Three of her children were BBC Young Musician Category Finalists, with Sheku, her third child winning the competition in 2016. That changed when her father died of an undiagnosed heart condition leaving her feeling forever 'hollow'. If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE (born 4 April 1999) is a British cellist who won the 2016 BBC Young Musician award. The last classical musician to reach the Top 10 before Sheku was Nigel Kennedy in 1989, with his Four Seasons. Isata is a Decca Classics recording artist. Isabel Oakeshott HANGS UP on interviewer, Ambulance strikes suspended by GMB and Unison, Young man describes trauma after being refused British citizenship despite growing up in UK, Elevenses: Fear and Loathing in the New Conservatives. 1, Ravels Piano Concerto, Saint-Sans Concerto No. She offers eclectic and interesting repertoire, with her recital programmes encompassing music from Haydn and Mozart, via Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann, Chopin and Brahms, to Gershwin and beyond. In December 2019 they all played as a family on stage at the Royal Variety Performance, wowing the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the audience, with Montis virtuosic Czrds. Older sister Isata had reached the piano final in 2014. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point. In the hardworking fashion that is typical of the Kanneh-Masons, they used their time in lockdown to record their first family album, entitled Carnival and released just a few weeks ago. They said a replacement passport would be issued as soon as possible, and this morning the cellist posted a photo of the passport thanking all his Facebook followers for their support. Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason is a speaker at the Diversity and the British String Quarter Symposium, taking place from the 14-16 June 2021. Its about playing together and sharing together. He is also a member of The Royal Academy Symphony Orchestra and Chineke! Having been unable to sell in churches for well over a year due to the pandemic, we are now inviting readers to support the Herald by investing in our future. I feel Kadiatu is a lot like that lino. Kadiatu's memoir won the 2021 Royal Philharmonic Society's Storytelling Award and the 2022 Indie Book Awards for Non-Fiction, where it was described as "a joyous celebration of the musical talents of the Kanneh-Mason family, which also serves as a window into issues of race and class in 21st century Britain.". As a mother, I was so proud of him and I thought it was a wonderful thing to do. It's something Sheku always has to thinkabout before going on stage for a big performance, but he's an emphatic advocate for the new technologies andcareful management that mean the condition is not something that has to get in anyone's way. Aged 22, Konya has already played to royalty twice, having performed at Marlborough House for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall in 2017, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at The Baftas in 2018 (now, the King and Queen Consort, and the Prince and Princess of Wales). Orchestra. A Catholic mother of seven brilliant young musicians, Kadiatu tells a touching story, not just about music but about the life of a large family. Born in Sierra Leone but moving to Wales as a young girl, Kadiatu lectured in English at the University of Birmingham, while Stuart, both of whose parents were born in Antigua, was born in London and works for a luxury experiential travel company. With Elgar, he scored a groundbreaking moment for classical and pop music when he became the first cellist in chart history to score a hit in the UK Official Album Chart Top 10. Dr. Ahmad Kaddurah is a Pediatrician in Flint, MI. After his win, the City of Nottingham named a bus in Sheku's honour it's on the route he used to take daily between his home and school. Isata and Sheku just released a duo album, Muse, featuring music by Barber and Rachmaninov. He's got his own hashtag now, too: look out for #CelloBae on social media. As well as seven births Kadiatu has had to cope with the grief and trauma of four miscarriages. Inclusivity is an important message throughout Kadiatus book. In 2020, she published House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons. In a Facebook post yesterday, in which he tagged Home Secretary Priti Patel and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, the 22-year-old said: Applied for an additional British passport with the approval of Home Office to assist with applications for visas and international work permits in this post #Brexit #Covid world along with my sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. Humanities Division - University of Oxford Born in Sierra Leone, Kadiatu used to lecture in literature at the University of Birmingham, while Stuart - whose family is from Antigua - works for Belmond, a luxury hotel chain. Looking at the state of the world, the political climate and racial tensions, Kadiatu believes it is now that we need God the most. Kadiatu, is in great demand internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. Read more: Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason: Growing up, I didnt know of many Black classical musicians. