Music Tutors
Head of Music
Catherine’s interest in music began to take shape at the age of 6 when
she was fortunate to be given a piano by her uncle. Catherine continued
to be a very active musician throughout her time at school and continued
her enjoyment of music at Dartington College of Arts, prior to embarking
on her Music degree at Cardiff University. She particularly enjoyed being
in close proximity to the ‘Welsh National Opera’ whilst living in Wales.
Whilst completing her PGCE at Queen’s College, she developed an
enthusiasm of World Music, in particular Gamelan, which led to a further
2 years of study in Indonesia. Catherine has always had an ambition to
develop and inspire an enthusiasm and enjoyment of Music’. She has
taught Music for 12 years at Cottenham and loves it!
Catherine Manser
BMus (Hons)
‘I get a real buzz from arranging music to include all ability levels and ages. I am
most proud of students’ when they are able to hold their own and begin to fly’
Lucy studied music at Hull University and went on to study teaching at
Homerton College, Cambridge. For six years she was Head of Music
and Performing Arts at a secondary school in Hampshire where she led
choirs of up to 150 pupils. Since having children, Lucy has continued to
teach as a Primary and Secondary music specialist and private piano
tutor on a part-time basis. She often performs as a pianist/vocalist and is
delighted to be leading the Choir at Cottenham Village College.
Lucy Maynard
Choir
Maggie Mather is an ex Head of Music and Year Head at Cottenham
Academy. She began her classical vocal training at Homerton College
Cambridge and the Guildhall School of Music. This was continued at the
Birmingham School of Music, where she won a scholarship to study with
Freda Hart. She performed with the Cambridge Footlights and has
continued this with lead parts in over 25 musical theatre productions.
Over the years she has also sung in folk clubs, madrigal groups, the
Cambridge University Choral Society and Queens’ College Chapel Choir.
She is a renowned big band singer and performs regularly at the
Cambridge Jazz Club. She is one half of the lounge jazz duo ‘Two in a
Bar’.
Dave Webster, our guitar teacher, has 38 years experience of playing
the guitar at amateur and professional level. Dave began teaching the
guitar full time in 1993 and has taught at Ely College and continues to
teach at Cottenham Academy. He has performed in various rock, blues
and country bands from the age of 13, and continues to play today with
a local rock covers band called ‘The B4s’ and a local rock combo called
‘Add3’.
Maggie Mather
Dave Webster
Guitar, Bass and Banjo
Cath has been teaching violin for over 20 years, and has been at CVC
since 1995. She has worked as a peripatetic in many schools in the
County, and has also taught KS3 and 4 classroom music. Music is an
integral part of her life; not only through daily teaching but also as a viola
player with the East Anglia Chamber Orchestra and Orchard Chamber
Ensemble. Cath sees instrumental learning as a life-long skill – whether
just for pleasure or for more formal training. She took this ethos further
in 2010 when she taught herself the cornet in 8 weeks, took a nerveracking Grade One and then played in the most excruciating beginners’
concert ever, for the EACH Grade-one-a-thon event. Her cornet still
appears occasionally, especially when she wants the house to herself.
Cath is a self-confessed musical ‘magpie’ and enjoys all kinds of music,
often collecting musical ideas and riffs to help illustrate teaching points.
Sarah Minchin has lived in the Cambridge area for most of her life. She
began playing the trombone at the age of 9 with Burwell Excelsior Brass
Band and for the following 9 years played for a wide variety of local
Orchestras, Bands and Ensembles as well as the County Youth
Orchestra and the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. After
spending four years at the Royal Northern College of Music Sarah
returned to Cambridgeshire where she now teaches and plays with the
well known local Brass Ensemble Prime Brass, Tube Brass quintet as
well as other ensembles.
Cath Davis
String
BA (Hons); ALCM; LRSM; PGCE
Sarah Minchin
Brass
Hi, my name is Jess Ely and I’m a young, enthusiastic woodwind teacher
with over 10 years teaching experience. I play and teach the following
instruments: flute (my speciality), clarinet, alto saxophone, bassoon and
piano. I offer a flexible approach to teaching and design lessons to suit
the individual needs of each student. My teaching can follow one of
three broad routes:
1. Teaching to Graded Exams (ABRSM or Trinity Guildhall)
2. Teaching for individual assessment during lesson time (a more informal type
of exam)
3. Learning to play the instrument purely for enjoyment or to aid development
I teach a variety of solo and ensemble repertoire/genres of music. I run
yearly flute mornings for flute students to gain ensemble and performing
experience. I grew up in Cambridgeshire and I’ve played flute for the
Huntingdonshire Philharmonic Orchestra since graduating from
University. I also play flute for the St.Ives Choral Society.
Stephanie Reeves studied clarinet at Trinity College of Music and has a
busy career as a teacher, performer, chamber music coach and writer.
Having moved to Cambridge from London in 2005 she now teaches
clarinet, saxophone and flute at various schools across the county as
well as performing in Hunts Phil and numerous other chamber groups
and for musicals and shows. As a tutor she has worked with several
youth orchestras and runs weekend residential courses and playdays for
all ages. She coaches several adult ensembles and recently conducted
two concerts in Ceret, France. Stephanie writes articles and reviews for
the magazine of the Clarinet and Saxophone Society.
Jessica Ely
Woodwind Teacher
BA (Hons) Music
Stephanie Reeves
Clarinet / Saxophone
Piano, Keyboard and Theory
Born in County Durham, Janette started learning piano at the age of 7
and clarinet at 13 but it was only during a sabbatical taken whilst a
researcher at University that she went back to serious music studies and
qualified as a teacher. She has now been music teaching for over 30
years (16 at CVC), and is loving seeing some of her early pupils now
with flourishing musical careers of their own. When not teaching she
enjoys accompanying a violinist friend, and playing in a Piano Trio known
as The Corner House Trio. With eclectic musical tastes she enjoys
helping pupils explore many different musical styles.
Janette Mullett
Piano, Keyboard and Theory
BA(Hons), LTCL
Vanessa Brown is a composer and freelance teacher of piano and music
theory, also training students for the aural part of instrumental exams.
She started as a trumpeter, playing in Essex Youth Orchestra before
taking up a place to read music at Selwyn College, Cambridge. From
there she went on to do a Masters degree in composition, and since then
has combined looking after her three children, now almost all grown up,
with teaching and composing.
In the last ten years Vanessa has set up and run some instrumental
groups, including the Fen Edge Orchestra for adult players, the orchestra
at CVC and Crazy Crotchets, a holiday course for children of all ages. At
the moment she is involved with Swavesey Music School, running their
Junior Orchestra and a theory class.
Vanessa Brown
MA Cantab, MMus