloway, University of London and Post-graduate degree at Birmingham Conservatoire where she studied with Professor Jaqueline Ross and Peter Thomas. She has performed with the English Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, Midland Sinfonia, Queen's Park Sinfonia, Thames Sinfonia and many string quartets around the country. Emily has taught the violin for the last five years. Teaching at Oundle School, King Edward's VI Aston School and for the Birmingham Music Service.
John Lofthouse - Singing Teacher: John graduated from Durham University with a degree in Theology subsequently studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio. John continues his studies with Russell Smythe and also teaches at Thames Valley University. Recent oratorio performances include Mendelssohn Elijah, Handel Judas Maccabaeus at the QEH, Messiah in Carlisle and Portsmouth Cathedrals, Mozart Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall, Bach St. John Passion in Southwell Minster, Vaughan Williams Mystical Songs in Rochester Cathedral and Britten War Requiem. Future plans include Keeper of the Madhouse The Rake's Progress for Opera East/Iford Arts, cover Chao Sun A Night at the Chinese Opera for Scottish Opera , Britten/Auden recital in Ealing, Guglielmo Cosi Fan Tutte for Opera UK and concerts around the UK including Belshazzar's Feast in Cumbria in 2008.
John Moline - Guitar Teacher: At the age of 10, John was lent a Led Zeppelin record and from that pivotal moment he knew he had to learn the guitar. He tried for a quick fix by going 'down to the crossroads at midnight...' but unlike Robert Johnson he was not magically transformed in to a guitar god. After many years of study, he decided to become a guitar teacher and made it his sworn duty to convince other young hopefuls that there is no substitute for practice, knowledge and technique (and not to rely on the 'Robert Johnson' method!). As well as teaching, John has played in all sorts of bands from roots blues, pop, mainstream rock, experimental noise attack to the psychedelic voodoo-blues-sleaze of his own band Vibracore.
Laurence Hall - Rhythm Teacher: Loz has studied with some of the world's best drum tutors both in the UK and the USA. In addition, he is still a keen student, taking in every opportunity to expand his knowledge of the instrument. As a player Loz has performed with numerous rock, jazz, pop and folk artists both in the studio setting and touring live on three continents. In the UK he has played live in a variety of situations including The International Sidmouth Folk festival, Bracknell Jazz festival and in London, everywhere from the 100 club to the Hammersmith Odeon, taking in Ronnie Scotts on the way. He has also performed on various live radio and TV broadcasts in the UK and Europe. In the field of education Loz has worked extensively in the private sector, held the position of principal drum tutor in one of the country's leading contemporary music schools, written educational articles for the UK drum publication Rhythm and run seminars with international artists. On a local level he has worked with the Surrey County Music Service, run their teacher training inset days and organised the percussion for the county steel bands. Loz currently leads his own jazz trio and runs the Holistic Drum Agency, a private consultation service for pro level players.
Mark Thomas - Guitar Teacher: Mark has been playing guitar since he was 12. Mark studied classical guitar for many years but also played in rock bands, touring the UK and Europe for the first ten years of his professional career encompassing many styles of music. Mark went on to compose music for various feature length films and has had numerous commissions for compositions for the media industry. With diverse musical tastes, Mark is now involved in projects which vary from roots blues and country to heavy riffing rock using microtonal tunings and alternative time signatures. Mark has now been teaching for 25 years and has many students that have gone on to play professionally or become guitar teachers themselves.
Martin Read - Head of Music: After completing his MMus in composition at Goldsmiths College, London University Martin was admitted as a Fellow of Trinity College of Music, since when his music has been performed by numerous ensembles and choirs at most major UK festivals and throughout Europe and the States. In May 1999, Martin was appointed as millennium composer to the Hampshire Music 2000 project, which involved him writing twelve pieces - including The Death of Colonel Boles, and culminating in him conducting nearly 700 performers in his Mary Rose at the Schools' Prom in The Royal Albert Hall. In June/July 2007 Martin's opera Rainforest - commissioned by Opera Minima with funds provided by the Arts Council and HSBC, was toured round the South and the Midlands, whilst he has recently been commissioned by The Anvil to create a community opera for May 2010 that will involve the town's adult music making ensembles.