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Please join us on our 130 year mission by supporting us. They LOVE Bob Marley. Praying together gives us a huge sense of unity.. Oneworld published Dr Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason's inspiring memoir entitled: . Click here to sign in or get access. She was born in Sierra Leone, where her grandfather had 45 children with 21 wives - yes, you read that correctly. It is a nightmare with no help! Six siblings playing violins, the cello and a piano wowed the audience and judges - including Simon Cowell and Alecia Dixon. TORCH | The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities Kanneh-Mason was born in Nottingham to Dr Kadiatu Kanneh, a former lecturer at the University of Birmingham from Siera Leone, and Stuart Mason, a luxury hotel business manager from Antigua. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. You deserve the best., Related: Young man describes trauma after being refused British citizenship despite growing up in UK, EU nationals fear private health insurance requirements could see UK citizenship bids rejected, The Home Office said I had the perfect citizenship application and then rejected it. Perhaps thats because her own extended family is so large. The cellist has gone on to record acclaimed albums for the prestigious Decca label, toured the world and even graced the cover of GQ, all while completing his studies at Londons Royal Academy of Music. Sign up to our newsletter, Mauris accumsan mi nec orci volutpat, eu imperdiet tellus tempus. Download 'The Nutcracker - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' on iTunes, 21 February 2023, 10:23 | Updated: 21 February 2023, 10:26. 2 and Florence Prices Piano Concerto in One Movement withChineke! It can get messy when everyone is at home, Kadiatu says. Aged 22, her mother travelled to Sierra Leone to marry her 32-year-old, laughing, dancing, suitor. In 2020, Kadiatu published her inspiring memoir 'House of Music - Raising the Kanneh-Masons', a story about love and determination, race . View our Privacy PolicyandTerms & Conditions, TheLondonEconomic.com Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle. Sheku, PBS. In 2022/23 Isata steps into her role as Artist in Residence with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, performing three concerti across the season at Londons Cadogan Hall. Konya (now 19) and Aminata (14) both play violin and piano while Jeneba (17) and Mariatu (ten) play cello and piano. House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masonsdescribes the love, care and guidance the former University of Birmingham English lecturer Kadiatu and husband Stuart have put into nurturing the extraordinary talents of their seven children while bringing them up to be first and foremost thoughtful and grounded people. Mariatu also has Grade 8 Distinction on the piano, and is working towards her piano diploma. We have now issued him with a replacement passport, a Home Office spokesperson said. 10.10 - 10.25am: Keynote speech from Dr Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason. he needed the British passport because of Brexit, Applied for an additional British passport with the approval of Home Office, Hancock WhatsApp leaks: Dominic Cummings branded a f*****g piece of s**t, Rees-Mogg nears contempt of Parliament in tense clash with C4 host, How can anyone trust you? The family has been the subject of several documentaries, including the BBC Four documentary, Young Gifted and Classical: The Making of a Maestro, and the BBC One documentary, Imagine: This House is Full of Music. Charles Bockett-Pugh said: This is a monstrous miscarriage of justice, but sadly typical of the total incompetence of this government. In concerto, she is equally at home in Felix Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann, whose piano concerto featured on Isatas chart-topping debut recording, as in Prokofiev and Dohnnyi. Mariatu performed with the Kanneh-Masons for the then-Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall in March 2017, and has upcoming concert tours with the Kanneh-Masons in the UK, Antigua andBarbuda, Australia, New Zealand and the US. He completed a masters in maths and went to work for British Airways. But there was a broader point. Along with his siblings, he's been hitting the high notes for some time now. Kadiatu has seven children, all of whom are classical musicians and the family has been the subject of several documentaries. Brokenhearted Megan brought her four children (all under seven) back to the UK in the freezing November of 1970. At the tine, Sheku described the news as lovely and unexpected, saying, I really hope this sparks a wider interest in this amazing genre of music. Her beautiful, wise writing is its own music. Sheku and I were at home with the family in Nottingham, and we [were reaching] virtual audiences all over the world., Read more: You know there are invisible people watching Isata Kanneh-Mason on streamed classical music. The Kanneh-Masons have a long association with the group:not only performing within its ranks, but both Sheku and Jeneba have been featured soloists. Isata's tuition at the Royal Academy of Music in London was personally sponsored by Sir Elton John, after he heard her playing. The First Book of the Bible has everything, Dont miss a single story. Born in Sierra Leone but moving to Wales as a young girl, Kadiatu lectured in English at the University of Birmingham, while Stuart, both of whose parents were born in Antigua, was born in London and works for a luxury experientialtravel company. Sheku often plays with his two eldest siblings, Isata and Braimah, in a piano trio (The Kanneh-Mason Trio). She previously attended The Primary and Junior Royal Academy of Music, and gained Grade 8 Distinction on the violin and Grade 8 Distinction on the piano aged 11 and 12. Her book, 'African Identities: Race, Nation and Culture in Ethnography, Pan- Africanism [,,s$8y7_V>+@a(b~ The young pianist signed to Decca and debuted at the top of the UK Official Classical Artist Chart with her album of