Joe is Head of the BA Music Performance and Industry. He also leads the ground-breaking artist development work that prepares students for sustainable careers in the music industry. Initially a self-taught musician in the punk era, he later trained in Jazz on the violin at the Guildhall in the 1980s and then at Community Music with John Stevens, using improvisation as a tool for social change.
Biography
Throughout his career as a violinist he has collaborated with an eclectic range of different artists: Gavin Bryars, Laurie Anderson, Aidan Love, Roma and Bluegrass musicians and projects for Boy George, Mick Jagger and Martin Green. He has specialised in folk and traditional music from across Europe, which is an inspiration for CD releases. As a composer he has created many works for the theatre and opera, including the National Theatre, Opera North and the Berlin Ensemble. This has a led to a specialism in cross-disciplinary performance and exploring cultural and artistic boundaries resulting in commissions in Romania, Japan and China.
As well as being a cultural commentator, Joe regularly speaks at conferences on collaboration, pedagogy, audience development and social entrepreneurship. He consults on early career survival for emerging artists with Serious Productions, Help Musicians UK and English Folk Expo and running courses for the V&A Innovative Leadership Programme.
Lilli Unwin
Visiting Tutor (BA Music Performance and Industry)
Lilli Unwin is a singer & songwriter producing multi-genre music which fuses jazz, folk & pop amongst many others. Her EP ‘it may not always be so’ was described as “a beautiful collection of songs featuring a wide array of styles and soaring melodies that stay with you long after each listen” and Lilli “…a refreshingly authentic, tender, and fearless songwriter…” by Grammy-nominated US artist Becca Stevens.
Biography
As a performer, Lilli has toured the UK to Jazz Festivals in Cheltenham and Manchester, and venues including Birmingham Symphony Hall Foyer. Other performances include Ronnie Scott’s, Southbank Centre, Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, Shambala Festival UK, 55 Bar in New York, Rotterdam’s A Festival Downtown, and Brainchild Festival. Lilli was one of 14 artists to be selected for a residency with Mercury Prize-nominated artist ESKA.
As part of the acclaimed choir London Vocal Project, she performed in the world première of Jon Hendricks’ Miles Ahead in New York, produced by Quincy Jones, as well as performances with Dave Holland, Norma Winstone, Nikki Illes, New York Voices, and the Swingle Singers.
In addition to writing, performing, recording, and collaborating, Lilli’s educational work is vast; including vocal coaching, choir leading & workshop facilitation. Clients include community members in her choir Our Voice Choir to professional singer songwriters. Alongside graduating from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, with a TCM Trust Silver Medal in Jazz, Lilli undertakes regular training and professional development including courses in Kodály, production & Vocal Health First Aid accreditation. Her approach is about unlocking the potential she sees in others, building skills, and enabling them to find their vocal/creative freedom.
Singer/songwriter/pianist Paola Vera is a highly sought after and experienced performer, composer, musical educator, and vocal coach. She first started singing and playing the piano at the age of 13, later going on to continue her musical education at Trinity College of Music and then went onto graduate with Distinction in her Masters degree from The Royal Academy of Music after receiving the Elton John Scholarship.
Biography
In 2007 Paola was awarded a Yamaha Jazz Award for outstanding young Jazz musicians in association with Jazzwize magazine. She has since gone on to receive several awards as a singer and accompanist, including winning 2nd place in the Jazz Voices International competition in Lithuania in 2011 and first place for Improvisation. She has performed alongside many greats of the international jazz scene including Bobby McFerrin, Liz Wright, Norma Winstone, Kenny Wheeler etc.. She has released and toured several albums of her own original songs and continues to works on multiple cowriting projects in many different genres.
Paola’s live performances have been seen on the most prestigious festival stages, concert halls and jazz clubs worldwide including Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club (London), The 606 club (London), Pizza Express Dean Street (London), The New Morning (Paris) Nardis (Istanbul), also having toured multiple festival stages across France, Europe and the United States.
Paola currently works with several higher-education institutions across Europe and the UK including as Professor for Jazz and Pop Voice at the Conservatoire of Bordeaux and Assistant professor of Jazz Voice at the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels. Paola is also a certified Estill Master Trainer (EMT) and is among few bilingual French speaking coaches delivering Estill courses in French and English across Europe. She also organises The International Singing and Songwriting Retreat, a residential Songwriting course held in France, teaching alongside esteemed educator and singer pianist Pete Churchill.
Pianist and composer Andrea Vicari was born in Miami (Florida) and grew up in Birmingham (England). Educated at Cardiff University (Bmus(Hons) PGCE) she won a scholarship to study at The Guildhall School of Music in London. Andrea has to date eight albums in her own name and two musicals; and has contributed to others such as ‘Round Trip’ and “East and West’ with Jazz Extempore plus ‘The Vortex Foundation Big Band’; Claude Deppa and Trudy Kerr. She played a successful season at London’s ‘Bass Clef’ club with the late US sax innovator, Eddie Harris and gigged with US trumpet legend Art Farmer.