Mick Foster - Jazz Course, Ensemble Director: Originally from Harrogate, North Yorkshire Mick studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has since worked extensively in the fields of jazz, commercial and classical music as a freelance saxophonist. He is a member of the Stan Sulzmann Big Band; the Michael Garrick Big Band which was recently featured on the BBC's Jazz Brittania concert at the Barbican Hall, London; The London Jazz Orchestra, which has in recent years worked with Billy Cobham and Norma Winstone, Frank Griffith's Nonet and the Back To Basie Orchestra. He has also worked with John Dankworth's Generation Band and was a member of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Mick is active as a session musician and regularly deputises in London's West End productions. Ensembles include NYJO, Contemporary Dance Theatre, Pete Cater Big Band. Mick is active in the field of musical education. In addition to running workshops he teaches saxophone and musicianship at Trinity College of Music, London he has been invited as a guest lecturer to the Guildhall School of Music, London.
Nic Harvey - Sound Recording Teacher: Since graduating from Farnborough with a HND in Music production, Nic has set up a small Audio and Video Production company, Pinpoint where he also works as a sound and lighting technician. Production credits include tracks by Louise Marshall, Innasense and ZeroCipher. Nic also lectures in sound recording and multimedia sound at Farnborough College of Technology.
Neil Blandford - Drum Kit Teacher: Neil has been playing drums for 11 years now, and been teaching privately for about 7 years. Having taken music and music technology here at Alton College, Neil went on to the Birmingham Conservatoire to study jazz drumming, and is now studying at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford. Always being open minded, Neil has played in a host of varying situations, from orchestra's to rock bands, from jazz ensembles and big bands to stage shows. Having learnt the trumpet and piano over the years, he approaches playing in a very musical manner and is of the opinion that using you ears is the most important part of being able to play well. As well as studying, Neil is constantly gigging with various ensembles, of which his main time is spent playing with the World Service Project, a jazz Quintet which has 2 past members of the college - Dave Morecroft and Tim Ower, and a current student Conor Chaplin. Neil also teaches on the Rockschool @ Alton College Saturday school.
Pande Shahov - Music Teacher, Music Technology Teacher and Accompanist: Pande was born in Macedonia. He studied composition with Tomislav Zografski at the Music Academy in Skopje. As a British Council scholar, he completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Composition at the Royal College of Music in London and is currently working towards his PhD in composition at Royal Holloway University of London. In his compositions, Pande explores orchestral timbre, modal harmonies and irregular rhythmic patterns. Recent premières include Around – a study for three percussionists, performed by the Sonant Ensemble at the new music festival in Skopje and the Saxophone Quartet No. 2, performed by the German quartet Saxofonquadrat in Berlin. Pande is currently working on a piano concerto and a cyclic work for solo piano for the pianist Simon Trpčeski.
Paul Munro - Clarinet Teacher: Paul studied at the Royal College of Music, completing further studies with Sidney Fell, senior professor of clarinet and former principal clarinettist with the London Symphony Orchestra. Paul then spent several years as the principal clarinettist of the Royal Military Academy Band in Sandhurst, during which time he took part in many concerts and radio broadcasts. Paul also runs a record company, Euravent.
Phil Singleton - Brass Teacher: Phil studied at the University of Surrey with Alastair Mackie of the Philharmonia Orchestra. He works with the College's various jazz ensembles, often arranging music for their use, specialising in jazz improvisation. Outside College, Phil runs his own ensembles and is in great demand as a trumpeter.
Phil Batten - Double Brass Teacher: I grew up in Kent and was fortunate to receive an excellent musical education there from the Kent Music School and most importantly, the Kent County Youth Orchestra. This not only set me on course for Trinity College of Music and the world of professional orchestras, but also made me want to share my experience with subsequent generations of young musicians.

