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London Development Officer

Heather Tomala
Making Music, 2-4 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3NW
Phone: 020 7422 8280
Direct line: 020 7422 8294
E-mail: rdolondon@makingmusic.org.uk

Heather is available to advise members on all aspects of music-making and running a music group in London, as well as on how to help ensure your group evolves and lasts into the future. This includes:

Maintaining links with arts and music organisations, including Arts Development Officers, Heather is always looking to increase opportunities and benefits for Making Music members. She is in touch with an increasing range of relevant organisations, works hard to raise Making Music's presence in London, and can also help member groups put together funding applications and project proposals.

Resources available from Making Music London

Contact Heather to get your hands on these useful resources, updated on an ongoing basis:

Heather Tomala

Heather TomalaHeather works 14 hours a week as London Development Officer for Making Music.

A professional piano-MD, répétiteur, animateur and vocal coach, Heather works mainly in the field of vocal music, with repertoire encompassing opera, musical theatre, jazz and big band, early music, classical, folk and contemporary. Because of this diversity - and highly developed sight-reading skills! - she is frequently called on to accompany auditions and lead coaching sessions and rehearsals.

Heather has been based in London since graduating from Birmingham University, and the Royal Academy of Music with a Master’s degree. She has played keyboard in the West End show pits and served as workshop leader and coach for, among others, Mercury Musical Developments, Royal Academy of Music Musical Theatre Dept., Trinity College of Music Opera Dept., and National Youth Music Theatre, frequently dealing with new material by living composers and lyricists.

Opera plays an increasingly large role in Heather's professional life. In 2010 she stepped in at short notice as a répétiteur for the National Opera Studio, working with singers and conductor towards their final showcase events. Heather believes in making music accessible for young people and, as an animateur for Music Platform & English Pocket Opera Company, leads devising workshops with school children to create and perform entirely new pieces of music-drama, using classical operas as stimuli. She teaches musical awareness at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama Junior Department and keyboard skills to singers at the National Opera Studio.

The founder and artistic director of period instrument Baroque ensemble Musica Viva, Heather leads a double career as a recorder soloist and has performed both with them and with orchestras in London and the South-East. From time to time she combines work and holiday by appearing as a soloist and chamber musician on board cruise ships, whilst on land she has performed in Australia, Canada and France as well as extensively around the UK.

Heather is accompanist to several voluntary choirs in London. She is also an extremely dedicated Irish dancer, training at least twice a week.

Tom Hammond

Tom HammondTom has now left Making Music London to pursue a full-time conducting career.

 

 

 

 

Supporting and championing voluntary musicArts Council England