Biography
As well as her own band Andrea often tours with ‘Jazz Extempore’ a European quartet which combines the jazz idiom with the folk influences of Eastern Europe. Recent tours have included performances in Italy, Croatia, Bosnia- Herzogovina and Bulgaria. Andrea performed in China at the prestigious 3rd Maritime Silk Road Art Festival 2017 with Croatian guitar virtuoso Elvis Stanic – the only UK musician to perform at the festival.
A prolific composer, she has been commissioned by the Arts Council, the BBC, Jazz Umbrella, the Peter Whittingham Trust, Teignmouth Jazz Festival and completed a setting of the poetry of A.E Housman for the Ludlow festival, released on the CD New Perspectives. Other projects include The Leasowes Bank festival; ‘Women in Jazz project’ held at the ‘Hideaway Jazz Club’ during the London Jazz Festival; Scoring the Chet Baker “Speedball” musical and co-composing a new musical “The Austerity Playbook” plus and a funded residency at Lyth Arts Centre, Wick, Scotland. The BBC recently recorded Andrea for a live album with South African trumpet virtuoso Claude Deppa at the Ipswich Jazz Festival.
Andrea is also a well known and respected jazz educator holding a senior lecturer post and professorship at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of music and dance (jazz). She is musical director and founder of the highly successful ‘Dordogne International Jazz Summer School’ and was a judge on the ‘Nottingham International jazz piano competition’ and the University of South Africa International Piano competition in Pretoria. Andrea is currently part of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra Ambassadors jazz education project presenting workshops in schools nationwide. She instigated a Young Women’s jazz education taster day at Trinity following research project and feature article in Music Teacher magazine. Andrea has taught jazz and jazz piano at Pimlico Academy for twenty eight years – formerly the prestigious Pimlico Special Music Course – alumni including Antonio Pappanno (Royal Opera House), Django Bates, Andrew McCormack, Artie Zeitz, David Okumu etc. Andrea has published “A-Rhythm-A-Tik” a compendium of multi-level original jazz pieces for adult learners and teenagers; accompanied by a series of online video lessons.
Andrea Vicari presents a weekly show on JazzLondonRadio.com called “JazzDoodles” where she has interviewed many legends of jazz such as John Taylor; Peter Erskine; Hiromi; JohnAbercrombie; Omar Puente; Bill Stewart; Jonathan Kreisberg; Marc Copland; Antonio Serrano etc.
Byron Wallen (b. 1969) was raised in a musical family and as a child studied classical piano, euphonium, trumpet, flute, and drums. In the mid 1980’s the trumpet became Wallen’s primary instrument of choice. Wallen’s first major work, Tarot Suite (1994), was inspired by a love of mythology and symbolism, which reflected the archetypal journey of human life through an interdisciplinary pan-continental approach.
Biography
Wallen’s study of cognitive psychology has aided his transition towards conceptualising music as a medium for healing. Wallen raises awareness and invokes change by unlocking boundaries through the nature and science of sound. Widely recognised as a seminal figure in Jazz, Wallen is an acclaimed writer and producer whose original scores have been commissioned by the Science Museum; PRS, The BBC, Jerwood Foundation, Southbank Centre, National Theatre, Arts Council, FIFA and Sage Gateshead. He has also composed soundscapes for Universal Pictures, Warner Bros and Game of Thrones.
Wallen’s PRS commission (2017) Anthem for Woolwich forges new links between schools, venues, musicians and residents to strengthen the resilience and promote the cohesion of the community. His latest commission is a collaboration with Sheila Hill and Howard Skempton for Brighton Festival 2019 called Eye to Eye.
Wallen has received the BBC Jazz Innovation award (2003) and has been nominated several times for the MOBO award. In 2017 he was awarded the Paul Hamlyn Award for Artists.
Errollyn Wallen CBE is a multi award-winning Belize-born British composer named as one of the world’s top twenty most performed living classical composers.
Biography
Her prolific output includes over twenty operas and a large catalogue of orchestral, chamber and vocal works, which are performed and broadcast throughout the world. She has composed for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games 2012, for the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilees, a specially commissioned song for COP 26, a re-imagining of Jerusalem for the Last Night of the Proms 2020. BBC Radio 3 featured her music for Composer of the Week, and she has made several radio documentaries. Errollyn collaborated with artist Sonia Boyce on her installation, Feeling Her Way,for the British Pavilion at the 2022 Venice Biennale, which won the Golden Lion prize. Her acclaimed opera, Dido’s Ghost waspremiered at the Barbican in 2021 and received its US première in San Francisco in November 2023. Recent premieres include a Wigmore Hall debut performance of songs from The Errollyn Wallen Songbook, a violin concerto for Philippe Quint, Dances for Orchestra for Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra and Irish Chamber Orchestra, Night Thoughts, a song cycle for Dame Sarah Connolly and pianist Joseph Middleton and PARADE commissioned by Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
With Myleene Klass, Errollyn recently co-presented a three-part series, Musical Masterpieces, for SkyArts television.
