Staff

LEN TYLER psm CSAK LTCL(Mus Ed) CKME

It was in 1994 that Len left the army following a very successful career as a military musician. At the time of his leaving he was serving as a Director of Music and ranked 13th within 2000 posts in Army music. He retrained as a Kodaly musicianship teacher qualifying with Colourstrings, the British Kodaly Academy and Trinity College of Music in London. Len's speciality is with early childhood music education, although he does apply the Kodaly teaching principles to other areas of his work, both with adults and with instrumental teaching.

He founded the Len Tyler Music School, which now has approximately 480 pupils, in 1994. Despite these numbers he is still able to take an active teaching role in most classes for children between 2 and 6 years old. As a result of his extensive studies while in the Army he is able to play over 20 different instruments, including most brass, most woodwind and most stringed instruments. These instruments are brought into the Music School and demonstrated as part of the children's lessons. Where possible the children get 'hands on' with these instruments.

Len has spent three years on the Executive Committee of the British Kodaly Academy, and in 2000 was invited to become a member of their National Council. He is often in demand to give workshops and teacher training lectures both locally and nationally. Len is now considered to be one of the leading early childhood music educators in the south of England and is frequently visited by teachers from as far afield as Birmingham, Corby, and Kelso (Scotland), Oerlinghausen (Germany), Geneva (Switzerland) as well as by teachers closer to home.

Len, who lives near Camberley with his wife Rose and their two daughters, also conducts "Da Capo Winds" which is the training band for the Rushmoor Concert Band. A number of ex pupils from the Len Tyler Music School have found their way into Da Capo Winds and some now also play in the Rushmoor Concert Band. He also runs the woodwind group 'Clarinets Plus' which provides music workshops for primary schools.

Teaching Staff

CAROLYN BODIHAM

I have always been enthusiastic about music, learning the recorder from the age of six and the clarinet from the age of ten. As a teenager I was a member of various youth bands and orchestras before going to University to study music. After obtaining my degree I managed to combine a career in Occupational Therapy with teaching for the Harlow Music Schools Association. I joined the BBC Symphony Chorus in 1992 and have since obtained grade 8 and the Advanced Certificate in singing. I have attended some training run by the British Kodaly Academy, and as a parent and teacher I have been impressed by this approach used. I now have two young daughters who attend the Music School.

JANE CLEAVER

I started playing the piano at the age of seven, and took up the flute and oboe while at school. I was a member of the Surrey Youth Orchestra and Wind Orchestra, and later went on to study oboe and piano at the Birmingham Conservatoire. I have since pursued a successful career as a peripatetic woodwind and piano teacher in North Hampshire and in a number of independent schools, in addition to maintaining a private teaching practice at home for nearly 30 years. I have attended courses run by the British Kodaly Academy, and also the Colourstrings Kindergarten summer course, and joined the Music School in 2007 in order to further develop my interest in pre-school music teaching. I love the teaching approach and have incorporated many elements into my instrumental teaching. I really enjoy seeing the children on a weekly basis.

ANASTASIA CUNNINGHAM

Anastasia's musical training began with learning the piano at the age of six. The guitar, trombone, and various recorders were soon added, then later the church organ. Playing with the school orchestra and singing in one of the five school choirs also became an important part of musical life.

Since shool and university, her musical life has been more low key, although she still plays the piano and is involved in the musical side of her church, especially with the children. She ran a toddler group locally for five years and enjoyed leading the singing with the mums and children. She came to the Len Tyler Music School through her younger child, who joined the school at the age of two, and was very impressed with the approach - all so very different from her classical musical training.

HELEN LAIRD

I moved into the area in 2004 and wanted to continue teaching music for young children, having led sessions for babies and pre-school children in South London. When asking around, the 'Len Tyler Music School' was frequently mentioned and highly recommended - so, naturally, I was keen to get involved! I attended a Kodaly workshop and was absolutely certain that this was the teaching method about which I wanted to learn more. I was involved with observing and training over the summer and am delighted to be joining the team for the autumn term of 2005.

For myself, music has always been an important, and highly enjoyable part of life. I initially learnt the recorder and then took up the 'cello, aged 8, and later the piano. As a teenager I played in the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra and went on to play in the symphony orchestra at university and then various other chamber groups and orchestras in Hampshire, Oxford and London. I have always loved singing too, singing in the church choir from a young age and then in school and college choirs.

CLAIRE RENNISON

Claire learned the recorder, the clarinet, and then the piano while at school, as well as singing in various choirs, and playing the guitar. She went on to take a degree in music and education, part of which included a study of Kodaly and Hungarian music education. She taught in a middle school for several years before having children, and joined the Len Tyler Music School in 1994 (when two of her sons were some of the earliest members of the school.) She subsequently obtained the Colourstrings Certificate in Music Kindergarten as well as doing other training with the British Kodaly Academy. Claire also teaches Kodaly early years for Berkshire Maestros. She enjoys choral singing and currently sings with the Chantry Singers, a Guildford chamber choir and an occasional choir called Ex Collegio.

LUCIE ROBSON

Lucie's first experience with the Len Tyler Music School was accompanying her 4-month-old son to classes. She had had a musical upbringing and, when her son started to go to school, approached Len about retraining as a teacher. Lucie has a degree in Modern Languages and her pre-motherhood career was in international marketing within the computer industry, so this was quite a career change, however, after a period of both internal training and attendance at a number of BKA workshops, Lucie began teaching in the babies’ department in January 2001. Lucie is now an experienced teacher at the Music School who works with all the age groups from 0 to 6 years old. In addition to her work here, she provides Kodaly-based music tuition at two local nursery schools.

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LUCY ROOSE

Music has always been part of my life. As a child I played the violin and piano and sang in a choir all of which continued into adulthood and formed the basis for much of my social life but never my career. In the "old days" I worked for the English Tourist Board in London. I continue to play the violin for pleasure although currently not on a regular basis, and sing weekly with the Chantry Singers, a chamber choir in Guildford.

My eldest son joined the Music School at the age of 3 when we moved here in 2003 and one or other of them has come for lessons ever since. As they have got older I have been astonished at what they have learnt. I have been inspired to find out what it is all about by taking part in several BKA courses and workshops myself and am now a complete convert to this way of thinking.

With two grandmothers, a mother and a mother-in-law who have all been music teachers, I have fought it for a long time but I suppose it was inevitable I would succumb eventually. I joined the Music School teaching staff in 2006 and love it!

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JUDITH WALLACE

I was persuaded by a friend to join one of Len’s classes when my third child was two and a half. I took some persuading having tried various music groups with my other two children and found them totally uninspiring. Within five minutes of being in the Len Tyler Music School class I was forced to pick my jaw up off the floor and wonder in bemusement why I was never been taught music in this way, and left to reflect how much further I would have got in my own musical career if I had had access to this type of Music education.

Needless to say I was a CONVERT! My daughter still attends classes and after much observation and many courses I joined the teaching staff in September 2003. I teach all ages within the Music School, from tiny babies up to 7/8 year olds. It is very satisfying to see how much enjoyment, self-confidence and knowledge all our children gain by coming to the classes - sometimes the parents get better too!

Admin

Lucy Roose

Having been part of the teaching team since 2006 Lucy Roose took over the role of Music School Administrator from Tracey Ashton in 2008. With Len, Lucy runs a "virtual office" from her home in FLeet, while Len runs his part of the "virtual office" from his home in Hawley. Lucy is mainly available on Mondays and Tuesday when there is no teaching comitment, but will always try to return messages left by email or on the answer machine as soon as possible. To read more about Lucy please see above.