Meet the team
The SEDMC team are a friendly bunch – comprised of experienced management staff, professional musicians and dedicated trustees.
We all share the belief that high-quality musical experiences can have a life-changing impact for young people, and we work together to ensure more young people in the East Midlands have access to these opportunities.
All our ensembles are directed by professional musicians – who are masters of their craft and experienced teachers and mentors too. Our conductors inspire, challenge and encourage the young musicians of SEDMC to push their boundaries and develop their confidence.
Our staff team are all DBS checked, undertake regular safeguarding training and are monitored both internally and externally to ensure we always deliver the very highest standards.
SEDMC’s Group Directors are supported by a fantastic management and administration team who keep everything running smoothly!
Matthew Barks
Director of music & Foundations String orchestra
Deputy Safeguarding lead
Matthew began learning cello in year 4 and moved on to double bass at secondary school. He was a member of SEDMC from year 5 to 13 – before going on to study music at Bath Spa University and the University of Nottingham.
After gaining a masters degree, Matthew became a double bass specialist, teaching for Derbyshire Music Partnership.
Matthew enjoys a varied playing career in orchestras, bands and shows – including a memorable performance of West Side Story at the Minack Theatre, Cornwall.
He currently performs regularly with Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra and The Helix Ensemble.
No day at SEDMC is the same; Matthew loves starting new repertoire with his group and encouraging them to think as an ensemble.
Alongside music, he’s an ardent cat enthusiast!
Andrew Bond
Centre Co-ordinator
Whilst learning clarinet in his first school orchestra, Andrew was told he wouldn’t do very well – but he proved his teachers wrong and went on to achieve a grade 6!
Andrew’s been interested in music from an early age, and first got involved at SEDMC as a parent in 2002, when he bought Tom along to join. He soon decided his skills would be better utilised as a ‘desk volunteer’, which he did until being appointed Centre Co-ordinator in 2009. In his role, Andrew takes care of all the non-musical aspects of the Centre.
Andrew particularly likes the comradery, friendliness and support among SEDMC members and enjoys watching them develop as musicians and young people.
Helen Grimoldby
Centre Administrator
Helen’s musical journey began when she started to learn to play piano at around the age of 7, but moved on to trombone once she started secondary school. She joined Launceston Town Band at the age of 13 and has enjoyed making music and performing ever since, more recently playing for the Charnwood Orchestra and also the all girl swing band Shell’s Belles. Performing highlights include playing in Paris and Salzburg on our very own SEDMC tours!
After a career change in 2019, Helen now teaches whole class brass lessons in Derbyshire primary schools, as well as one to one and small group instrumental teaching for Derby & Derbyshire Music Partnership.
Helen first became involved with SEDMC as a parent in 2012, when her son Alfie joined. She very quickly decided to join as an adult member too!
After a few years of volunteering as a parent helper, she also started doing a couple of hours admin each week and was appointed Centre Administrator in 2024.
You’ll find her on the desk each Saturday morning!
Becky Henderson
Youth Wind Band, Woodwind Choir, Beatroots
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Prior to studying music at the University of Nottingham, Becky initially taught herself to play the recorder, before taking lessons on flute and then classical guitar. She now works as an accredited teacher for DDMP, delivering both individual and whole class instrumental lessons to children from the ages of 3-19.
Becky is passionate about ensuring quality music education is accessible to everybody. She feels that engaging children in music-making from an early age has a huge impact on their physical, cognitive, social-emotional and language development. In teaching music, Becky believes she is helping educate more than just the next generation of musicians.
Alongside teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing with Ashby Concert Band, arranging and composing her own music, and performing with her folk band, Calling Time.
Becky feels privileged to work with the SEDMC members, helping them develop their skills and become confident young adults whilst making fantastic music together
Dora Chatzigeorgiou
Youth String Orchestra, Youth Orchestra
Greek violinist and teacher, Dora Chatzigeorgiou combines a busy career as a freelance violinist with teaching posts at Rugby School, Repton School, Repton Prep School, Trent College, European String Tutors and the Derbyshire Music Partnership.
Dora is a prizewinning graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Oberlin College Conservatory (USA) and the Kodaly Conservatory in Athens (Greece).
As an orchestral musician, Dora has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the European Union Youth Orchestra, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Suffolk Philharmonic Orchestra, performing with some of the most celebrated conductors in some of the world’s greatest concert halls. Dora is also a member of ‘The Apollo Duo’, a violin and organ duo with her husband Alexander Binns (Director of Music - Derby Cathedral).
In her free time Dora likes to spend time with her husband and two children and her little doggy Rosie.
Emily Lane
Ensemble Assistant
Emily comes from a family of musicians and so her love of music started very young. Her mum is a violin and piano teacher so she began learning the violin at age 6 and came to SEDMC to join the junior strings. However, she was particularly inspired by the flute and at age 9 moved to playing the flute instead and joined the junior wind band. She progressed through the groups, playing in the flute choir and the senior wind band and eventually moved to the County Wind Band and the School's Orchestra.
She now works as a deliverer and instrumental teacher and loves helping students find their own passion in music and supporting them on their musical journey.
Nicola Hunt
Saturday Singers & Vocalise
Mezzo-Soprano
Nicola’s musical journey began in Liverpool before heading south to the Junior RAM in London and Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester. She trained as an opera singer, continuing her undergrad and postgrad studies at The RNCM in Manchester, supported by The Peter Moores Foundation and The Wall Trust.
After graduating, Nicola toured internationally with Diva Opera for several years and has performed as a soloist with many of the UK’s finest choirs and orchestras at venues including The Sage, Wigmore Hall, and The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Closer to her home in Belper, Nicola performs at Chatsworth, Haddon Hall, and Kedleston Hall.
