Pop and Jazz Staff

Music and Performing Arts

LECTURER IN MUSIC / DRUM KIT AND PERCUSSION

Michael Allen
BMus, Mmus, MMp

Michael studied percussion, drums and piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and was awarded a student fellowship in 2007. Michael works across the UK and Europe as a drummer and percussionist with groups such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Birmingham Opera, Sinfonia 21, European Academies Symphony Orchestra. His recording credits include the world premiere recording of Parabola Concertante by Rodion Schedrin as soloist alongside the world renowned cellist Raphael Walfisch and a solo recital for the Performance Channel.

COURSE LEADER: LEVEL 1 ROCKSCHOOL (CLACTON) & CREATIVE APPRENTICESHIPS IN LIVE EVENTS AND PROMOTION (HARWICH)

David Brown
BA (Hons), PGCE

COURSE LEADER: LEVEL 2 ROCKSCHOOL - PERFORMING MUSICIAN PATHWAY

Jim Davies
BA (Hons)

After achieving his 'big break' whilst studying for a BA (Hons) in Politics at Staffordshire University, Jim completed his coursework whilst headlining at Glastonbury with The Prodigy, during the height of their success in the 1990s. Jim continued his success in the music industry, touring worldwide with his band Pitch Shifter, who headlined at the Reading Festival, Oz Fest, Big Day Out and the Vanswarpped Tour across Europe. He has also supported popular bands Incubus, the Deftones and Korn. Although Jim now spends less time touring worldwide, he remains involved in the music industry, writing music for bands, films and computer games when not teaching on the popular music courses at Colchester Institute.

CMPA LIVE! COORDINATOR AND LECTURER IN THE MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS INDUSTRY

Sally Fisher
BA (Hons) Musical Theatre, PGCE, AISTD, QTLS

Sally originally trained as a dancer, gaining her teaching qualifications. Moving to London in the 1990’s saw a career change leading to her becoming Town Centre Manager for pre Olympic Stratford. She managed a £15 million pound regeneration budget and became responsible for raising the profile of Stratford with major events and projects involving the arts and business. From then she became Events Director for an entertainment agency working with high profile clients such as Harrods, Selfridges, Unilever, Meryl Lynch and Canary Wharf Ltd before moving back to Colchester to became Town Centre Manager for Walton-on-the-Naze, winning several major awards for projects she initiated. In 2006 Sally changed career again, fulfilling a lifelong ambition, by embarking on a three year Musical Theatre degree at Colchester Institute and then onto a one year PGCE course where she gained qualified teacher status in the lifelong learning sector. Sally now combines her love of theatre and her expertise in events management as events co-ordinator for CMPA Live! and a Lecturer in event management. She also directs her own performing arts school “Theatricool” at Colchester Institute on a Saturday, nurturing future generations of actors, singers and dancers. In her spare time, Sally is a director and choreographer for several local musical theatre groups.

LECTURER IN MUSIC

Ramon Gasewicz
BA (Hons)

Ramon started out with British band Nublues as guitarist, chief songwriter and producer. The band has sold over 10,000 copies worldwide of the debut album "Dreams Of A Blues Man" (released on Dixiefrog Records in Europe, 21st Century Blues Records in New Orleans, USA and published by Metisse Music) and has toured all over Europe with the likes of Eric Burdon, The Blind Boys of Alabama and and performed with James Brown’s bandleader Pee Wee Ellis. After a short stint with American bluesman Eric Bibb’s band, Ramon went on to produce, perform on and co-write critically acclaimed albums for Boo Boo Davis (Mississippi Blues artist) and Billy Jones (based in Arkansas) both on the Black and Tan Records label. Recent projects have included performing alongside Hilaire Chaby-Hary (Baaba Mal) and Diabel Cissokho (Baaba Mal). Ramon continues to work with international musicians and often performs at CMPA Live!

COURSE LEADER: LEVEL 2 ROCKSCHOOL - PERFORMING MUSICIAN PATHWAY

Martin Jackson
BA (Hons), FdA, PGCE

Martin is an experienced musician, who has been in various gigging bands and has also performed at the Brixton Academy in London. Martin has accumated much recording studio experience, whether it be recording his band or taking on the producer's role himself. Martin is the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter in the band "Heroes Of A Ghost Town". In his spare time, Martin is often behind the lens as a stills photographer.

LECTURER IN THE MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS INDUSTRY

Rebecca Jewell
BA (Hons)

COURSE LEADER: EXTENDED DIPLOMA IN MUSIC (COMMERCIAL MUSIC)

Dan Merrill
BA (Hons)

Dan Merrill is a composer and performer of electro-acoustic and experimental music, touring America and Europe with various ensembles. He releases solo CDs and albums with his main ensemble, The Dead Rat Orchestra, whose focus is the combining of folk, free improvisation and a DIY approach to technology. Dan is also the founder of the musical collective Mutebox for the promotion and furtherance of experimental musical activities in the Colchester area. His technical expertise has involved found him working as a sound and lighting engineer for various national and international performance arts companies such as Isabelle Rocamora and The Pacitti Company. Dan began teaching at Colchester Institute in 2004 as lecturer in music technology, and now works both in Further and Higher Education. He is one half of the duo "Sons of Joy" with fellow course leader Matt Simpkins.

