Poole Society For Young Musicians – MUSIC ACADEMY AUTUMN TERM 2025

Quick Links to enrolment forms for all our Music Academy activities – Autumn Term 2025

TUNES AND GROOVES with Jenny Barrett – https://forms.gle/bANUjCdc9tsVzMyw6

Mezzo Maestros – https://forms.gle/mihzvk9uqrz9sisy7

Jurassic Brass  https://forms.gle/vEkRGqXoMnLRxruL6 (seniors and juniors)

Symphonic Wind – https://forms.gle/yNnFpxE4RctmEHn57

Camerata Strings – https://forms.gle/riLGbfZuk3QUjLz76  (seniors and junior cello ensemble)

Mini Maestros – Instrumental Lessons https://forms.gle/k5u37ov1NznocJRV6


VENUE: PARKSTONE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, Sopers Lane , Poole BH17 9JU

INSTRUMENTAL TEACHING TIMES:
Mini Maestros instrumental lessons resume Monday 8th September 2025, EXCLUDING BANK HOLIDAYS

Term Time ONLY but you can start lessons at any time of the year.

THESE ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE ON A MONDAY EVENING. PLEASE SIGN UP ON ABOVE QUICK LINKS. (Camerata and Symphonic Wind details are on another web page)

  • Mini Maestros instrumental lessons on an array of instruments with highly qualified teachers
  • Mini Maestros Tunes’n Grooves with Jenny Barrett
  • Mezzo Maestros instrumental ensemble with Polly Phillips
  • Jurassic Brass ensembles – Juniors or Seniors with Kevin Penfold, Robb Tooley and other guest brass specialists.

INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS:

  1. Run by Poole Society for Young Musicians Charity, supported by SoundStorm Music Agency , we are excited to continue with our Music Academy on Monday evenings to enable youngsters to learn instruments tutored by top professionals.
  2. List of some of our teachers below!
  3. As we all know, there’s very little for children that matches the advantages of music….singing and learning a musical instrument and so we want to help to facilitate this for the next generation, especially for those whose school might not provide it. Then, children can enjoy the enormous benefits from making music with others!

We are happy to help with facilitating instruments for hire or purchase through us and also Poole Violins, SoundStorm and DMS.

In PSYM, we have some instruments too: a couple of violins, 2 oboes, a flute, a horn and a sax that are desperate to be played then students can join our ensembles.

Grants of up to £300 for young people up to age 18 are available from SoundStorm Access Fund who need extra support to pursue their musical ambitions – Grant Access Funds. No child should miss out on the enormous benefits of playing an instrument!

  • Instrumental lessons run weekly on violin, cello, piano, clarinet, oboe, flute, double bass, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, horn (from age 6+)
  • Choice of individual or shared lessons, varying duration – fees apply

Enquire by completing the form above. You will be contacted by the course administrator with a note of the fees and an offer for your place. We try to make lessons as affordable as possible; also including the possibility of shared lessons.

We also have a fully qualified and experienced Suzuki violin teacher Karen Leach who will teach children from age 4+

It is important that Music teachers are degree qualified in order to teach proper technique and musicianship and we pride ourselves on providing this:
Our Academy teachers are highly qualified musicians and hold up-to-date DBS certificates.

INSTRUMENTAL TEACHERS:

VIOLIN
Mr Savva Zverev -BMus (Hons)
Mrs Jenny Barrett – LTCL GTCL (Hons)
Mr Matthew Jones BMus(Hons) MMus

CELLO
Mr Philip Collingham – BMus (hons) MMus (Hons)

DOUBLE BASS
Ms Hannah Grimley- BMus(Hons)

PIANO
Mrs Sara Schwetje-Kemp MA(Hons) LTCL
Ms Polly Bartlett BMus hons MPerf ATCL

Mr Philip Lloyd GGSM(hons) ARCM(Hons)

WOODWIND – Flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, Saxophone

Ms Polly Phillips -BMus(Hons) PGdip LRAM Ms
Ms Tammy Sullivan – BMus(Hons) MMus
Ms Polly Barlett – BMus (Hons) MPerf ATCL

Ms Aoife Scully BMus(Hons)

Mrs Caren Court BMusic (Hons)

BRASS – Horn, trumpet, Trombone, Tuba,

Mr Robb Tooley BMus(Hons)
Mr Mark Law BMus(Hons)
Mr Kevin Penfold BMus(Hons)

Mr Philip Lloyd GGSM(hons) ARCM(Hons)

MUSIC THEORY – up to GRADE 5
Mrs Alison Kay B.E.M. GTCL(Hons), LTCL Teaching diploma, PgDip GSMD
Ms Tammy Sullivan – BMus (Hons) MMus

MUSIC THEORY – GRADE 6-8 and GCSE and A level Music lessons
Ms Clare Whitehead, BA (Hons) PGCE Dip ABRSM – Also Director of Bournemouth School Music department

AURAL TESTS – up to grade 5 – solo or group
Mrs Alison Kay B.E.M. GTCL (Hons) LTCL Teaching diploma, PgDip GSMD

Contact us on poolesym@gmail.com for more information if required, or just sign up ABOVE and we will be in touch.

