I have been teaching guitar and gigging in the Portsmouth and Fareham area for around 17 years. Pupil ages range from 6 - 16 and they study a range of styles. Classical guitar pupils develop their reading skills and play finger style. Acoustic and electric guitar pupils focus on chord strumming and soloing for rock and pop style playing. Grades can be taken in either.

Penny Bird trained at the University of Winchester. She has been a teacher of singing and piano for the past 20 years. Her performing experience, however, spans the past 45 years. She started as a member of the Finchley Children’s Music Groups (a professional children’s choir) then moved on to performing at The Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall and many other large venues as a member of The London Philharmonic Choir. She was also a founder member of the Crough End Festival Chorus. As a soloist she has performed extensively in genres from Oratorio to Musical Theatre. Her teaching experience ranges from beginner to diploma level students.

Rachael grew up in Berkshire and started piano lessons aged 7. She also played the clarinet. She participated in many concerts, festivals and events on both instruments from a young age. She studied Piano and Piano Accompaniment at London College of Music under Douglas Finch and Jeremy Davis. 

While living in the West of Ireland, she was a member of a Piano Trio. They performed regularly and explored the rich variety of Chamber Music. 

She has 25 years teaching experience and enjoys teaching all ages and abilities. Rachael believes that throughout life the benefits of music are infinite, and these are translated into every facet of comprehension and development - not just for musicians. 

She keeps her teaching style flexible according to the individual and strives to inspire students to become the best musician they can be. 

In addition to teaching Rachael is an active Freelance Accompanist and Ballet Pianist. 

Married, with 3 children, her hobbies include renovating their house, travelling with her family and learning Dutch! 

Jennifer Parker-Lummis is a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. After settling down with her husband in Gosport and having children, she has carved a career for herself as a free-lance Opera Singer, curating Operatic performances, punctuated with anecdotes about the Arias and their origins. This has earned her the title of recommended speaker for the Women’s Institute.

As a prolific performer, she has sung for a number of the Lord Mayors of Portsmouth. Jennifer’s repertoire is very broad and varied ranging from Grand Opera to Abba. She has spent many years studying with Fringe Festival diva Carol Bishop and Sally Stanton at The Contemporary Voice Academy, honing her technique to be able to sing and teach these different styles.

Jennifer works both in schools, as well as privately as a vocal coach and offers an holistic approach to performance, voice production and vocal health.

Marlow Gillham Ba Hons, ALCM, MISM has been a professional singer, songwriter and producer for over 30 years.

His productions have featured on radio in the UK and Ireland. His songs and arrangements have appeared in West End Theatre.

Marlow is a multi-instrumentalist and singer with a passion for music education.

He has a performance degree from The University of Wolverhampton and is an Associate of the London College of Music. 

Marlow is very much looking forward to bringing his experience in contemporary music to Boundary Oak.

Graham Vaughan joined the Royal Marines School of Music in 1980 where he studied the euphonium, trombone and cello for 3 years at the start of his career in the Royal Marines Band Service. He has performed in venues all around the world, from the Royal Albert Hall in London to the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia and from Edinburgh Castle to the Lucerne Opera House in Switzerland. Graham retired from the Royal Marines Band Portsmouth as a Band Colour Sergeant in 2019, having served for nearly 39 years and considers his career highlight to be the many performances undertaken for the Royal Family and in particular the 7 years spent serving as a member of the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, Royal Yacht Britannia. Graham developed an interest in instrumental teaching when he was employed for a number of years as the Euphonium and Cello Instructor at the Royal Marines School of Music and now teaches brass instruments and the cello both privately and in a number of schools in the south of Hampshire. As well as teaching, Graham is also still an active professional performer, undertaking engagements such as weddings and formal dinners in London as a member of both a brass quintet and a string quartet.

Hello fellow musicians! My name is Mrs Gatland and I have been teaching the violin for more than twenty years in local schools and colleges. I joined Boundary Oak in 2019 and really enjoy teaching at this lovely school. The violin is my favourite of all the instruments as it can sound so beautiful in high registers and haunting in its lower register. I play in local orchestras and string quartets but have the most fun playing my fiddle in folk and country bands. When I was a teenager I played in and led the Southampton Youth Orchestra where we spent summer tours in Spain, Gibraltar, France, Hungary and Canada. The orchestra also had the opportunity to play the Royal Albert Hall in London. After I left university (with a degree in modern foreign languages) I spent three years on tour with a folk-rock band, playing gigs and festivals all over Europe, including Glastonbury in 2000! My favourite classical composer is Tchaikovsky and my favourite violinist is Maxim Vengerov.

Rebecca studied music at the University of Southampton where she graduated with a first-class honours degree in 2004. She then went on to obtain an M. St. in Musicology from the University of Oxford in 2005. For over a decade Rebecca studied singing with the late Christine Page, and now continues her professional development with Dr. Jenevora Williams. Rebecca has been privileged to work with companies such as Dorset Opera, and she has played roles in numerous operas and musicals over the years with favourites including Anna in the Merry Widow and Joanna in Sweeney Todd. Other performing engagements have included soloist for Dorchester Choral Society at the Bayeux Chante L’Europe Festival, and soprano soloist for Poulenc’s Gloria and Faure’s Requiem for Fordingbridge Choral Society.

Rebecca has worked as a singing, piano and music teacher across Dorset, Hampshire, and Essex, within primary, preparatory, and secondary schools, delivering workshops, running choirs, and teaching individual students. She also enjoys the diversity of working with private students aged 4 – 75! In addition to this, Rebecca has coached at the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain as well as Stage Coach, Razzamatazz, and Bournemouth Youth Theatre schools.

When not performing on the stage, Rebecca has also taken the baton as Musical Director for both Southampton and Eastleigh Junior Operatic Societies.

In 2016, Rebecca became an ABRSM music examiner and presenter, and has since travelled both internationally and nationally assessing candidates. She also enjoys her role as adjudicator at Music Festivals.

Rebecca is delighted to be teaching at Boundary Oak and working with the fantastic team of students and staff.

Paul Roebuck studied at The Academy Of Contemporary Music where he graduated with a 1st Class BMus Honours Degree in Music Performance.

He primarily works as a teacher of drum kit and world percussion, either from his home studio or in local schools. But he also works with many function bands, Swing Big Bands and recording for various artists. His musical journey has seen him perform in musicals, pantos, festivals and in the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.

Gemma graduated from The University of Bristol with a degree in Music in 1999 and has been teaching woodwind in the South-East Hants area ever since. Gemma is a first study clarinettist of over 35 years experience but also plays and teaches flute, alto & tenor saxophone and piano as well as music theory. Gemma is also Musical Director of the Havant Area Ensembles for the Hampshire Music Service, conducting the Havant Clarinet & Saxophone Choir (a jazz band) and Havant Wind Ensemble. 

Gemma started teaching at Boundary Oak in November 2021, having been teaching at Boundary’s sister school, Conifers, since September 2016 and is looking forward to expanding woodwind playing at the school!