ChristopherBest.net
composer
and writer
I
have over twenty years experience of education work, building up from adult
education, though BTEC and A-Level teaching to designing and delivering modules
for degree courses and supervising post-graduate students. I also teach privately
and run residencies in collaboration between musicians and dancer/choreographers.
I believe at its heart, education is about sharing experience and empowering
others to find their artistic strengths, not about imparting pearls of knowledge
to a passive audience. REQUEST CV
Lecturing
As senior lecturer and ‘Reader in
Music Composition’ at Dartington
College of Arts, I give tutorials and seminars in contemporary composition
practice, lectures in many aspects of new music and some performance coaching.
I also have a number of MA and Research students under my supervision.
I see close connections between teaching
and creating my own work. Many of my pieces have been written either for students
or performed by them. The college is well appointed with unusual instruments
(always a gold-mine for the composer!) including a range of Ghanaian drums and
percussion, a Balinese Gamelan orchestra in which I play, Japanese flutes, samba
drums, Baroque instruments etc. I have also encouraged students to design and
build their own instruments, often exploring non-standard tunings or playing
methods.
Workshops
Having participated in the ‘Composers
and Choreographers Exchange’ at the South Bank Centre in 1996, I went
on to become its artistic director (music) for two years and from there continued
similar work in Madrid. I now work alongside the choreographer Emilyn
Claid, running the annual Music
and Dance Exchange at Dartington College.
Mentoring and tutoring
I am available for private composition
coaching, mentoring or consultation work, including help with score/part-writing,
questions of notation etc. For availability and rates, please contact me by
e-mail or by phone.
Updated Sept 08