Music Specialists
Music Lead
Jimmy Rotheram - Feversham Primary Academy is recognised across the world as a leader in Primary Music Education. Recent years have seen music lead Jimmy Rotheram invited to share his work in Dubai, Norway, The US, Sweden, Australia and Portugal. In 2018 he was nominated for the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize and sits on advisory boards of the Department for Education, ABRSM, Oak National, The Benedetti Foundation and Music Teacher Magazine. As well as his work at Feversham, Jimmy is keen to support any and all schools and organisations in implementing high quality music lessons in a primary setting. He has written the Primary Music course for the Benedetti Foundation, as well as being a co-author of the Cambridge International Schools music curriculum and several of ABRSM’s Classroom 200 resources. His book Curriculum Basics: Teaching Primary Music will be published in 2025.
Seeing children at Feversham flourishing musically, artistically and creatively fills me with joy, but at the same time, I feel sad that children in most other schools are not getting the same opportunities. I want to see musicality treated as a right - like numeracy and literacy - for every child, not the preserve of a fortunate or wealthy few. My Kodály and Dalcroze influenced work has attracted the attention of visitors from as far afield as Canada and New Zealand, as well as media from across the globe. In 2019 I was shortlisted for the Varkey Foundation's Global Teacher Prize. I sit on the advisory boards of the ABRSM, The Department for Education, Benedetti Foundation and Music Teacher magazine. I am the author of the Benedetti Foundation's "Teaching Primary Music" resources and my book of the same title, with Andrew Davidson, will be published in 2023. I have also co-authored the Cambridge International Schools primary music curriculum.
“I wish he was my music teacher” - Adrian Chiles, BBC Radio 5 Li
Drumming
Billy Lockwood has been a professional drummer from the age of 14, and he has many years of experience playing and teaching all aspects of drumming from absolute beginners to professionals.
His experience ranges from local bands to playing with world class musicians as far afield as New York to Tokyo.
Billy believes in child-centred learning. “The student should choose what they want to get from their lessons, and they I try to teach them with that aim in mind”
Nasheeds
Hussnain Hanif is a Nasheed Exponent and a Television & Radio Broadcaster who has performed across the UK and internationally. Nasheed is a westernised form of mid’ha (praise) that originates from the Sufi tradition of Islam and comprises poetic songs of love, harmony and peace. It is a 1,400 year old tradition of individual devotion and cultural expression. As a multilingual, British born artist from a South Asian background Hussnain has had the opportunity to entertain different nationalities and interfaith communities. He presented 'Thursday Night Takeover' on BBC Radio Lancashire and continues to work for different BBC platforms. He co-founded the world's first ever Nasheed Choir and is currently launching The Nasheed Choir in Bradford. He believes that music can integrate us all and bring harmony, tolerance and love to mankind and heal the divisions that keep us apart.
Guitar
Sam has been a professional musician and music teacher for over 12 years, performing around the UK and Europe with such notable highlights as Winning the European Jazz award and playing at Womad; all whilst working as a freelance composer and sound designer. He strives to make lessons fun but with a big focus on tactile skills that students can use to improve their expression with their instrument, rather than simply focussing on repertoire or scales.