Philip Shaw was the Head of Suffolk County Music Service for 31 years. We are delighted that he has agreed to be SMART's Honorary President, as his Valedictory Concert was the event that led to SMART's conception. Philip's knowledge and experience in the arts in Suffolk will be paramount to the charity's success. 

Becci believes that arts education should be accessible to all, as it opens doors to invaluable experiences and possibilities. She was actively involved with Suffolk Youth Music throughout her formative years (from 1991 to 2001). Becci enjoyed, and gained significant benefits from, the many opportunities that arose through playing with South Suffolk Intermediate and Youth Orchestras, Suffolk Junior Strings and Suffolk Youth Orchestra.
 

After studying for A-levels at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, Becci gained a BA (Hons) in Music from Cambridge University. She has worked in commercial law, insurance and governance for most of the past 20 years, playing cello and piano with classical, folk, jazz, and rock/pop/funk/soul groups as often as her young family allows.

Clare started her love of music at the age of 10 at Sidegate Primary School taking up the Recorder. She always wanted to learn the Flute and began this soon after at Copleston High School, working through her grades to obtain Grade 8 with Distinction in 2001. Still not satisfied, Clare then went on to learn Clarinet and Saxophone and can today often be found playing Reeds as a local pit musician and as a permanent member of the saxophone section of Ipswich Musicians Union Big Band.

Clare left school at the age of 18 and started to work for Suffolk County Council - initially as a temp for a year in the Student Support and Community Education departments at the old County Hall in Ipswich.

Clare always wanted to work in Arts Administration and after a year, her dream job came up at Suffolk County Music Service, working in their admin team. Taking a gamble, as this was initially only a one year temporary contract, she was successful in gaining the job, and of course accepted.
21 years later she is still working in the Business Support Team at Suffolk County Music Service and loves it!

Clare is really pleased to be joining the team at SMART and is looking forward to sharing her love of the Arts with many more Suffolk young people.

Will studied at Leiston High School and joined the Suffolk Youth Orchestra in 1987. He then studied Business and Finance at Essex and Northumbria Universities. Whilst he didn’t follow a career in music, he passionately believes that it was his involvement with music and the Suffolk Youth Orchestra, in particular, that gave him the confidence, drive and persistence to run successful companies in the health and social care sector. He is currently Chief Executive of Frantec Ltd.

Music has always been a major part of the Brialey household, from Howard’s mother playing the piano accordion throughout her life, to Howard’s daughter, a viola player now building a reputation as a composer.

Howard’s history of volunteering dates back to his first experience of volunteering as a Gamesmaker at the London Paralympics in 2012. This led to him travelling the world as a volunteer helping to organise international table tennis competitions. He was also a trustee with Brentwood’s Orchestras for Young Musicians for 3 years.

Howard currently runs a business consultancy providing support to small businesses with a variety of issues including financial planning and bookkeeping. His background in business includes nearly 30 years running an employment agency supplying temporary staff for local authorities, and 17 years running a care agency. 

As he can directly see the advantages of learning a musical instrument he is happy to use his experience and skills on behalf of SMART.

From 2014 to 2019, Eleanor was a cellist in the Suffolk Youth Orchestra, an experience that laid the foundation for her subsequent education and career. She studied a degree in Music at the University of Nottingham, actively contributing to the university’s vibrant musical life as a committee member of the Music Society.

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Currently, Eleanor holds the role of Development Event Manager for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, working as part of a team that raises approximately £2 million annually, organising fundraising events at various venues such as Royal Festival Hall, St James’ Palace and No.11 Downing Street.

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Eleanor is looking forward to using her fundraising expertise to empower young people in Suffolk to pursue their artistic passions, particularly those who may lack access to the opportunities available to others.

Carly is a professional horn player and educator who volunteered to become a trustee because she is grateful for the opportunities provided by the Suffolk Music Service during her school years and wants to ensure that future generations are able to access these same opportunities. Carly was a member of many South Suffolk ensembles and is a former principal horn of SYWB and SYO.

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Carly studied performance at Trinity College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music in London and currently studies Arts Management at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. She has performed and led workshops across the world, from the Albert Hall to the Arctic Circle, and feels lucky that her career in music has allowed her to experience so many amazing places.

