Music Education

With over 30 years of teaching experience, Steve is devoted to music education.  He has worked extensively as an instrumental teacher and led many workshops and master classes at all levels from primary education up to and beyond music degree level. 

Workshops organised through Loose Tubes (the seminal UK jazz orchestra that toured and recorded extensively during the 1980s) involved teaching improvisational and compositional skills. 

Orchestra Rafiki (a touring collaboration between African and English musicians) ran workshops introducing school children to West African songs and rhythms.
 

For IMPRO, the educational charity created by Eddie Parker and Elaine Furness, he worked with primary and secondary school children, exploring Jazz, Brazilian and African music, culminating in large scale, multi-school performances.

 
He has worked for the Creative Partnerships scheme at nursery, reception and Key Stage 1 and 2 levels. This involved the use of music as a tool to support the national curriculum for science and numeracy, as well as encouraging the children to design their own musical pieces as a way of expressing their own  life experiences.
 
Currently, he is the director of Wild West Music Projects, a South West based organisation offering high calibre instrumental and ensemble tuition in primary and secondary schools as well as KS1 and KS2 curriculum provision. He also works for the Bromley Youth Music Trust providing instrumental and ensemble tuition.
 
He is a visiting instrumental and ensemble tutor for The Royal Academy of Music (London), Trinity Laban Conservatoire (London) and The Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London), and has delivered workshops, lectures and masterclasses at Truro College of Jazz, Birmingham Conservatoire and Plymouth University.

Research Projects:
Three separate trips to Ghana, West Africa (3 months each) to study the traditional music and folk songs of the Ga tribe of Accra. This involved mastering light percussion instruments, such as the aslatwa and the traditional atenteben flute of Ghana (culminating in a performance with the Pan African Orchestra directed by Nana Danso Abiam at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London). Studies were also undertaken in the areas of West African Hi-life and Fanti folk music.

References:

Steve Buckley is a highly respected musician and educator who has been an inspirational figure on the British Jazz Scene for nearly thirty years. I have been fortunate to have performed alongside him on numerous occasions. He has vast experience of leading music workshops for all ages and ability ranges, and covers a wide range of musical genres, with specific expertise in jazz and world music.
(Martin Hathaway, former Head of Jazz Studies, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London)
 
He has fulfilled a few different roles over the years for us at the Royal Academy and has always been an outstanding educator, he establishes excellent working relationships with the students and manages to inspire them far beyond the amount of contact time he actually has with them
(Nick Smart, Head of Jazz Studies, Royal Academy of Music, London)
 
I am delighted to write in support of Steven Buckley as a most gifted instrumental teacher and performer. I have been aware of his work as an international performer for many years, but more recently I have observed his work as a tutor of clarinet and saxophone. The unusual skill Steve possesses is that of being equally able to teach at the highest level but also to beginners of all ages, whether their enthusiasm be towards the classical repertoire or jazz; as individual students or in an ensemble situation.
His empathy and sensitivity, his imaginative approach along with a clear sense of structure is the hallmark of a great teacher. (Phil Hull, former Head of Music, Plymouth University} .

During all his lessons Steve has a lovely calm manner, shows patience and always manages to maintain a sense of humour.. Steve is an excellent music teacher, he is hugely knowledgeable and all the children look forward  to his lessons. Steve has organized and run an annual music showcase for all the children he teaches, which involves both individual and group performances. He is well liked by parents, who often comment on the positive influence he has had on the school.
(Sarah Evans, former Headteacher at Doddiscombsleigh Primary School)