CONDUCTING & WORKSHOPS
I am delighted to be CHORUS DIRECTOR for Paisley Opera…
… and the Musical Director for Sounds International Choir, Glasgow Caledonia University Choir and Eaglesham and Waterfoot Community Choir. I have also been delighted to work with and conduct many choirs up and down the UK, including the Academy of Sacred Music, Glasgow University Choir and Carlisle Community Choir. I like to inspire a supportive and fun atmosphere in my rehearsals where we learn and make beautiful music together whilst having a bit of a laugh!
I also love working with youth groups and community groups making music, and have a lot of experience doing so with Live Music Now Scotland. I have delivered many workshops in various schools across Scotland for children with additional support needs, making music with them and working with them to create in a fun and accessible environment. I also have performed multiple concerts and workshop afternoons for care homes and their residents – in 2020, I organised and recorded a concert that was eventually shared to every care home in Scotland. As part of the 2024 RCS Associate Artist Musical Residency with Karen Cargill at Drumlanrig Castle, I worked with an undergraduate cohort to teach them about Education and Outreach work, and lead a workshop with local pupils and undergraduate students. Since 2024, I have been working as Music Teacher and Workshop Leader for Music Bus Glasgow South.
One of my main aims as a singer…
…is to make classical music more accessible to wider audiences. I often perform for people with dementia and classrooms for young people with additional support needs and would love more opportunities to sing for even more people of different ages and backgrounds. I also feel a sense of responsibility being an operatic singer from a working-class background in Glasgow. I think it’s important for younger singers to see someone from a ‘normal’ background succeeding in this profession. If I were to hide this part of my upbringing, it would only perpetuate the idea that people who speak like me can’t sing like me! No matter what path my career takes, making classical music more accessible for all will be at the core of my philosophy.
