Lara James - Educator

Lara James teaches at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama where there is a thriving department of emerging saxophonists. Saxophone students at RWCMD can study with Gerard McChrystal, Lara James, John Cooper and visiting consultant Sarah Markham. Past students have gone on to study saxophone at postgraduate level or entered the freelance profession, while others have chosen the music teaching profession.

If you are interested in studying at RWCMD visit the college web site by clicking on the pictures below.

• 
  Visit The Royal Welsh College
  of Music & Drama website
• 
  Visit the RWCMD Junior
  of Music & Access Studies website

In addition to teaching at the RWCMD, Lara is appointed Saxophone Tutor for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Junior Department and Access Studies and is a consultant tutor for South West Music School.

Lara has broad experience in the field of music education with students of all ages and abilities, from beginner to postgraduate level. She is often asked to tutor sectional rehearsals for wind orchestras and ensembles including the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Wales, regional youth wind bands, and is a visiting instructor on UK based youth music courses.She also offers private tuition and ensemble coaching, and is in demand as an adjudicator for national youth music competitions and auditions and competitions in some of the UK's major conservatoires.

In addition to practical instrumental music education, Lara is a music lecturer. She has lectured at the British Saxophone Congress, coached chamber music modules at Cardiff University, and can lecture on a wide range of matters relating to the saxophone. Lara has also lectured in a variety of other subject modules including World Music, Music in Context and Music Performance Practice.

If you would like to book Lara James to tutor saxophonists on a course, to give lectures or adjudicate, or if you are an advanced student and would like to enquire about lessons please visit Lara's contact page.

Recent student successes in the RWCMD Saxophone Department

On May 12th the Fantaisie Saxophone Quartet (all final year students) became winners of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Chamber Music Competition 2010. 

The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Woodwind Prize competition took place on May 6th 2010, with Year 4 saxophonist Jacob Shaw taking 2nd place while Masters student Jennie Porton and Year 4 student Alison Dodd were both Highly Commended.

Alison Dodd was concerto soloist with the RWCMD Wind Orchestra and performed Ingolf Dahl's Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Orchestra at St Teilo's Church, Cardiff on March 31st. Alison was recently awarded places at four of the UK's major conservatoires for postgraduate study. Further congratulations go to Jacob Shaw who was also awarded places for postgraduate study at four of the UK's major conservatoires. 

Jennie Porton has been awarded a grant for study from the Countess of Munster Trust and along with 4th year student Alison Dodd, becomes a recipient of the Arts Council of Wales Prince of Wales Advanced Music Award. Jennie is spending summer 2010 as an instrumental and chamber music Teaching Assistant at the New York Summer School of Music.

In November the RWCMD's Asa Saxophone Quartet won the Music in the Vale 2009 Chamber Music Competition. The Asa quartet are Verity Shortman (year 3), Charlotte Treadaway, Max Goldberg and Stephanie Bachelor, all year 2.

Year 3 student Dan Gooch, was 2nd prize winner in the 2009 Music in the Vale Instrumentalist of the Year Competition, and won the Instrumental Competition in the 2009 Abergavenny Eisteddfod. 

Jack Taylor is winner of the 2010 RWCMD Junior Music and Access Studies Woodwind Prize.

Earlier this year 15 year old Jack was an impressive finalist at the RWCMD Junior Department Concerto Trials playing Ronald Binge's Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra. He also recently won the Senior Wind Recitalist class at Abertawe's Festival of Music, as well as being runner up in its Concerto Competition. Jack's 2009 successes include winning the prestigious Blue Ribband at the National Eisteddfod (instrumentalists under 16). Jack won the South Glamorgan Festival Concerto Competition; won the Regional round of the Rotary Young Musician Competition and reached the finals of the District round (under 19's) and was a semi-finalist in the Texaco Young Musician of the Year Competition (open to all instrumentalists aged under 20).