After starting my professional life as a full time orchestral player I went on to train as a teacher and spent many years working as a peripatetic teacher in Surrey where I not only taught double bass and guitar but also worked as a conductor of various ensembles.

I am now semi-retired and spend my time in lots of different activities. I am the principal double bass player in the Southern Pro Musica orchestra. I also enjoy conducting youth orchestras of all standards whenever possible. With a bit more time available for practice I am also spending more time again with my first musical love-the classical guitar.

I have a large garden which keeps me very occupied in my spare time and I love to cook the produce that I’ve grown. Just to make sure that we’re not too idle, my wife and I help look after our one year old grand daughter during term time.
Richard Shepherd - Piano Teacher: Richard studied at the Royal College of Music with Bernard Stevens, Steven Savage and Phyllis Sellick, where he won various scholarships and prizes. In 1987, Richard worked with Ian Hobson and Ward Davenny at the University of Illinois, where he completed his masters and doctoral degrees in piano performance.
Simon Diggens - Flute Teacher: Simon completed his MMus in performance at the University of Surrey with Ian Clarke of the Guildhall School of Music. Simon teaches at various schools and colleges in the Surrey and Hampshire area. In his spare time Simon plays in various ensembles and enjoys motor sports.
Sylvia Harper - Oboe teacher: Sylvia Harper began her musical training at the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music. She went on to do a music degree at Southampton University followed by a year on the post-graduate Advanced Study Course at the Royal College of Music.

Sylvia is a freelance player of oboe, oboe d’amore and cor anglais. A number of pieces have been written for her [including Martin Read’s The Angel of History for oboe d’amore with string trio], and she has given numerous first performances. She has made several recordings including music for oboe and strings, for oboe, bassoon and piano and for oboe with guitar.

Sylvia is in demand as a teacher up to music college level. Her teaching in the Junior Department of the London College of Music and Media has included running an oboe ensemble and re-writing the exam syllabus for oboe. She is a practical examiner for Edexcel and is currently working for Chameleon Arts Management.
Tim Ower - Saxophone Teacher: has spent the last three years studying at Leeds College of Music under the guidance of Joel Purnell, Mark Donlon, Graham Hern and Barak Schmool. He is a member of the WorldService Project - a quintet formed in 2007. The group’s fresh and original sound comes from numerous influences in many genres spanning contemporary jazz to funk and fusion; performances include: Brecon Fringe Festival, Filey Festival, NCEM Jazz in York, The Venue (Leeds College of Music), Swanage Jazz Festival, The Concorde Jazz Club, The Great North Big Band Festival and a wide range of venues across London, York, Leeds and Hampshire. Tim also teaches on the Rockschool @ Alton College Saturday school.
Vic Cox - Bass Guitar Teacher: Vic has vast experience of playing in professional and semi professional bands, performing at numerous corporate events for clients such as British Telecom, Tesco, Shell and Sky TV, as well as having enjoyed a healthy relationship with the pub and club circuit. His writing and recording experience includes work with Andy Wickett (ex- Duran Duran and TV Eye) and Paul Reeson (Ex - Psychic TV), and Spotlight Cannibal (with members of Without Grace). Specialising in rock, funk and soul, Vic's main bands have included Wildwood, Billy2Mates and Dr Funkenstein and the Feelgood Factor, and he is currently working with rootsy blues guitarist and didg player Billy Irvine on writing and recording original material. As well as Bass tutor at Alton College, he also teaches through Surrey Arts and is a member of the Academy of Contemporary Music Live Performance team.
Wendy Lowe - Cello Teacher: Wendy studied music at Cardiff University after which she continued her cello studies with Sharon McKinley and played with the Welsh Sinfonia. Together with friends from university, Wendy formed the Bracken String Quartet and has played many engagements including Moving Being's Darwin Project which was broadcast by the BBC.

Print view | To top

Alton College

Music Staff

Staff Pictures