Now settled with her family in the East Midlands, Nicola loves to deliver choir workshops around the UK and for the NAC. She is grateful to be a busy performer, choral conductor, and vocal coach. Nicola is currently the MD of Sonara Singers, the Chameleon Choir, the Rockabillies Choir, and of course SEDMC's own amazing award winning Saturday Singers and Vocalise.
Lauren Collings
Progression Wind Band
Lauren’s journey in music began at age 7 with the cornet, quickly progressing through examinations until she discovered an old French horn in the cupboard under the stairs. Lauren took it upon herself to repair the horn and began teaching herself before convincing her teacher, who happened to be a horn player herself, to give her formal lessons at the age of 14.
Lauren truly flourished with the horn, playing in CCYO and CCYWB before going on to study horn performance at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she performed with the college’s top ensembles. As a freelance musician she has performed with Opera North, Manchester Camerata and Bruckner Orchester Linz as well as being a regular in ‘the pit’ on the musical theatre scene.
Lauren is a fully accredited teacher with Derby and Derbyshire Music Partnership and really enjoys giving back to the education service she grew up with and taught her so much! Lauren will also promote playing the horn at any given opportunity…
Justin Chambers
Band Lab
Justin was brought up listening to a wide variety of music, and grew to appreciate the many different styles and instruments being played. He began playing the drums aged 11, and joined several bands whilst at school. Justin went on to study Popular Music and Music Technology at Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies.
He has had some incredible experiences as a performer, from musical theatre to playing at Rock City and Download Festival. His love of teaching is obvious and is always amazed at how well they do - especially a grade 1 pupil who achieved a grade 8 distinction in just one year!one year!
Justin's days are full of teaching drums, guitar and ukulele in schools, followed by evenings performing, arranging and producing music and family time! He finds his SEDMC role incredibly rewarding - focusing on turning practice into performance, which gives a purpose and aim to rehearsals. He loves the variety of his work and feels very lucky to spend so much time with people who share his enjoyment and passion for music.
Poppy Wheeler
Foundations Wind Band
Poppy began learning flute aged 7 and joined SEDMC shortly afterwards. She progressed through the groups and attended many tours, adding in playing bassoon along the way and joining the county level ensembles on both instruments. Her playing continued leading to gaining a music degree and a masters from Queen's University, Belfast and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and finally a PGCE.
She now works as a classroom music teacher as well as an instrumental tutor in addition to playing with a variety of ensembles whenever she can.
Poppy is greatly enjoying being back at Music Centre and seeing the progress that the young players in the Junior Orchestra make, both in developing their musical skills, and building friendships.
Dave Hanson
Foundations Guitar/Ukulele
Dave's introduction to playing music was at the age of 10, when he began learning euphonium as a member of Long Eaton Silver Prize Band. He joined SEDMC very shortly after, picking up trombone – eventually adding guitar and bass to his repertoire at the age of 16.
Studying Music at the University of Salford, Dave changed his primary focus to composition and bass, winning Salford's 'Elgar Howarth Composition Shield', and the 2014 Foden's composition competition. His piece, 'Aurora Borealis', went on to be played on BBC Radio 2's 'Listen To The Band'. Graduating from Salford, Dave spent several years as a bass player on cruise ships. Post-cruise work, he's enjoyed working as a live/session musician for a very varied array of bands and projects – including providing bass guitar for the Teletubbies' 2021 album, 'Ready, Steady, Go!'.
More recently, Dave teaches guitar, bass and ukulele - privately, and as an accredited teacher with the Derby & Derbyshire Music Partnership. He's very excited to be involved with SEDMC again. Music centre provided a great start for him – he's hoping he can do the same for someone else!
Steve Levitt
Street Band
South East Derbyshire Music Centre Trust (SEDMC Trust registered charity 1180960) is the registered charity that runs SEDMC.
Our Trustees volunteer their time to oversee the way the Music Centre runs. They are also responsible for deciding the future development of the centre to ensure South East Derbyshire Music Centre continues to provide a space for young people to make music in Amber Valley and Erewash.
Our Trustees have a responsibility in many areas including, finance, sponsorship & fundraising, developing & updating policies and making strategic decisions affecting the future of the centre.
Michaela Wright
Acting Chair
Michaela is our current acting chair, alongside Phil.
Phil Thornhill
Acting Chair
Phil is an active member of SEMDC and plays Saxophone in our orchestra. He’s our longest serving trustee and acting chair alongside Michaela.
Steven Hardy
Treasurer
Steven is a parent of three string players at the Centre who have benefited hugely from playing in various ensembles and received excellent guidance over many years. He works in a nearby university in a business development role and hopes to put this experience to good use for SEDMC.
Jo Wakefield
Secretary
Her youngest daughter was a member of SEDMC for over five years, and absolutely loved playing in the various ensembles and taking part in the European Tour. The experience has been incredibly rewarding for her—musically, socially, and personally. Inspired by the impact it made, Jo became a trustee to help ensure this wonderful opportunity continues to be available to other young musicians.
Philippa Seago
Trustee
Philippa is a teacher and writer and has a grade 3 in piano from a mere 30 years ago (not sure if that counts?). She has a son who plays euphonium in Street Band and Senior Winds, and a daughter who plays violin in Junior Strings, and SEDJO as well as singing with Vocalise. She became a trustee at SEDMC because She has been hugely impressed with all the music teachers have done for her kids and she wants to try and support the Centre to keep having that positive impact on even more young people.
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Luke Stanley
Trustee
Having previously been chair for SEDMC, Luke returns to the trustees to ensure that the charity continues to inspire the next generation of musicians. Having not a single musical bone, Luke feels his skills are best placed in the governing of Centre, thinking of new ways to do things and ensuring that the Centre remains inclusive for all.