NO LESSONS ON BANK HOLIDAY MONDAYS – TERM TIME ONLY


MEZZO MAESTROS INSTRUMENTAL ensemble restarts Monday 29th September 2025, 17.30 – 18.30 over 8 week with concert on week 9, directed by the inspiring professional musician/director, Polly Phillips. Many young musicians will know Polly from recent school performances and working in BSO projects. This group is enormous fun who learn & perform exciting repertoire.
Mezzo Maestros ensemble caters for approximately GRADE 2-5 level orchestral musicians including percussionists, aged up to 14

ENROL AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE

TRY OUT WEEK 1 FREE OF CHARGE!
Term fee: £56
Sessions EXCLUDE half term and bank holidays.
The exciting termly concerts include solo performance opportunities and the term will include at least one specialised sectional rehearsal.
Youngsters are welcome to come along to try out session 1, and if they like it they can sign up for the rest of the term. Many friendships within the group have been made during this last year and we have all enjoyed watching and hearing the ensemble develop musically.

Mini and Senior JURASSIC BRASS ENSEMBLES
Learn and be inspired by the fabulous tutors Robb Tooley(BSO), Kevin Morgan(BSO), Mark Law & Kevin Penfold.

JUNIOR JURASSIC BRASS ENSEMBLE:
Learn the joys of playing music, new brass techniques and performing in an ensemble. Make new friends and gain life long skills! 
Over 6 exciting sessions excl half term with concert on week 7.
VENUE: POOLE GRAMMAR SCHOOL Music department.
Aimed at young note reading brass players up to grade 3.
TIME: 16.30-17.30
TERM FEE: £36 – Grants are available including SoundStorm Access fund.

Our exciting and energetic SENIOR JURASSIC BRASS with an additional OPTIONAL NEW SYMPHONIC WIND ENSEMBLE AS AN EXTRA ON OUR CAMERATA PAGE (see our Camerata Page)

SENIOR JURASSIC BRASS ENSEMBLE:
SENIOR JURASSIC BRASS TIME: 17.30-18.30 excluding half term with concert date tbc.
For Grade 5+ Brass players, aged up to 18.
TERM FEE: £56 – Grants are available including SoundStorm Access Fund.
PLEASE ENROL ASAP on the link above

Full of technical and repertoire building with some of the most inspiring brass teachers in the profession, young musicians develop many new skills and learn repertoire from Baroque to Jazz. Also, improve technique, develop improvisation skills with our amazing Robb Tooley from the BSO!
This is Jurassic Brass’ 4th exciting year as they go from strength to strength. Last year they were invited and spent a workshop day with Richmond Music Trust Brass in London, and during this summer term they worked with and performed in concert alongside some invited brass friends, members of the BSO and performed at the Lighthouse in the spring 2025. Jurassic Brass performing schedule is getting busy and have some more exciting plans!

Come along and just try out week 1.

Mini Maestros Music group, renamed “Tunes’n Grooves club” –

Aimed at key stage 1 children, young musicians are invited to gain musicianship development in this high quality session, set mainly around the piano learning fun songs and engaging rhythm games in an immensely fun setting with the inspiring professional music teacher, Jenny Barrett. They also develop aural & rhythmic skills towards instrumental learning. No previous experience is necessary. We involve a “try out an instrument” session each term.

STARTS BACK 17.00 – 17.30, MONDAY 29th Sept, 2025 (excludes bank holiday and half term)
TRY OUT 1 WEEK FREE OF CHARGE! The concert will take place alongside our other Monday academy groups and soloists on 7th July at Yarrells school followed by picnic and games!
Many thanks to SoundStorm and our sponsors who enable this class to be accessible to all, hence we are delighted to be able to offer this at a heavily subsidised rate of £16 for the term

ENROL HERE FOR MINI MAESTROS TUNES AND GROOVES or above


“…there is little doubt that regular exposure to music, and especially active participation in music, may stimulate development of many different areas of the brain. Takako Fujioka and her colleagues, for example, looking at children with a single year of violin training (compared to children with no training), recorded striking changes in activity in the brain’s left hemisphere. In terms of brain development, musical performance is every bit as important educationally as reading or writing”.  – Oliver Sacks, Neurologist & Writer (Source: Musicophilia: Six Questions for Oliver Sacks Interview, 2009)

Music ‘brings us together, helping us reflect upon who we are, where we have come from, and what lies ahead.’ The arts and music transcend ‘languages, cultures, and borders’ … and helps ‘exchange ideas and styles and share in the artistic vibrancy born from diverse experiences and traditions.’ – Former USA President, Barack Obama (Source: 2010 message to the World Choir Games in Shaoxing, China)

“Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul”. – Plato