Wendy is a retired headteacher. She passionately believes that all children and young people should be able to access a high quality Arts education. Wendy helped to establish SMART, as she wants to make sure that the young people of Suffolk have every opportunity to develop their talents and excel.

Wendy's daughter was a member of SYM from 2007 to 2014; she benefited from excellent music tuition. This experience helped her to develop her musicianship to a very high standard; it also developed many of the "soft skills" she required to enter the world of employment, e.g. self-confidence, collaboration, leadership, perseverance, resilience.

Ben’s musical career started at the age of 6 as a chorister in York Minster cathedral choir, where he also started to learn flute and piano. A music scholarship to Oundle School in Northamptonshire afforded him the chance to continue to learn piano and flute and add saxophone & drum kit. These studies were furthered by a BMus (Hons) Degree at the University of East Anglia, including a choral scholarship to Norwich Cathedral.

Ben’s involvement in Music education began in 2006 when, having spent a number of years teaching privately, he undertook a PGCE in Secondary Music with Specialist Instrumental Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. In 2007, he joined Bolton Music Service in Lancashire as a peripatetic instrumental teacher, becoming Assistant Head in 2011. He joined Suffolk County Music Service in 2017 as a Senior Manager in the North of the county, before stepping into the role of Head of Service in September 2021.

Since arriving in Suffolk, Ben has been consistently inspired by both students, colleagues and fellow professionals in their devotion to music-making and he is very proud to represent the County Music Service on the board of trustees and help facilitate the wonderful support that SMART offers.

Brought up and educated in Suffolk, Ian has been an active musician for over 40

years and has worked as a musician and musical leader extensively throughout the

UK and Europe across a wide variety of genres. He is also an ex-member, and the

incumbent conductor of the SYO.

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After completing his studies at university and Music College, studying with Francis

Shaw, John McCabe and Diego Masson, he worked as a freelance composer,

orchestrator and conductor before training as a teacher. Since then, he has been

musical director of many orchestras, choirs, and ensembles throughout the UK and

Europe, taught music at all levels, been the driving force behind many, often unusual

musical collaborations.

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Over the last 3 decades, he has been involved in a number of charitable and

overseeing organisations focused on arts and social justice issues. These include

being a member of the East Sussex Music Hub Board, Chair of Lewes Community

Volunteers (overseeing and facilitating collaborations between the town’s four

foodbanks and recruiting volunteers to support those made more vulnerable

following the COVID Pandemic). As a headteacher in a deprived part of South

London, he established a successful and thriving foodbank to support struggling

families.

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After living in Sussex since 1992, Ian relocated back to East Anglia in 2021 and has

been working with orchestras in East Anglia and across the UK. He currently works

in a special needs school in Felixstowe, and has had a great deal of experience in

school leadership in the post-16, secondary, primary, and SEND/SEMH sectors -

particularly in areas of high economic deprivation.

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Ian is also a keen conductor, jazz musician, experienced yachtsman and sailor, and

a committed slow cyclist.

Xanthe believes that all children and young people should have equal access to arts education, and am excited to be helping make this happen through SMART. Thanks to the support of SMART, she has been a member of the Suffolk Youth Orchestra for two years, which has given her amazing opportunities such as performing at Snape and touring to Spain. Whilst she mostly plays cello, she also enjoys playing the saxophone and bass guitar in different ensembles.

Having recently completed her A levels, she is working as a teaching assistant before continuing her musical studies at the University of Cambridge.

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We currently have a vacancy for a nominated youth trustee. Nominated youth trustees will be nominated by the Suffolk Music Education Hub and should be participants in a Suffolk-based, youth music or other arts organisation and aged over 16.

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If you are interested in joining the SMART board as a Nominated Youth Trustee, please complete the relevant form here: https://www.suffolksmart.org/documents 

If you have any questions, please contact admin@suffolksmart.org

We currently have a vacancies for elected trustees to take on the roles of Social Media & Publicity Officer; General Secretary; Grants Officer.

If you are interested in being considered for any of these roles please send a brief CV and your reasons for applying to admin@suffolksmart.org.