Clara Schumanns music, Romance. She returns to the Baltimore Symphony andrecently made her long-awaited debut with the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. Dr Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason reveals how she raised a family of classical musicians The memoir, House of music, details trials of her disciplined parenting tactics A tale which results in son. Along with his siblings, he's been hitting the high notes for some time now. Find Dr. Kaddurah's phone number, address, insurance information, hospital affiliations and more. An American voice came on the phone. Isata's 2019 debut album of Clara Schumann's music, Romance, was releasedin the 200th anniversary year of the composer's birth andcame out at No. "I saw my siblings, but other than that, not really." This page is available to subscribers. Fusce id lacus rhoncus, volutpat mi, EXCLUSIVE interview: Bishop Barron, the face of the modern Church, More roast muskrat, Your Grace? Fasting and abstinence comes in all shapes and sizes, Sons of St Chad: mischievous memories and green scrambled eggs, Donatellos outstanding virtuosity shows both his devotion and his playfulness, The Surrender upon Sex: a critique of the Church of England, On Pilgrimage With: Georgina, Duchess of Norfolk. With Stuart away working, Kadiatu became a full-time mother, battling through debilitating morning sickness and five miscarriages, feeling the triumph each time her body held on to a baby. Kadiatu has seven children, all of whom are classical musicians and the family has been the subject of several documentaries. They were exposed to as much music of all genres as possible while growing up, but were tacitly aware of the lack ofBlack visibility in Classical music. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. children laughed and shouted at us in the street.'. The family acknowledge that the media attention they received in the wake of the royal wedding was difficult to manage. Kadiatu is on the Board of Trustees for ESTA String Teachers Association, The Nottingham Education Trust, Real Talk TV and Music Masters, and she is continuing to write and gives talks, interviews and lectures around the U.K. on diversity in classical music, music education, issues of race and inclusion, literature and parenting. In October 2020, they released their first albumCarnivalon Decca Classics to great critical acclaim and in May 2021 received the Global Award for Best Classical Artist. I will never forget your stunning performance at Prince Harrys wedding. We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Thanks to QuestionPros offline mobile app, collecting offline data is a piece of cake now. The pressures of the lockdown summer must have seen a few more holes pressed into that old bathroom lino. Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason is a former lecturer at Birmingham University and the mother of seven musical children. Aminata Kanneh-Mason, 17, is a pupil at Trinity Catholic School in Nottingham and currently studies violin with Joshua Fisher. Her son, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, was the first black musician to win BBC Young Musician in 2016, and performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. As for religion, "In Sierra Leone, no one cares what religion you are, it's all. Oneworld published Dr Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason's inspiring memoir entitled: . When Isata was four, her parents decided music would soothe her emotions and stretch her intellectually. As concerto soloist, Isata appears with the Orchestra of Opera North, New World Symphony Miami, City of Birmingham Symphony, Duisburg Philharmonic, Barcelona Symphony, Geneva Chamber Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, and Orchestra of Norwegian Opera. 1 on the UK Official Classical Artist Chart. A year later, Sheku became the first cellist in history to take out a Top 10 spot in the UK Official Album Chart, with his 2020 sophomore album Elgar, recorded at Abbey Road Studios (officially opened by Elgar himself, in 1931!). In 2023, the entire Kanneh-Mason family joined Classic FM to present their first-ever radio series as a family, sharing their favourite musical memories, along with the classical music that has inspired them, over a six-week period. Sheku has released two albums, Inspiration (2016) and Elgar (2020). A gifted young pianist, Jeneba has performed Tchaikovskys Piano Concerto No. (updatedMay 2021), On Sunday 13th November, Sheku and his singer friend Zak Abel took to the BBC Strictly stage to perform their single "Same Boat". Their parents kept them inspired and motivated at home and through the rich musical environment at their local state school, Trinity Catholic School. She has recently published her memoir, House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons for which, in November 2021, she won the Royal Philharmonic Society's Storytelling Award. She was an ECHO Rising Star in 21/22, performing in many of Europes finest halls and is also the recipient of the coveted Leonard Bernstein Award and an Opus Klassik award for best young artist. Watch her brilliant performance of Liszts fiendish Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 below. She began with the recorder, then took up the piano aged six, learning how to play it with both hands in weeks. . Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. She has recently published her memoir, House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons for which, in November 2021, she won the Royal Philharmonic Society's Storytelling Award. Aminata and Mariatu are still in high school. Read more: Classic FM welcomes the entire Kanneh-Mason family to host their first ever radio series. Yet the children were soon rising unbidden at 5am to practise before school. She drove them to karate, football, cricket, swimming, ballet and gymnastics. A paean to camaraderie and hard graft, this thoughtful, joyous book is also a parenting manual like no other.. The Kanneh-Masonsare seven brothers and sisters ranging in age from 25 to 12 years old all of whom play either violin, piano or cello. The sheer hard work and determination needed to bring up a family of seven and somehow manage to give each child the means to succeed is mind-blowing: imagine the work involved in getting the five older children on the 6am train each Saturday to Londons Royal Academy Junior Department, with a packed lunch and the correct instrument and music no wonder it felt a miracle of achievement each week. Echoing the sentiments of many mothers, she says: Id been thinking about everyone leaving home and then suddenly, it was as if the past had come back. live, learn and work. Carnival, recorded at Londons Abbey Road Studios and released in November 2020, features melodies by Saint-Sans, Tchaikovsky and Eric Whitacre, alongside the voice of leading actor Olivia Colman reading poems by Michael Morpurgo. They have won many prizes and awards and appeared in numerous television shows; the five eldest performed at the Bafta awards in 2018 and all seven appeared in the December 2019 Royal Variety Show. On Saturdays, Kadiatu rose at a 'brutal' 4,30am to prepare them for their lessons at the Royal College of Music. The children were expected to return from school, do their homework, then practise their music. Since then, despite constant calls I have NO explanation, NO forthcoming assistance and NO way of playing the engagements I am contracted to play. All Rights Reserved. Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky Kadiatu has seven children, all of whom are classical musicians: professional classical musicians, students at The Royal Academy of Music or The Royal College of Music, or members of the Junior and Primary Royal Academy of Music. Full details of the programme can be found here: Diversity and the British String Quartet Symposium. We were attracted to Catholicism because we thought it was a great place to bring up a family. 1pm - 4pm, The Nutcracker - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy It was a message of hope, she says, there was an idea that things were going to get better, that the world was becoming more inclusive.. As children, they would travel down to London at the weekend to attend music lessons and rehearsals at the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music. And viewers had no idea that Sheku's siblings were all gifted and hard-working musicians, too. 6226749 Registered in England. Of playing at the Royal wedding, Sheku tweeted, "It's a day I will remember for the rest of my life.". The power of that wedding was having something right at the centre of the British monarchy with this amazing Kingdom Choir, a black choir, a black preacher, a black musician centre stage. Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason lives in Nottingham and is a former lecturer in English at The University of Birmingham. "After a few weeks we realised we couldn't stay in this suspended place doing nothing and that's when we came up with the idea to still reach out to people and online seemed to be the only way to do that.". 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. OneworldpublishedDr Kadiatu Kanneh-Masons inspiring memoir entitled:House of Music Raising the Kanneh-Masonsin September 2020. The system is atrocious., Rachel Pearce from Bedfordshire said: The hostile environment strikes again. At the 2018 BAFTAs ceremony, Sheku performed alongside siblings Isata, Braimah, Konya and Jeneba. "When the first lockdown hit, we went through what many musicians went through and were very sad that concerts were cancelled," described Isata to Classic FM. . Registered Charity No.1119372 Company Limited by Guarantee No. Born in Sierra Leone but moving to Wales as a young girl, Kadiatu lectured in English at the University of Birmingham, while Stuart, both of whose parents were born in Antigua, was born in London and works for a luxury experiential travel company. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. This was followed in 2021 by Summertime, an album of 20th-century American repertoire featuring Samuel Barbers Piano Sonata and a world premiere recording of Samuel Coleridge-Taylors Impromptu in B minor. Konya, the fourth eldest Kanneh-Mason, is a pianist, violinist and student at The Royal Academy of Music, where she holds the Gilling Family Scholarship. The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work. Hear the Kanneh-Mason family live in recital at Melbourne's Hamer Hall, during their first Australian tour. As concerto soloist, Isata appears with the Orchestra of Opera North, New World Symphony Miami, City of Birmingham Symphony, Duisburg Philharmonic, Barcelona Symphony, Geneva Chamber Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, and Orchestra of Norwegian Opera. She is Champion of Music Mark, on the Board of Trustees for ESTA String Teachers Association, The Nottingham Education Trust, Real Talk TV, Music Masters,the National Childrens Orchestra and MISST the Andrew Lloyd-Webber charity for music in secondary schools. Kadiatu says it's not a smooth emotional ride. Dr Kadiatu, a former university lecturer, and Stuart, a business executive, raised the incredible Kanneh-Mason family, and they will now serve on the Music Masters board, helping us to lead the way in changing the story of music