JMS Music

Now in it’s 16th year, JMS Music continues to provide Music for Communities all over Essex and the South of England.

JMS Music has grown to have many different channels – encompassing more communities and welcoming more people through Music each year. Joanna's passion is sharing and making Music with others to encourage and inspire; but also to provide fun, learning and aid personal growth.

JMS Music Teaching was founded in 2003. A small private teaching practice, Joanna has developed her work into a well-respected local business and Community service achieving great success. To date, JMS Music has helped hundreds of students achieve their full potential in their Music Studies.

JMS Music Education works in both primary and secondary schools; developing and hosting Music Workshops and Educational Projects for Staff and Students.

JMS Music Community runs an extremely popular Gala series with 6 Sold-Out Gala Evenings since 2010, raising over £15,000 for UK Charities. In the near future, we hope to be launching more Community-based events to include Choirs; Teacher Support Days; Holiday Workshops as well as continuing our Sell-Out Gala Series.

CONTACT JMS

Teaching

Education

Community

TESTIMONIALS

JMS Music Teaching

Joanna was awarded the Licentiate from The Royal Academy of Music for Private Teaching, holding also their BMus (Hons) Degree and MA (Distinction) qualification. Joanna became a qualified Primary School teacher (PGCE) in 2019.

Students regularly achieve high results in ABRSM, LCM Musical Theatre and Trinity Rock & Pop ~ all Grades 1-8, ABRSM Diplomas; and well as the National Curriculum GCSE and A-Level Music Courses. Students have also succeeded in entrance to Music Conservatoires, top Performing Arts Colleges and leading Universities for degree level studies.

Students also shine throughout the year in leading National Competitions, West End Stage Schools (including Italia Conti, Arts Ed and Sylvia Young Theatre School), National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and in both Film & TV broadcasting.

Whether for examination study or for keen interest as a hobby, the lessons are adapted to suit every pupil’s individual need.

Twice a year, JMS Music Teaching holds local concerts for friends and family to encourage all students to share their work and gain valuable stage experience. To date, the students have raised over £2,000 through their mini concert series for local charities.

" I would not hesitate to recommend JMS Music."
-Faith, Mother of Mia (Piano & Voice Student)

"I first joined JMS Music a few years ago and I have loved my time there. Joanna is a very supportive teacher; both friendly, caring and patient but who will also push you to achieve your best."
- Victoria, Adult Pupil, Cystic Fibrosis Sufferer (Voice Student)

"I like my lessons with Jo because they are fun. Jo taught me Middle C, F Sharp, B Flat and lots of other stuff too. If you want to go to Jo's, just call her number. Don't worry about it, she is lovely."
- Francesca, aged 7 (Piano Student)

To read more recent testimonials of JMS Music, please click here.

Concordia Foundation - Workshops and Performance Projects Leader

Caux Artists Programme, Switzerland - Visiting Professor

English Touring Opera - Workshop and Performance Projects Leader. Show Projects include Speakout! (2007), Random Numbers (2011) as well as numerous Workshop Projects based at London centres such as National Portrait Gallery, inner London Schools and SEN Schools across the UK.

JMS Music Education

JMS Music Education launched in 2010 when Joanna started working as a Vocal Leader in local Primary & Secondary Schools assisting them with their National Curriculum Music and activities such as Choirs, Orchestras and Chamber Groups.

Joanna continues to be an active supporter of Music and the Arts within the Community and was awarded The Royal Academy of Music’s Open Academy Fellowship to continue to expand her work in more Schools inside the City of London Boroughs. Joanna is an Ambassador of the international Concordia Foundation.

She is now a highly sought-after, experienced Vocal Workshop Project Leader and has worked for such organisations as;

English Touring Opera
The Concordia Foundation
The Royal Academy of Music
National Portrait Gallery, London
Caux Artists Programme, Switzerland
Opera Holland Park
Charles Court Opera Company
The Ankawa Foundation
London Borough of Havering Music Services
Upminster Methodist Church
Brentwood Cathedral, Essex
Brentwood Songsters Children’s Choirs

…and many more independent, National and International organisations.

Joanna has also devised her own Education and Community Projects; such as the hugely successful Searching for Sunshine for Corbets Tey Children’s School in 2013.

Joanna is a Patron for Corbets Tey School, Upminster for children with complex learning needs. Searching for Sunshine featured all 116 pupils of the School taking part in a 1-hour show filled will fun, laughter, adventure and at it’s heart was the children’s love of Music and Singing.

JMS Music Education secured a visit by English Touring Opera to Corbets Tey School, with the Company performing their new 2018 Spring Season SEND Show “This is my Bed” for all pupils to enjoy and participate in and Joanna also performed in this production.

JMS Music Community

JMS Music Community began in 2010 to encompass all aspects of communal Music.

At the forefront is an extremely popular Music Gala series with 6 Sold-Out Gala Evenings since 2010, raising nearly £15,000 for Local and UK National Charities.

Galas have featured international leading Musicians and Singers from London’s West End and worldwide Opera Stages.

In future years, we hope to be launching more Community-based events to include Choirs; Teacher Support Days; Holiday Workshops as well as continuing our Sell-Out Gala Series.

In order to fund JMS Education project Searching for Sunshine, JMS Music organised a Fundraising Gala concert Opera on the Park in Upminster, Essex.

