What first got you into music?
I’ve always played music!  I think I must have driven my parents round the twist, because I was always dabbling on the piano when I was supposed to be putting my shoes on to go to school!  My Dad played folk guitar – he’s a really good ‘play by ear’ musician, but it wasn’t until I took piano lessons aged 7 that the music world really opened up.  I had the most amazing piano teacher with whom I remained in touch until she died last year.  Then, when I was nine, I joined the City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus – the children’s choir that accompanies the CBSO.  Then my music world exploded!  I stayed in the choir until I was 18, and in that time I toured with the orchestra, experienced some amazing repertoire and worked with some world-famous conductors. 

What do you love most about teaching Music? 
I love that it’s so creative!  I love that our students come up with something different every time – even when I teach the same thing, the outcome is often different.  I love that music blurs the boundaries of the classroom – running choirs and orchestras and organising concerts and workshops is a great part of my job!  I love when students have a lightbulb moment and finally get something that has been challenging.  And I love having discussions with students about composers and works that inspire us.  I still learn a huge amount from those that I teach; it’s very humbling.  Music is amazing! 

Is there a Musician or composer that you look up to as a role model and why?
The American conductor Marin Alsop is brilliant.  She has overcome a lot of stigma to get where she is and has worked wonders to promote women in music and also LGBTQ+.

What musician would you most like to perform with? 
Just one?  David Bowie.   He had about eight different eras, so each performance would be totally different. 

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in teaching Music?  
I had two wonderful music teachers at school (who I’m still in touch with) and I absolutely loved A level music!  I was also incredibly lucky to have some wonderful musical opportunities and to have been surrounded by some top musicians and music educators.  Dr Shirley Court BEM was certainly influential in my love of choral music – she directed the choir I sang in, and I still haven’t met anyone quite like her.  She’s truly inspirational.  After I’d studied music at uni, I did a master’s degree in ‘Music in the Community’, which is working with music and others. It was such a natural progression from there into teaching music.   

What is your Desert Island disc? Something that you find yourself returning to over and over again. 
I absolutely cannot pick one piece.  I love choral music – Britten’s opera Peter Grimes and Wagner’s Die Walkure and Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.  I also love Prog Rock (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Dream Theater) and folk (Elephant Sessions and Katherine Priddy).  Or maybe I should just pick Sweet Child O’Mine by Guns N’ Roses… 

If you hadn’t gotten into teaching Music, what would you be doing now?  
Horticulture.  Or something to do with French!  I lived in France for a year and I loved it. 

Share the best piece of advice you’ve ever received:  
Persevere!  (We musicians don’t do all those hours of practice for nothing!) 

Describe your subject in emojis

🎹❤️🤩 

Tormead is, to you, in three words:
Creative, friendly, inspiring 

What first got you into music?
My parents, who are both musicians. I would listen to my mum teaching piano and cello and try and copy what her pupils were doing. I begged for lessons from about the age of 4, and finally started learning a few years later. Growing up, there was always music playing in the house from any and every genre, which I loved.

What do you love most about teaching Music?
The way in which it unlocks and unites people. Thoughts, emotions, friendships and potential. Music helps us to express things that words can’t, which is so crucial for many young people. I really enjoy sharing my passion and excitement for the subject – from renaissance to rock’n’roll, I just love it all.

Is there a musician or composer that you look up to as a role model and why?
Aretha Franklin – not only an absolutely incredible and resilient musician, and the ‘Queen of Soul’, but a woman who made monumental changes to society through her activism for civil rights and women’s rights.

What Musician would you most like to perform with?
Stevie Wonder. I adore him and his music, and his live performances just look so fun.

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in teaching Music?
My English teacher at school. Her kindness, wisdom and encouragement shaped me into the person I am today. When I was at University, I did a lot of outreach work in local secondary schools, particularly working with pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, and I discovered my passion for working with young people. I decided at the age of 20 to embark upon a career in teaching.  

What is your Desert Island disc? Something that you find yourself returning to over and over again
Anything by Thomas Newman (film composer – Finding Nemo/Dory, American Beauty, Shawsank Redemption, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel etc) – his music is so fresh to listen to, even if you’ve heard it a hundred times before. I also love how distinctive his textures and timbres are.

If you hadn’t gotten into teaching Music, what would you be doing now?
I think I would have gone down the composition/orchestration route, but I’m also interested in the sector of children’s social care. Anything with music or people – a combination is a bonus!

Share the best piece of advice you’ve ever received:
Always be yourself, don’t feel that you need to change just to fit in or be accepted. The people that mind don’t matter, and the people that matter don’t mind. 😊

Describe your subject in emojis:

🎹🎻🎷🎸🪈🎶🎤🪗🪕🪘🎺🪇🎧🕺🏽

Tormead is, to you, in three words:
Nurturing, inspiring, forward-thinking.