Rachael started learning the violin and piano at age 7 and enjoyed her first experiences of ensemble playing each Saturday morning at Derby Music Centre and later joined Derbyshire Youth Orchestra. She then went on to study violin, piano and viola at Chetham’s School of Music and later to study viola at the Royal Northern College of Music, gaining an honours degree, a postgraduate certificate in performance and a PGCE in specialist strings teaching. Rachael also trained in Dalcroze Eurhythmics and Kodaly at RNCM as part of her PGCE and gained a Dalcroze teaching certificate.
Rachael has performed regularly and recorded albums with folk rock and jazz funk fusion bands over many years. As a freelance artist, Rachael performs with various ensembles and orchestras across the country and enjoys recording and arrangement work as a session musician.
Rachael teaches violin, viola, piano, Dalcroze Eurhythmics and directs various school choirs and junior strings at Wirksworth Music Centre.
Rachael loves the busy Saturday mornings at Wirksworth Music Centre and enjoys working creatively and enthusiastically, finding it very rewarding to see young children discover their first encounters with stringed instruments and find joy and friendship in making music together with others, developing their playing in different ensembles as they progress.