HEAD OF JAZZ STUDIES / COURSE LEADER: BA(HONS) POPULAR MUSIC

Malcolm Miles
GDLM, Cert Adv Studies, Cert Ed

Malcolm’s specialism as a jazz educator is supported by a wide range of experience and abilities including performance and composition. Having taught music at all levels, he now focuses on higher education, lecturing at Guildhall School of Music & Drama as well as Colchester Institute. Malcolm has compositions and arrangements published by Camden Music, ABRSM and Stainer & Bell. Malcolm’s knowledge of jazz and his interest in music generally has led him to carry out various research projects including: an investigation into ear training for jazz musicians; and a project, funded by Colchester Institute, into the musical potential of improvised electro-acoustic performance, based around the saxophone and music technology.

COURSE LEADER: EXTENDED DIPLOMA IN MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

Rhett Moir
BA (Hons), PGCE

Rhett is a graduate of Colchester Institute. He is also a producer working with both signed and unsigned acts from various genres. His main interests include MIDI sequencing and remixing. He teaches on a wide range of music and music technology courses at Colchester Institute. Rhett is the centre's TEL PDA, advising staff how they can develop their teaching with Technology Enhanced Learning.

LECTURER IN MUSIC

Richard Nolan
BA (Hons), PGCE

HEAD OF MUSIC BUSINESS STUDIES

Julia Orpen
MA, BA (Hons), PGCE

Julia Orpen specialises in lecturing on all aspects of the music business. She began her professional career in music publishing, moving on to found her own music agency that both promoted concerts and represented artists, including Ifor James, The Parley of Instruments and the Schiller Trio. She now divides her time between teaching and running a musicians’ advisory service.

LECTURER IN MUSIC AND TECHNICAL THEATRE

Gareth Patch
BA (Hons), FdA, PGCE

Gareth has been a musician and singer for twenty years, performing and recording in various bands and ensembles in venues in the USA and around the UK, including The Borderline, The Dublin Castle and Latitude Festival. Since graduating from Colchester Institute, music has become a full-time concern. Current projects include playing bass guitar in the original rock band Blacktop Harrison, keyboards and samples in These Are End Times and guitars in Beanstalk. Additionally, Gareth's freelance work includes live and studio sound engineering, composition for media work and various collaborations with local singer-songwriters.

HEAD OF CONTEMPORARY STRINGS

Tim Pells
BA, ARAM, LRAM, PGCE

Tim is a graduate of the University of British Columbia (BA ’77), The Banff School of Fine Arts (Jazz Performance), and the Royal Academy of Music (Performer’s and Advanced Courses). He was Guitar Organiser for the Inner London Education Authority from 1983 to 1990 and has worked in every level of music education since 1969. Tim is Mentor for Guitar on the National Certificate of Teaching course run by the Associated Board (CT-ABRSM), and Head of Guitar at the London Centre for Young Musicians. He has performed and recorded worldwide with the English Guitar Quartet, and current projects include commissioning new pieces for the Quartet. He performs with Andrew Allen in the Gemini Duo, accompanies soprano Elizabeth Clarke and cellist Sylvia Moore, and performs with Ramon Goose in an acoustic blues duo.

COURSE LEADER: EXTENDED DIPLOMA IN MUSIC TECHNOLOGY (BRAINTREE)

Aodhán Phipps

COURSE LEADER: BA(HONS) FILM MUSIC AND SOUNDTRACK PRODUCTION

Mark Roberts
MA, BMus (Hons), Cert Ed, Dip ABRSM

Mark is a graduate of Goldsmiths College London. Mark’s experience comes from both record production/engineering and performance side of music being an active musician involved in performance of orchestral, jazz and popular music. In addition to leading the new degree in Film Music and Soundtrack Production, Mark lectures in music history, musicianship and practical studies.

COURSE LEADER: LEVEL 2 ROCKSCHOOL CREATIVE MUSIC PRODUCER

Craig Sullivan
BA(Hons), FDA, PGCE

LECTURER IN MUSIC

Elle Torry
BA(Hons), FDA

Elle Torry began her musical career as a violinist at the age of four, and later took up the oboe at age eleven. She continued her classical studies at Colchester Institute and graduated from the BA (Hons) course in 2003 with majors in oboe and cor-anglais performance. Since graduating, Elle has gained a wide range of musical experience, working as a peripatetic teacher, a session musician, an orchestral player, a composer and multi-instrumentalist in both the rock and classical fields. Elle works with many UK heavy metal bands either on guitar or as a guest musician playing orchestral parts (violin, oboe and flute) on their albums.

COURSE LEADER: FdA POPULAR MUSIC / BA(HONS) POPULAR MUSIC

Andy Watson
GDLM, ARCM, PGCE

Andy’s specialist area is performance with over 20 years experience as a session guitarist for recordings, live performance (including West End theatre), TV and work as a jazz soloist. Previous teaching experience has been at all levels from school to degree but he now concentrates on Further and Higher Education at Colchester Institute.

COURSE LEADER: LEVEL 2 DIPLOMA IN MUSIC (BRAINTREE)

Michael Wilkinson
BA, ARAM, LRAM, PGCE