In 1986 I took part in leading some workshops, organised as part of a Contemporary Music Network Tour by Loose Tubes. Since that time, my life has increasingly involved leading music workshops in a huge variety of contexts, ranging from residencies on behalf of Festivals, Orchestras and Local Authorities, through to one-off visits to individual schools, and also InSet for Education Authorities and Music Support Services.

Appointed Animateur in Composition with Worcestershire Arts in 1999. Post originally intended for one year but continued on until 2003, and entailed working in schools and colleges across the county.

In addition to collaborating on themed projects within cross-arts productions, I also have a growing menu of materials that I use regularly.

This freelance activity has latterly been compressed, thanks largely to my appointment as Teaching Fellow at LIPA. Three days a week there go alongside the two I do in Manchester, at the Royal Northern College of Music, and Chetham's School of Music.

Despite the contraction of available time for freelancing, I was happy once again this year to be able to visit many Sefton Schools for Sefton Jazz Week (organised by Sefton Music Support Service), in late January and early February. This work has been happening since 1998, and in 2005 expanded to feature a trio. Thus Andy Schofield (sax) and Stuart McCallum (gtr) performed a short set of jazz to an assembled school, then delivered workshop activities to class groups, sometimes resulting in large ensemble performances with up to 35 children (or more sometimes). The trio for 2006 included Dan Wieldon (piano) and Dan Berry (saxophones).

I sometimes prefer to use the umbrella title of Practical & Creative Musicianship to describe the focus of my teaching. This can help to disarm the anxiety some people bizarrely seem to experience when encountering the word 'improvisation'......

SUMMER SCHOOL: I have been course director for the Burnley Jazz Summer School this past few years, a course established by the much loved and sorely missed Stan Barker.