WHO WE ARE
The Music Works is a registered music charity based in Gloucestershire, that transform young people’s lives through music and help pursue their dreams and aspirations.

For many young people music can be the key to unlocking their potential, yet many face barriers to making music. We work with young people to break down these barriers and empower them through music. We want to ensure that every child and young adult in Gloucestershire has the right facilitites and opportunities to pursue their passion in music, regardless of background, economic barriers, life condition or circumstance, or behavioural diffuculty.

MEET OUR TEAM

Deborah Potts

CEO

Deborah has more than 20 years’ experience in national charities, from the Women’s Sports Foundation to the YMCA. She specialises in strategic development and growing charities to maximise their impact. She was previously CEO of Active Gloucestershire.

Malaki Patterson

Creative Director (Community)

Malaki is a music producer, sound engineer and music educator with over 10 years of experience in the industry. His skills are in music technology and production, songwriting and artist development. He is also a Senior Partner at Scope Music Management.

Ben O'Sullivan

Creative Director (Education)

Ben has been working in arts education for 20 years, having graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with a First Class Honours Degree in Theatre Studies, and a Musical Theatre singing scholarship. The forefront of Voice Collectives.

Ben Whitnall

Marketing Manager

Ben is our Marketing Manager, looking after our website and social media and spreading the word about everything we do at the Music Works.

 

 

 

Dave Eastcott

Business/Finance Manager

Dave has previously worked in senior finance roles for National Grid and RWE collectively over 35 years. His main role is to ensure the financial processes and procedures are in place so that the organisational and financial capacity can support the ambitious vision that The Music Works wishes to deliver. 

 

Jessica Marston

Assistant to Creative Director

Jessica has over 5 years working in the music industry, working previously for festivals, music management companies and as an artist manager. Having graduated from The University of Gloucestershire in BA Music and Media Management, Jessica has a wide variety of knowledge and skills that greatly benefit our music charity.

Lee Holder

Senior Music Leader

Lee is a qualified teacher and music technology workshop leader with extensive experience in the music industry. He has a proven track record of working with and engaging teenagers from challenging backgrounds, and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Salo Elia

Senior Music Leader

Salo is another of our main music leaders: he leads our whole class iPad music tech programmes and also works in a number of APS settings. He’s an ex-youth worker, and a jazz guitarist, keyboardist, bass guitarist and drummer and also musical director of the Groove Majors band.

Misha Law

Senior Music Leader

Misha Law is a qualified music therapist as well as a community music practitioner. She has worked on our Music Minds programme and also in our work in Hospital Education. Misha is the energetic forefront of our programme The Drop – Bands and Vocalists in Stroud.

Issachar Foster

Creative Music Manager & Music Leader

Issachar is an experienced DJ, music producer, and sound engineer. Having graduated from London Metropolitan University with an Honours Degree in Business, Music & Media Management, he has a background as an ex-support worker, working with teenagers from challenging backgrounds. 

Robin Jones

SoundSpace Studio Manager & Music Leader

Robin is a skilled musician and engineer, and runs our Forest of Dean studio, SoundSpace, in Cinderford. He is also one of our team of music leaders, and was once one of our participants, taking part in an after-school club at primary school.

Tim Grindrod

SoundSpace Technician

Tim Grindrod is the Studio Technician at Soundspace Studios in Cinderford. He started as part of an apprenticeship programme with The Music Works back in 2016 and now runs studio rehearsal sessions, also assisting other music leaders with operating activities at Soundspace Studios.

Victoria Clark

Senior Music Leader

Victoria is one of our Senior Music Leaders, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

Hamish Woolley

Senior Music Leader

Hamish is one of our Senior Music Leaders, keyboard player and Music Tech specialist

Beth Blowers

Admin Assistant

Beth has been working for The Music Works for several years and has been an administrator in the Charity sector for over 12 years. 

Alexander Ross

Chairman

Alexander is the music partner at leading media and technology law firm Wiggin LLP. He advises on a range of commercial and IP matters with a focus on music rights. In addition to lecturing as an authority on new media issues, he is a regular panellist and moderator at conferences.

Shivan Mistry

Studio Engineer

Shivan Mistry works as head Studio Engineer at Studio 340 in Cheltenham, working with a broad spectrum of clientele from professionals to educational and special needs.  Shivan is also an aspiring producer set to release music this year collaborating with local musicians.

Jonathan Knight

Treasurer

Jonathan Knight worked in investment banking for 20 years in London, New York and Tokyo. Since moving to Gloucestershire he has been focused on starting and growing technology based companies in the music, market research and green technology fields.

 

Stuart Cairns

Trustee

Stuart Cairns is co-director of his own training delivery and design consultancy. He has more than 35 years experience in the defence sector which included strategic and operational planning, crisis management, business continuity, risk and transformation management, as well as HR.

Versha Carter

Trustee

Versha Carter is an experienced exhibition and conference organiser working on a portfolio of international technology & scientific events for 5000+ attendees. In 2006 she founded Intelligent Exhibitions Ltd where she has remained as Group Director.

 

Verona Vidal

Trustee

Verona Vidal has over 30 years experience working with communities and has a long held love of music. She has been involved in the entertainment scene as a DJ, Compere, BBC and Gloucester FM Radio Presenter as well as Community Events organiser and the founder of GlosJam.

 

Jordan Pepin

Trustee

Jordan is a Masters student at the University of Gloucestershire. Jordan has experience managing live events and producing online content. He works in several different roles for The Music Works including marketing and communications and artist management. Jordan is an aspiring A&R and is looking to use these skills to help support under supported music scenes and artists.

 

Gulshat Kadyrova

Trustee

Gulshat is a singer/songwriter who joined the Music Works through Play It! She is a student a Gloucester College and also a member of the Youth Advisory Board.

 

Natalie Sodzi

Trustee

Natalie, born in Ghana, raised in Britain, showcases alternative hip-hop, neo-soul and lo-fidelity. Fresh out of the South-West and inspired by the history of Trip-Hop, her music takes inspiration from Loyle Carner’s earnestness, flow from Lauryn Hill and  lyricism from Frank Ocean. She joined The Music Works through UPSURGE, our talent development programme.