Errollyn Wallen’s book, Becoming a Composer was published by Faber in November and will be translated into Spanish.
Errollyn Wallen’s recordings have travelled 7.84 million kilometers in space, completing 186 orbits around the Earth on NASA’s STS-115 mission.
Born in Belize, Errollyn gave up her training at the Dance Theater of Harlem, New York to study composition at the universities of London and Cambridge.
Errollyn’s song Daedalus appears alongside songs by Björk, Sting, Elvis Costello and Meredith Monk on the Brodsky Quartet’s recent CD, Moodswings. Her solo albums Meet Me at Harold Moores and more recently, Errollyn, feature her songs in her own voice/piano performance and in collaboration with outstanding jazz artists.
The Errollyn Wallen Songbook published by Peters Edition comprises twelve of her celebrated songs for voice with piano accompaniment.
Errollyn has composed numerous works for The Orchestra of the Swan, and in 2006 she was appointed Composer in Association.
Tom Walsh, b. 1991, graduated from the Royal Academy of Music’s Jazz Course in 2013, and since then has gone on to work with artists such as Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau & Randy Brecker. Tom has played with some of the premier large ensembles and orchestras in Europe, including WDR Big Band, BBC Big Band, Philharmonia Orchestra and the English National Ballet Orchestra. Alongside his role of Professor of Trumpet at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Trinity College of Music, he is an active session musician and arranger, having recorded on over 1000 tracks from his home studio.
Renowned as one of the top British jazz trumpet players both at home and on the international scene, Steve began his career while studying at Trinity College of Music, playing with the European Community Jazz Orchestra and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Since then, he has worked regularly on the British and European jazz scene with John Surman, Andy Sheppard, Tony Coe, Carla Bley, Don Weller and many others.
Cleveland was born in Hackney, East London to a Jamaican family. At age 16, he won twice in a local singing talent competition, hosted by “FatMan” of FatMan Sound System (North East London Based Roots, Reggae & Dub Sound System). Later he studied music at the London School of Singing and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama thereafter. He was taught by the most respected coaches in the industry.
He has worked closely and performed together with the diverse range of artists across the world, including Stevie Wonder, The Who, Richard Spaven Trio, Louis Moholo, Bobby McFerrin, Goldie, Björk, Talvin Singh, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Abdullah Ibrahim, Shabaka And The Ancestors, Nigel Kennedy, George Martin, Black Top, William Parker & Hamid Drake, Branford & Wynton Marsalis +JALC, London Community Gospel Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra and many others.
Biography
He’s an original founder member of the Jazz Warriors, and now Co-Director of Warriors International. Most recently, for his services to music Cleveland has been appointed an MBE.
He has also received multiple prestigious awards and nominations, including Jazz Vocalist of the Year at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2017 (Winner), Best Jazz Act at the MOBO Awards 2017 (Nominee), Best Vocalist at the London Jazz Awards 2010 (Winner), and Best Vocalist at the Guardian Jazz Awards (Winner) for three consecutive years.
Steve Watts
Professorial Staff - Jazz Bass, Jazz Combos, Rhythm Section Coach
Steve Watts has been playing jazz on the British scene for over 25 years, during which time he has worked with many musicians of international stature, incuding: Django Bates, Iain Ballamy, Julian Arguelles, Kenny Wheeler, Stan Sulzman, Jim Mullen, Joe Lovano, Kirk Lightsey, Richard Rodney Bennett and many more. He is a member of the influential Loose Tubes jazz orchestra and “The Printmakers “- a band featuring Norma Winstone, Nikki Iles and Mike Walker. He has made numerous broadcasts for radio and television and has recorded widely. Live work has taken him all over the world and his playing can be heard on the soundtracks of many films.
He is a committed educator and currently teaches at Trinity Laban and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has previously taught at the Royal Academy of Music and for the National Youth Jazz Collective as well as teaching and leading workshops in schools across the country.
Paul Michael Westwood
Professorial Staff - Jazz Electric Bass, Bass Guitar (BA Music Performance and Industry)
Paul joined the National Youth Jazz Orchestra at 16, and studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with James Merritt (principal bass, London Philharmonic Orchestra), and at the Royal Academy of Music with John Dankworth and Graham Collier.
Biography
Lecturing and teaching
Paul’s teaching career includes:
London College of Music at the University of West London (2008 to date)
Jazz and Popular Music: bass guitar BMus (Hons), MMus Performance
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (2002 to date)
Jazz: bass guitar BMus (Hons), MMus Performance
Morley College (1997 to date)
Bass guitar and Jazz workshops: beginners to advanced level.
