Helen James began playing the guitar at the age of eleven and studied classical guitar at The Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff qualifying with diplomas of LTCL and LWCMD in 1978. Following a one year PGCE course, Helen taught as Head of Department in a secondary School in Derbyshire for five years. Moving on to a career of instrumental teaching whilst bringing up a family, as she left Derbyshire to live further south, Helen has taught classical and folk guitar for over twenty five years and currently tutors pupils of all abilities and all ages at her home in Keynsham. Helen was the classical guitar adjudicator for the 2009 Mid-Somerset Festival.
Helen has developed her performance work in the last ten
years and currently plays classical, folk and jazz style
guitar with a variety of professional musicans performing
concerts and playing for functions. She works with West
Country jazz pianist, John Hooper, and fiddler, Ali Nourse,
and the trio perform with national and international guests
giving concerts at their monthly concert venue at Camerton,
near Bath. The venue has been running successfully for over
four years and highlights talented young musicians in a
cameo performance spot each month, giving young musicians
the opportunity to perform alongside, and often with,
professional musicians. Helen also works with national
mandolin player, David Griffiths in a mandolin and guitar
duo and with the Brazilian quartet, Brejeiro, which
specialises in the Choro music of Brazil. Helen, along with
jazz pianist John Hooper, runs the bespoke music agency,
Campion Live Music, supplying professional musicians for
special events and concerts.
Helen has recorded several CD's featuring her guitar
playing and singing with her musician colleagues. She also
writes poetry, composes and arranges instrumental and vocal
pieces and has just completed six years leading and
developing a large community singing group “Local Vocals”
in her home town of Keynsham.
For further details of Helen James's musical projects,
please follow these links:
www.campionmusic.co.uk
www.keyna.co.uk
www.brejeiro.co.uk
www.mandolinexpress.co.uk
Contact
guitartuition@campionmusic.co.uk
0795
252 4640