I have worked in education since 2016, and have been based in Singapore for the majority of my career. I have also guest-lectured at a variety of universities around the UK, including Manchester Metropolitan University and Teesside University. An academic who is always looking to develop as an individual, while promoting a growth mindset of my students, it is my passion to share all that I have learned in the field of the Performing Arts thus far, and support those coming through the ranks. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some excellent practitioners, as well as talented emerging artists that have gone on to study at reputable institutions and conservatoires around the world.
One Day Like This by Elbow
As a Senior School Music teacher at Dulwich College (Singapore), I was provided the opportunity to compose a whole-school orchestral arrangement of One Day Like This by British band, Elbow. This number is a favourite of mine and I thoroughly enjoyed conducting the orchestra. The performance is particularly special to me as it was arranged, recorded and filmed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning restrictions were in place and we had to rethink and adapt our whole approach to creating a ‘live’ concert.
Live @ Avenue 8 Studios
As leader of the Dulwich College (Singapore)’s Rock, Pop and Contemporary Music programme, one initiative I run is Live @ Avenue 8 Studies. This is a series of monthly performances hosted in our state-of-the-art recording studio, where bedroom musicians, solo artists, and those in ensembles can showcase their own material or covers of their favourite artists. For more performances, you can visit this link.
Aside from being a teacher of Music, I firmly believe that education is built on a foundation of contextual wellbeing, which is at the heart of my practice. A pastoral leader for several years, I have been lucky to invite speakers into the College or participate in online interviews to allow students to experience first-hand how mental and physical health has impacted people from all walks of life. One of these speakers was Barry Hyde, lead singer and guitarist of popular English post-punk band The Futureheads, as well as being a singer-songwriter in his own right and a dear friend. Barry discussed his album Malody, on which he chronicles his experiences with mental health.