I am a professional music workshop leader.
For twenty years I have been helping others make music in a fun, engaging, empathetic and encouraging way. I have used my skills as a musician, composer, facilitator and performer to create bespoke experiences for all ages, from families with babies, right up elderly care wards.
Most often this looks like working together to create something new. I say ‘yes’ to ideas, and together we make something new, something that belongs to us, something that is ours.
Examples of workshops I deliver
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Primary School Projects
Begining with a topic, subject, school value or some other simulus, I work with a primary school class to create brand new music. We are inspired by the world around us, by our experiences, by eachother and I say yes to their ideas to create something new together. At the end of the project we present a brand new world premiere!
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String Workshops
I am a string player and I love working with other string players!
Together we will learn some music that everyone can engage with. This might be learning by ear, or creating out own and together will form a unified and exciting string sound.
Not only will it be fun and exciting, but as a highy experienced string player and conductor, everyone will improve and enjoy their string playing more afterwards!
“Adaptive teaching” is currently the buzz in education and Neil was an absolute master of it, I thought it was totally brilliant
In fact, probably one of the best teaching sessions I’ve seen in my whole life, and I’ve been in education for 20 years.
Head Teacher - Christ the King Sixth Form College, Isle of Wight
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Fully inclusive music workshops
Music is for eveyone! And it can be especially powerful for those in the deaf, neuro-spicy or disabled communities.
Music can empower, engage, inspire and bring huge benefits. Do get in touch!
The photo above is from a workshop I delieverd for the ‘Together in Music’ Festival with Music for Youth in Bristol Beacon March 2024
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Family Workshops
I specialise in cross-community music making, and a great example of this is the Family Workshop.
Often taking shape as a ‘Family Orchestra’ we use improvisation, folk music, songs, classical repertoire, whatever inspires us to cross the boundaries of music making and enjoy doing it together.
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Large Scale Community Projects
Music can bring together all kinds of groups to celebrate and perform. Thats one of the amazing things!
I specialise in bespoke projects that bring all kinds of groups together to make their own music.
For example, the photo above is from the Poole Voyages.
‘In November 2023, SoundStorm Music Education Agency, in partnership with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Longfleet CE Primary School and Poole High School, produced a very special concert of new music, entitled ‘The Poole Voyages’, composed by BSO Associate Neil Valentine working with Paeder Townsend and the young people involved in the concert, which premiered at St James’ Church to a rammed, sold out crowd. The whole event was part of a wider programme celebrating the heritage of the most historic part of Poole. Below is our highlights film of the project.’
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Feedback from The Poole Voyages
‘An evening of lots of original compositions, under the guidance and musical directorship of Neil Valentine. I felt myself experiencing both ends of my own musical life – remembering my own youthful bewilderment in a school band, hiding among the clarinets and wondering what the dots on the page in front of me meant, and the surging of wanting to get in amongst the parts and instruments as a composer today. Neil's arrangements and melodies were beautiful, filmic, transportive, and I have many questions about how he and others connected to musical education bring in a whole group of children and young people to take part in creating such pieces.’ Timo Peach - click to read full review
I work with all ages and types of groups including:
Primary School Classes (KS1 & 2)
Secondary School Groups (KS3 & 4)
A-Levels (KS5)
University Groups
Pre-school groups (nurseries and pre-schools)
Family Groups
Adult amateurs
Orchestras
Bands
Mixed Genre Groups
All styles, genres, approaches
Youth Orchestras (Junior Orchestras and training orchestras)
Wind and Brass Bands
Concert Presentations
Community Groups
I work with a wide variety of partners:
Schools of all kinds
Music Hubs
Music Services
Arts organisations
Charities
Community Groups
This wide range of experience enables me to work with groups as they are. I see the people I make music with as people, not their names, instruments, ages, genders. Not as a ‘trouble maker’ or a class who are ‘difficult’. I come fresh to each group I work with and make music with them as we find eachother. It is a rich and immersive way of making music and one which is always enriching and exciting to be a part of.
I specialise in what education peadogy calls ‘Adaptive Teaching’. I use all my skills to work with the pariticpants and adapt and flow with their needs. If one idea is not connecting, I use another, or adapt and flow until I find the sweet spot for that group.
I would love to bring this way of working to your group, ensemble, school, community group
Here are some of the partners I have worked with:
Turner Sims, Philharmonia Orchestra, Winchester Chamber Music Festival, LSO, RPO, London Music Masters, Hatfield Chamber Music Festival, Spitalfields Music, Music for Youth, BBC SO, BBC Proms, Voces8, Wigmore Hall, St Paul's Sinfonia, music services and hubs across the country and many other arts organisations. I am also an Associate Musician of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra working across all of the BSO Participate Strands.
in 2016 I founded ABC Concerts - Real Music, Not Rules.
A musical response to the fact there were very limited opportunities for my family (with young children at the time) to watch live music.
Up until COVID I organised and ran over 40 concerts in Winchester, Southampton, Portsmouth and beyond.
We are currently exploring bringing ABC Concerts back to the region!
