About us
Talent is evenly distributed
Opportunity is not
Why is it still remarkable for talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds to reach great heights in music and the creative industries? Why is access to music education so uneven when the benefits are so well proven? How can we change lives through music?
Making music education available to more children
Morabe Rural Music sets out to address inequalities in music education, beginning in a state primary school which faces the challenges of rural isolation
The foundation of the project is music literacy skills through singing. These skills are further developed through a strings and drumming programme. It subsidises quality music provision to support children’s learning and creative development, combining learning with performance and community engagement.
While children discover their creative talents, parents sit in on weekly lessons increasing engagement in their children’s education, supervising weekly practice and supporting Morabe Rural Music at performances.
Its connection to the community has helped the programme to grow, drawing in support in kind and pro bono work. In 2022 we received our first substantial donation to start a ‘Mini Music’ preschool programme and a community choir, both of which embed music into the wider community.
The Morabe model
From our rural state primary school base in Suffolk, we are building a music programme which is focused on excellence as well as reach. We believe it will be a model of best practice, demonstrating what can be achieved, and how much richer all our children’s lives could become.
Morabe Rural Music’s thematic approach combines creative exploration and development, community resilience and cohesion, and individual aspiration and achievement, underlining its long-term objectives for widening participation
Morabe Rural Music offers a string instrument access scheme, djembe drumming, individual tuition, teacher training support and development, community engagement and local partnerships to support children with special educational needs.
We use music to raise aspirations and enable positive change.
Our Team
that is making it happen
Morabe Rural Music was founded by and is building through the energy, commitment and inspiration of a core team of education and music professionals, supported by community partnerships.
MORABE Board of Trustees: Penny Jonas (Chair), Adrian Melrose, Lucie Fairweather
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Lucie Fairweather
TRUSTEE & CO-FOUNDER
Headteacher at Eyke C of E Primary and has worked closely with Maria since Morabe Rural Music’s infancy. Lucie is a passionate advocate for the power of arts within schools and particularly for providing children with rich, quality music making opportunities. She believes these opportunities have the power to change outcomes for all children regardless of their background, root schools in their communities and bring joy to all, enhancing the wellbeing of adults and children alike.
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Maria Dobing
FOUNDING DIRECTOR & UPPER STRINGS TEACHER
South Africa born violinist; Maria (MMus, PG Cert. String Teaching,) became Artist Development Manager of Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme at Snape Maltings in 2006. Key achievements were founding the Aldeburgh World Orchestra for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad and the Britten-Pears Orchestra for Peter Grimes on Aldeburgh Beach, for the Britten Centenary in 2013.
Maria is a passionate educator and accredited with the British Kodaly Academy, Paul Rolland Society and British Suzuki Association. Maria has taught violin for Sistema Scotland, Sistema Norwich and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama -Junior String Training Programme.
Her love for childhood education and her desire to democratize music education, led her to found Morabe Rural Music in 2023.
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Beth Spendlove
UPPER STRINGS TEACHER
Beth attended the Menuhin School, the Purcell School and Colchester Institute and the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Frederick Grinke and David Martin.
As a soloist Beth has appeared at the Purcell Room, Royal Festival Hall, the Royal Albert and Wigmore Halls, and as a recitalist Beth has a duo with pianist Nigel Clayton. Beth established Kingfisher Ensemble in 1991.
Beth has always been in great demand as a teacher, teaching in schools across Suffolk. She has formally mentored advanced students at the Colchester Institute Centre for Music & Performing Arts and has been the first violin coach for the Essex Youth Orchestra.
Many of Beth’s pupils have gone on to study at the UK’s leading Conservatoires, the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, the National Children’s’ Orchestra, Aldeburgh Young Musicians, the Suffolk & Essex Youth Orchestras, and her students regularly attend Chamber music course at Pro Corda.
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Chris Slatter
LOWER STRINGS TEACHER
Chris studied cello at Colchester Institute and Trinity College of Music. He has performed on BBC Radio 4 and as an orchestral player his work has taken him on several European concert tours and major recording studios
As an educator, Christopher has directed Suffolk Young Strings, coached for the Ace Foundation and has enjoyed collaborating on educational projects with Aldeburgh Music, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
Many of Christopher’s students have won places and scholarships to undertake formal studies at Conservatoire and University, been accepted onto youth training schemes with the Britten Sinfonia Academy & Aldeburgh Young Musicians and been members of Suffolk Youth Music.
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Phoebe Lydbrook
UPPER STRINGS TEACHER
Phoebe leads a diverse career as a performing violinist, educator, and community musician. She studied violin with Sheila Nelson and Gina McCormack and holds a First-Class degree from Trinity College of Music.
Phoebe has performed in many major UK concert halls and as a string teacher, has taught for the Dubai Centre for Musical Arts, Kampala Music School (Uganda) and more recently, as Head of Strings for Haringey Music Service and as Director for String wise Music Courses, based in London.
Phoebe is passionate about equal opportunities and using music as an inclusive, universal language to bring people together. She trained with the British Kodaly Academy and specialises in group / whole-class violin lessons. Phoebe is also a certified Sound Therapist, Yoga Instructor and Meditation Teacher.
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Daniel Law
ACCOMPANIST & PIANO TEACHER
Daniel Law completed his undergraduate studies in piano, accompaniment, and composition at Colchester Institute , before going on to earn a MMus at the Royal College of Music.
Daniel was also resident accompanist at the Institute for 11 years, working with visiting artists, ensembles & educators from leading music conservatoires & London's West-End productions.
Since moving to Suffolk, he has worked with Aldeburgh Young Musicians and with choral societies & musical theatre companies throughout Suffolk.
Alongside work as an active professional musician Daniel has a thriving teaching practice, having taught at various schools across Suffolk.
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Stephanie Wakeman
VOCAL & MUSICIANSIHP TEACHER
Suffolk-born Stephanie studied cello and piano at Trinity College of Music and has performed live across the UK, as a session musician, and broadcast on Radio 1 and Radio 3.
Stephanie is a community artist for Britten Pears Arts, providing workshops and music making sessions for all ages and backgrounds. She is also the Musical Director of Notoriety Community Choir in Ipswich and sings with Aldeburgh Voices.
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Wooden Roots
DJEMBE DRUMMING TEAM
Wooden Roots was started in the USA in 2003 by husband-and-wife Marcus and Gemma Brown. Now back in the UK, they are continuing their journey and passion for traditional West African drums and percussion instruments, especially the djembe.
They source the world’s best djembe shells, instruments and materials (generally from West Africa). Making, selling and teaching these drums is their passion.
Since 2018, this is delivered from their shop and studio at Bentwaters Parks, Rendlesham.
Wooden Roots have been collaborating with Eyke CofE Primary since 2022.
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Charlotte Jolly
EARLY YEARS MUSICIAN
Charly is a music leader, clarinet and saxophonist and singer in community setting who also Charly writes and performs with the experimental progressive rock brass collective Perhaps Contraption
Charly holds a BMus Hons, PGCert from Centre of Research in Early Childhood (CREC) and has completed Spitalfields Music’s Music Leader scheme.
She works for Britten-Pears Arts community projects including Participate, Group A and Mini Music Makers, and has worked on the groundbreaking opera for babies project, Musical Rumpus for Spitalfields Music.
Her self-composed show Beekabop has featured in the Aldeburgh Festival. Charly’s principles of child-led musical play lies at the heart of her early years music approach.