The Gala Concert and Searching for Sunshine Project provided

Much needed cross curricular Arts Education for all the children of Corbets Tey School.
Inspiration and motivation of staff and supporters of Corbets Tey School
Performance opportunities and skills development for emerging young musicians and music educators from top UK Music Schools.
The Gala Concert provided access to Classical music for over 350 members of the local community.
“Meet the Artists” – Children of Corbets Tey came to the Theatre to meet the Gala’s Musicians and perform songs they had learnt on the project for them
Inspire the launch of future educational and performance projects.

JMS Music Community looks forward to developing future projects for the local Community to encourage all to join together in Music. For more details, or to get involved, please contact us be leaving a message below.

Highlights of JMS Community Sell-Out Gala Evenings 2010 - 2017

JMS Music Community Fundraising Presentation to students and staff of Corbets Tey School

Moments of Searching for Sunshine Project including 'Meet The Artists", Student Instrumental Workshops and Rehearsals

I decided to learn to play the Piano at what can be considered a late stage in my life (age 57 years). Initially, I was only interested in learning to play for my own pleasure but in a short space of time, I achieved my ABRSM Grade 1, 2 and 3. I would never have thought this possible when I started.
Joanna has made lessons fun and she is always full of encouragement. Her patience and dedication to developing my interest further has been instrumental in this achievement. She has an eye and ear for detail and gently helps me learn new skills making small changes one-step at a time, in this way I never feel overwhelmed or disheartened. I have become more confident about myself and my potential as a pianist.
- Ruth, Adult Learner (Piano Student)

"Our daughter Francesca has been learning Piano with JMS Music since she was five years old. Jo has always had an amazing teaching style, capturing our daughter’s imagination and focus. Jo makes the lessons fun whilst covering a significant body of work in both theory and practise.
Francesca loves her lessons with Jo and for us to see our daughter maintain her enthusiasm is purely down to JMS Music and Jo’s exemplary and passionate teaching method. In other words, I don’t know how she does it, but she does it with consummate ease."
- Clare and Pete Nissen, Parents of Francesca (Piano Student)

"Joanna has been teaching Mia both piano and voice for nearly five years. We've also known Joanna personally for many years, and even now her career has progressed gloriously; she is still a wonderfully, patient and committed teacher who Mia aspires to and is an incredible role model to every one of her students. Under Joanna's professional but also caring teaching skills, Mia has passed her ABRSM Exams with Distinctions and Joanna will continue to help Mia reach her full potential in the future. Joanna makes sure that her students are fully prepared and confident before entering them for their exams and her pupils' high results speak for themselves. I would not hesitate to recommend JMS Music."
- Faith Hart, Mother of Mia, (Voice & Piano Student)

JMS Music Testimonials

"Joanna worked on lots of repertoire, technique, language and general performance skills with me. I was fortunate to secure a place on the Undergraduate Degree Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, which I know wouldn’t have been possible without the support and teaching of Jo & I am extremely thankful!"
- Emily, aged 17, (Voice Student)

"I like my piano lessons because if I don't understand something the first time, Joanna will patiently explain it again and again to me until I do understand it. I love having Joanna as my piano teacher because she is always happy and kind, but always pays special attention to how I am improving my piano playing. I would feel sad and disappointed if Joanna wasn't my teacher anymore."
- Mia, aged 9, (Piano Student)

I suffer with Cystic Fibrosis and am post double lung transplant so as you can imagine, breathing control and building back my muscles has been very difficult. However Joanna has helped me to improve these things and in particular taking low, silent breaths has helped immensely, not just with singing but improving my lung function results.
I first joined JMS Music a few years ago and I have loved my time there. Joanna is a very supportive teacher; both friendly, caring and patient but who will also push you to achieve your best. I started off with just vocal lessons but Joanna gave me the opportunity to begin Music Theory and later Singing Exams with ABRSM, and now I have achieved Grade 5 for each. I never thought I could learn to read music!
- Victoria, Adult Learner, Cystic Fibrosis Sufferer, (Voice Student)

“Even from the very first singing lesson with Joanna, my 15yr old son has not stopped singing!! He loves every minute singing with Joanna! Her enthusiasm and belief in her pupils and their progress is second to none!! We are so glad we gained a place for our son at JMS Music and are now eagerly waiting for a place for one of our other children.”
- Marie Watson, Mother of Emmanuel (Voice Student)

"Over the past 3 and a half years that I have been singing with Joanna, I feel as though as my voice has grown, I have grown as a person. I am now successfully a member of the National Youth Girl's Choir, which wouldn't have been possible without the help, knowledge and guidance of Joanna. The technique and the way in which I sing has all been developed over the years under the guidance of Joanna, and I feel that the knowledge I have gained, and continue to gain, will be helpful for me to use though my life."
- Hannah, aged 14 (Voice Student)

"My son (now 13 years) has been with Joanna for several years now. He always looks forward to his lessons and comes away after on a real high! Joanna’s passion for musical excellence, outstanding performance and pretty much life in general is totally infectious and one tends to get swept up and taken along on the exciting ride too!
Joanna has a wealth of current & historic, hands on experience and knowledge that she seamlessly weaves into each lesson. She is patient and understanding, inspirational and motivational. Her style of teaching encompasses the importance of having a broader musical knowledge, understanding the context of the pieces and developing his own thoughts on the interpretation – in turn encouraging my son to explore and take an interest in his own development! I would highly recommend Joanna."
- Berni Buckley, Mother of Dillon (Voice Student)

Contact JMS Music

To enquire about any JMS Music initiatives or to get involved,
please use the contact form below to send us a message.

Caux Artist Programme, Switzerland