Royal Academy of Music (1994-2007)
Jazz: bass guitar BMus (Hons) Performance.
Media & Applied Music: recording, composition & performance BMus.
Research projects
Elizabethan music: Experiments with early 17th century English melodies, melding with Turkish rhythm and harmony of the times.
Henry Purcell: Late 17th century songs and their influence on 20th century jazz and Motown.
Turkish music: The Maqam harmonic system and ethnic percussion influences on European music.
Moroccan and Andalusian music: A journey through regional variations of the music.
Sir Thomas Brown: The relevance of 17th century numerology, cosmology and alchemy in contemporary music.
John Coltrane: Spirituality, symbolism and structure used in 20th century ‘free-form’ jazz.
World Music: Contemporary developments in digital and analogue bass guitars and their use in performance.
Composition and Performance
Jazz
Paul Westwood’s Jazz FX.
Compositions for his own group include: Jaguarisms, The Earth Born, El Rif, Storm Watcher, The Art of Snake Charming, Arabethan Tales, The Garden of Cyrus, Musical Souls.
Performance
Commercial recording, composition and studio work (1978 to date)
Paul has composed, arranged and recorded 16 albums of media music, which have been used extensively by KPM Ltd, De Wolfe Ltd, ITV, BBC and Sky for signature tunes, incidental music and advertising jingles.
Albums
Paul has been a top London session musician, working on albums for many artists including Warren Bernhardt, David Bowie, Jose Carreras, Larry Coryell, Steve Gadd, Peter Green, Elton John, Nik Kershaw, Leiber & Stoller, Andrew Lloyd Webber, London Symphony Orchestra, Madonna, George Martin, George Michael, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Phil Ramone, Tim Rice, Cliff Richard, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Shadows, Wayne Shorter, Rod Stewart, Barbara Thompson and John Williams (gtr).
Film Soundtracks
He has performed on numerous film soundtracks for composers who include John Altman, John Barry, David Bowie, Carl Davis, George Fenton, Ron Goodwin, Trevor Jones, Peter Knight, Michel Le Grand, Henry Mancini, Paul McCartney, The Sex Pistols, Debbie Wiseman and Hans Zimmer. In 2018, Paul was bass guitar coach to actor Joe Mazzello, who played the part of John Deacon in the Academy Award-winning movie Bohemian Rhapsody.
Television Shows
Paul has performed on many TV shows with artists such as George Benson, Chuck Berry, Joe Cocker, Randy Crawford, Gloria Estefan, James Galway, Janet Jackson, Al Jarreau, Tom Jones, Luciano Pavarotti, The Temptations, Dionne Warwick and Barry White.
International Tours and Concerts
Paul has also toured in over 25 countries worldwide.
(Forthcoming publication Autumn 2020) ‘Bass and Korean Percussion Bible’, AMA Verlag, Germany.
Bass guitar and percussion tuition book: Asian traditional percussion and its influences on contemporary western bass lines. Suitable for beginners to advanced level. Styles featured compliment rock, pop, funk, jazz and Latin music. Includes 3 CDs of examples of playing styles.
(Forthcoming publication Spring 2020) ‘Bass Bible 2’, AMA Verlag, Germany.
Bass guitar tuition book: a world history of traditional and contemporary bass lines. Suitable for beginners to advanced level. A sequel to the original Bass Bible, BB2 explores further examples of rock, pop, funk, jazz and world music. Includes 3 CDs of examples of playing styles.
‘A-Z of Bass Guitar’, Music Sales Ltd. 2011, ISBN 978-1-84938-865-8
Tuition and demonstration DVD of contemporary bass guitar styles and techniques.
‘Bass Bible’, AMA Verlag, Germany, revised 3rd edition, 2011.
English, ISBN 3-927190-67-5; French, ISBN 3-932587-30-8; German, ISBN 3-927190-84-5; Japanese, ISBN 4-7549-3481-4; Chinese, ISRC CN-Q06-04-0031-0/A.G4.
‘Bass Bible’, AMA Verlag, Germany, revised 2nd edition, 2004.
‘The Bassist’, Bass Player Magazine, 2002.
A series of magazine articles about the music business.
‘Bass Bible’, AMA Verlag, Germany, 1st edition, 1997.
Bass guitar tuition book: a world history of traditional and contemporary bass lines, featuring styles that include rock, pop, funk, jazz Latin and world music. Suitable for beginners to advanced level. Translations in English, French and German. Includes 2 CDs of examples of playing styles.
‘The Complete Bass Guitar Player’, Music Sales Ltd. 1991. Omnibus OV10267.
Tuition and demonstration video of contemporary bass guitar styles and techniques.
