Amy McCulloch

I first picked up the cornet at the age of 7 after attending a rehearsal at Porthywaen Brass Band. I started in the Beginner’s Band and worked my way up to the Youth and Training Band, taking part in a variety of concerts and contests -including a memorable performance at Birmingham Symphony Hall. My younger brother later joined too, and we both became members of the Senior Band, regularly competing together across the region.

After my GCSEs, I studied at Shrewsbury Sixth Form College and joined Shrewsbury Brass Band, continuing to play and compete locally. I then went on to study Music at Bangor University, where I graduated with First Class Honours. While at Bangor, I joined Beaumaris Brass Band, competing in brass band contests and staying actively involved in the banding community. I also supported rehearsals for their Youth and Training Band, which deepened my interest in music education and outreach.

My university years were also when I began teaching brass and piano lessons peripatetically, and I became involved in the Coronavirus Tutoring Initiative, helping young people stay connected to their learning during the pandemic. My dissertation focused on how to make music education more accessible in areas of deprivation - something I’ve remained passionate about ever since.

After graduating in 2021, I completed my PGCE through the Alliance of Leading Learning (affiliated with Chester University) and was appointed as a classroom music teacher in Cheshire in 2022. I’ve since taken on roles as Subject Coordinator and Assistant Year Leader, and lead a wide range of extracurricular music activities within the school.

In 2023, I conducted Farndon Youth and Training Band, teaching a new group of young players and helping them develop their brass playing skills - a real highlight that combined my love of teaching and brass banding. I also founded Treble Tones, a youth choir based in Oswestry, to help make music and singing more accessible for young people in the community.