Helen James

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 music studio 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 regularly giving concerts in Somerset and further afield. Each concert also highlights talented young musicians in a cameo performance spot, giving young musicians the opportunity to perform alongside professional musicians. Helen 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 has recorded several CD's featuring her guitar playing and singing with her musician colleagues. She composes and arranges instrumental and vocal pieces and recently completed six years leading and developing a large community singing group “Local Vocals” in her home town of Keynsham. Along with John Hooper, Helen ran a successful concert venue for 6 years, performing every month with national and international musicians.

For further details of Helen James musical projects, please follow these links:

www.classicalguitarschool.co.uk

www.brejeiro.co.uk

www.keyna.co.uk