Our aims are:

1. To bring people together through music making:

• Further developing our approach to inclusive music making, breaking the boundaries between professional and non-professionals, old and young, disabled and able-bodied, and different musical backgrounds.
• Promoting inter-cultural relations through performance-based projects.
• Fostering links between a wide range of community and education establishments.

2. To raise the status of community music making through collaborations with artists of international renown:

• Promoting the creation of new music with professional musicians and community alike.
• Fostering excellence in a range of musical styles.

3. To further develop innovative approaches, skills, concepts, materials and repertoire, which make inclusive music making possible:

• Helping to build sustainable musical communities through the development of musicianship and leadership skills.
• Disseminating our work to a wider audience through educational materials.

top

Staff

ELAINE FURNESS, Project Design and Management

After graduating from the University of East Anglia with a BA Hons in European Studies, Elaine went on to do a Post Graduate Certificate in Education at the Froebel Institute (University of London). From 1976-1979 she worked as a Primary Teacher for the former Inner London Education Authority before moving to Gloucestershire where she worked in Primary, Special Educational Needs and Further Education for Gloucestershire County Council (1980-1990). From 1988-1992 she began working in artists' management and organising music education projects, working with international jazz pianist Keith Tippett, his quartet Mujician and vocalist Julie Tippetts. She went on to organise educational residencies and tours with African Jazz group "Orchestra Rafiki" for Bath International Festival of Music and music education projects for Rural Development Commission, Gloucestershire County Council and South West Arts. From 1990-1993 she was Education Officer to Cheltenham International Festival of Music and managed the music education project at Cheltenham Hindu Centre from1993-1997. Free-lance Arts Consultancy work includes work for Essex County Council [1992] and Dorset County Council [1998]. She has managed many and various projects for the Arts Council Of England and Regional Arts Boards including: Music education project management for Contemporary Music Network - residencies with African /Brazilian band Akasae in Bath and Essex, teachers' courses at the South Bank Centre and performances at Bath Festival and the South Bank (1994-1995) and management of educational residencies in Bristol and Birmingham with Django Bates' Delightful Precipice. She designed and managed three British tours with educational residencies for The Eddie Parker Group (Jazz Services / Eastern Arts) and arts week residencies in schools in Essex and Gloucestershire for Akasae. Elaine founded Impro with Eddie Parker and Chris Batchelor in 1997 and has worked as Project Designer and Manager for Developing Musical Communities (1997-2000), People Symphony (2000-2004) and Groove On (2003-present).
top

Flute, bass flute, piano, keyboards, composer, bandleader, educator.

Eddie Parker is a modern jazz artist of international renown: performer, composer and educator. He is unusual in that he combines a very high degree of performing and compositional skill with years of experience in teaching and leading workshops.

Eddie has been central to some of the most important British jazz in recent years and was nominated for the 1994 British Jazz Awards. He was a founder member of and an important composer for Loose Tubes, the successful 1980s big band. He was a key member of the headlining Bheki Mseleku Band, featuring drummer Marvin 'Smitty' Smith, with performances across Europe including the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival and a highly acclaimed album 'Celebration' (World Circuit Records). He also features as a soloist in Django Bates' Delightful Precipice. He leads his own bands Mister Vertigo and Twittering Machine. The Eddie Parker Group has also recorded two albums "Transformations of the Lamp" and "Everything you do to me" on FMR. Eddie has also collaborated with Ibiza chill-out stars A Man Called Adam to produce such classics as “Estelle”, “Easter Song” and “All My Favourite People” featured on their album ‘Duende' (Other Records Limited). As well as being one of the world's finest jazz flute players, Eddie is also renowned as a composer. His 1990 piece for Loose Tubes and the Docklands Sinfonietta, 'Tin Tin Goes To Hell', featuring four virtuoso vacuum cleaners, was hailed as a classic in The Times. Alongside the continually expanding repertoire of his own bands, Eddie has received many commissions for other ensembles, including his epic fifty-minute piece 'Autogeddon', which was performed by virtuoso saxophone group Saxtet with Anthony Kerr and Paul Clarvis for a week in February 1997 at the Pleasance Theatre, London. Eddie is currently Senior Lecturer in Jazz Composition at Middlesex University and is Programme Leader of Music in the Community, a new BA course. Eddie founded Impro with Elaine Furness and Chris Batchelor in 1997 and was Musical Director for Developing Musical Communities (1997-2000), People Symphony projects (2000-2004) and Groove On projects (2003-present).
top

Alex has been a member of the team since 2002. He graduated from Middlesex University in 2000 with a First Class BA Hons in Jazz. Alex leads his own band Clockworm which has recently recorded an EP and has performed at venues in London. He also works freelance as a trumpeter and producer. He has performed and recorded in bands with Graham Collier, Brian Irvine, Hans Koller, James Allsopp, Stian Westerhus amongst others.
top

Andrew became a team member in 2004. Since graduating in Sonic Arts from Middlesex University in 2001, Andrew has worked as a sound engineer, performance artist and musician. He was a founder member of Limited Noise, and has contributed to Resonance FM and has worked with Jon Tye of Lo Recordings, Hairy Butter, Richard Thomas and Chocolate Sandwich. His album Lady Chanson Lane, and other work is available from Kabukikore. For new information and downloads goto www.andrewplummer.co.uk
top

Irene started working for the team in 2004. She has previously worked and volunteered for small music charities Share Music and COMA (Contemporary Music-Making for Amateurs), and has a background in the DIY music scene, promoting gigs and festivals such as the recent Bring Yourself Fest. She is also an intern and web editor at Electra.
top