education. We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. and Dr. Kadiatu Kanneh is a former lecturer at the University of Birmingham, who hails from Sierra Leone. He even recorded with them on their No.1 single Rockabye. In 2018, Sheku was cello soloist at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and both Isata and Sheku have recorded successful albums on the Decca Classics label. The familys Catholicism has, Kadiatu says, been at the heart of its most noticeable feature: the remarkable musical talent which runs through the Kanneh-Masons. Her memoir, House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons, won the Royal Philharmonic Society's Storytelling Award in November 2021 where it was described as ' a fresh, moving account of raising children and nurturing their creativity. Her Welsh mother, Megan, met her father in Birmingham where they were both at teacher training school. The third eldest, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, was BBC Young Musician 2016 and performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Isata has since played with Elton John in concert in Los Angeles. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Her younger siblings were enchanted and all took to the piano like ducks to water, memorising their pieces within hours. Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason lives in Nottingham and is a former lecturer in English at The University of Birmingham. You must be joking.. Journalism in Britain is under threat. Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. was founded in 2015 by double bassist Chi-chi Nwanoku to showcase Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe. Loved being @CadoganHall for the breathtaking Prokofiev 3 @IsataKm @rpoonline The excitement of backstage to onstage to final bow just gets better! A British cellist who played at Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding has had his passport cancelled by the Home Office. Reading Kadiatu's story, it quickly becomes apparent that the energy she puts into parenting has been driven by unenviable feelings of loss, anxiety, fear and self-doubt. "Take a bow and give yourself a big round of applause," he wrote to her direct. She returns to Dortmunds Konzerthaus as one of their Junge Wilde artists and makes multiple visits to both the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. 17:06 EST 03 Sep 2020, by Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason (Oneworld 18.00, 320 pp). Her book, 'African Identities: Race, Nation and Culture in Ethnography, Pan- Africanism and Black Literatures' was published in 1998. Helen Brown For The Daily Mail Isata Kanneh-Mason, 26, is the eldest of her siblings. His father Stuart Mason worked as a hotel business manager; his mother Dr. Kadiatu Kanneh, a native of Sierra Leone, was a former literature lecturer at the University of Birmingham. For more information from our chairman on contributing to the Herald Patrons Fund, click here. @N She completed a PhD and was Lecturer in English at The University of Sussex before moving to Birmingham University. c"*_!LW%|bEz&O.\Ilb ?X4z@$'\avg-F/qk2BCLf:onM`?W~f ?,Y l9 5U[twNkHiR\|. Your information is being handled in accordance with the, Kanneh-Masons website: Britain's Got Talent, Classic Live: The Kanneh-Mason family in recital, Classic Live: Sheku Kanneh-Mason with the MSO, Kadie Kanneh-Mason talks family and representation, SMS: 0437236777 (text only, rates apply), City of Nottingham named a bus in Sheku's honour, former University of Birmingham English lecturer Kadiatu, Hear the Kanneh-Mason family live in recital. Saturday 20 August at 2pm on ABC Classic and ABC listen. She also has singing and acting lessons, and has performed with the Kanneh-Masons to royalty and throughout the UK. Her son Sheku was the first black musician to win BBC Young Musician in 2016 and performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The girls sometimes meet 'just to cry'. . Aged nine, Jeneba gained Grade 8 Distinction on the piano and won the Nellie Greenhill Memorial Prize from the Associated Board for the highest marks in the Nottingham area. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism. Well before he performed at 2018's Royal wedding to an international audience just shy of two billion, Sheku was the first Black musician to win the BBC Young Musician award in its almost 40 year history. Oneworld. Their parents, Stuart Mason and Dr Kadiatu Kanneh, raised the children in Nottingham. There were terrifying screaming fits and periods when she claimed to see 'an apparition called Tom'. Born in Sierra Leone but moving to Wales as a young girl, Kadiatu lectured in English at the University of Birmingham, while Stuart, both of whose parents were born in Antigua, was born in London and works for a luxury experiential travel company. After Sheku won BBC Young Musician of the Year, his mother told the Financial Times she had always been determined never to remark on the lack of black people in classical music to our children. recently made her long-awaited debut with the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. Margherita Taylor Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason lives in Nottingham and is a former lecturer in English at The University of Birmingham. Things changed after she married her now-husband Stuart. Kadiatu is on the Board of Trustees for ESTA String Teachers Association, The Nottingham Education Trust, Real Talk TV, and Music Masters, and she is continuing to write and gives talks, interviews and lectures around the U.K. on diversity in classical music, music education, issues of race and inclusion, literature and parenting.