I am a musician and teacher, currently teaching music both one-to-one and in groups at a school in south London, as well as working as a freelance pianist, specialising in piano accompaniment.

I came across Music Learning Theory (MLT) several years ago and found it made a huge amount of sense in helping me to understand what was happening when some children found learning music more difficult than others. Edwin Gordon's research found that all humans have musical aptitude and that, in order to best achieve their potential, learning should follow a sequence akin to that by which we learn language. Applying this understanding to my own teaching has been life-changing for me, yet the vast majority of music teachers in the UK have not even heard of MLT.

My Fellowship is going to take me to the USA - the home of MLT - and to Italy, Poland and Spain where Gordon Institutes have been established. I am very excited to meet experienced practitioners and to see the results of their work over the long term. I believe that MLT could have a hugely positive impact on music education in the UK if it were better known and understood.