AOTOS Zoom Event: Teaching Children’s Voices
AOTOS Zoom Event: Teaching Children’s Voices
Live presentation from Nick Duncombe and Helen Everton
AOTOS members only
Nick Duncombe and Helen Everton will be exploring Children’s Voices and teaching in group lessons. Nick will focus on how can we make the most of the time, and give our students the greatest progression, when teaching in groups with hints, tips and possible pitfalls of group teaching in schools. Helen will cover: getting everyone singing; using music festivals; moving beyond a grade schedule; encouraging boys; working with changing voice; encouraging the less able pupils and stretching the talented ones.
Nick Duncombe qualified as a teacher with a four-year BEd, specialising in music, from Kingston University in 1998. From there she did five years as a primary class teacher before moving full time to Hampshire Music Service. Nick started with them teaching class music, vocal ensembles, and some woodwind teaching. They gradually realised she was more of a singer than woodwind teacher, so as the years progressed she taught less woodwind and class music and more and more singing. She has been teaching singing exclusively for over ten years now.
Nick is currently Lead Professional, vocal – in charge of the vocal strategy for all Hampshire Schools. She leads the team of vocal teachers, organises training and yearly performance reviews for the team, plans and leads large scale vocal events, vocal festivals, liaises and works with other agencies including the BBC Singers and children’s 10 pieces proms and Music Mark.
Nick also still teaches small group and individual singing lessons for around 120 students a week, runs the Hampshire County Junior Choir, The Hampshire Teachers Choir and another workplace choir for colleagues at the county council.
Helen Everton started music making from an early age as a pianist, cellist and singer. She was a music scholar, principal cello in the County Orchestra and member of the Rodolfus Choir and National Youth Choir. At university she sang in the Chapel Choir as well as performing in Operas and Musicals and many other ensembles.
Post university whilst learning with Patricia Clark she performed professionally in many choirs and as a soloist. She spent 25 years singing in London as a soprano principally at All Saints Margaret Street and St Botolph without Bishopsgate. She also worked for government ministers as a senior press and communications specialist in the civil service. She left that profession ten years ago in order to teach full time, but many of those skills have been transferable into her teaching career!
Helen teaches singing and theory in independent prep schools and a boys grammar school in Kent as well as having a flourishing private practice. She also loves to take small ensembles and rehearse and conduct school choirs. She prepares her pupils for music scholarships, recitals, concerts, local music festivals and Associated Board exams. She also prepares them for wider music participation in Kent Music, National Youth Choirs of GB and the Rodolfus Foundation Choral Courses.
Helen’s overriding aim is to encourage the love of music and singing in all children so they have the skills to sing for the rest of their lives – whether in university choirs, choral societies, church choirs or any form of ensemble.
Hosted by Sarah Taylor, AOTOS Central Area Representative
A recording of this event will be available to AOTOS member in the resources area of the website shortly afterwards.
This event is for AOTOS members only, please log in to view and complete the booking form.