Chris Bartram

Senior Lecturer in Music

Chris initially studied music at the University of York (1981-84), trained later as a primary teacher at University of Sunderland (1993-94) and in 1999 received his Masters in Music in the Community from the University of York. He has also studied Orff Schulwerk at the Orff Institute, Salzburg, Austria, and is currently beginning training in Dalcroze Eurhythmics. His other music training includes workshops with Frankie Armstrong (Natural Voice Network) in leading people in singing.

At York St John University Chris leads modules in Music in the Community, Improvisation, Musics and Societies, Drumming, and Music Ensembles. He also teaches on a range of other modules, including Music in Education and Music in Context. As part of the University’s developing agenda for working in arts and health Chris also runs ‘Communitas’, a choir for mental health service users and York St John students.

Chris current research interests are in the benefits of music, and particularly singing, for people’s health and well-being; and the development of music, particularly rhythm and pulse in humans. He is also has a general interest in the possible origins and functions of music in early human beings.

He has been engaged in music community and education work for 25 years. As a freelance community musician he has worked on many music and theatre projects, including for organisations such as Opera North, Manchester Camerata, Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre, Phoenix Dance Company, Northern Ballet Theatre, the National Centre of Early Music, Accessible Arts and York Theatre Royal. His most recent project with Manchester Camerata/Royal Exchange, which he led on, was reviewed in The Guardian newspaper (“Having a Blast”, Guardian Education supplement, 2^nd December 2008). The project was also longlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society community arts award.

As an educator, Chris has been a peripatetic instrumentalist, a full-time primary class teacher, a secondary school music teacher, a teacher in special needs, and a tutor in adult education. He worked for the City of York Music Service for many years, running whole class “Live Arts” workshops in many of the City’s primary schools, and more recently has led sessions training the City of York music staff.

As a trainer in music community and education Chris is much in demand. He runs a wide variety of workshops for the national training organisation Musicleader, including work on shadow puppet plays, music and movement, junk instruments, music and education, etc. He has recently been a Facilitator for Vocal Force, part of the National Music Manifesto Singing Campaign “Sing Up”, which involved him working in a wide range of primary schools in the York and Selby areas. He has also worked as a Trainer for the Trinity College/Guildhall KS2 Music CPD Programme (Wider Opportunities). In August 2009 Chris travelled to Tokyo to work for MuseKK, a Japanese community arts company. He led Japan’s top music educationalists in practical workshops on general music devising, and on devising music theatre with people with learning disabilities.

Since his early career as a Day Centre Officer in a Special Care Unit for people with profound disabilities, Chris has always had a strong interest in developing music and arts with people with learning and physical disabilities. He is currently Artistic Director of Hands and Voices (Accessible Arts and Media), a singing and signing community choir for people with communication and learning difficulties, work which has included the co-devising of several large-scale multimedia stage productions involving singing, dance, music technology and video. A wide range of other work has included several devised projects with young people with Asperger’s Syndrome and autism, for Opera North and Manchester Camerata, as well as several large-scale projects funded by Youth Music.

Chris’ most recent work (2010-2011) has included several projects with children with special needs for Jessie’s Fund and a project for Accessible Arts and Media, “Musical Monuments”, devising a music and theatre piece at Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire.

Chris is also a composer and arranger, trumpeter, guitarist and vocalist. He has extensive music experience performing in classical ensembles, jazz groups, rock bands, and is also a conductor and trainer, with extensive experience with orchestras, choirs and wind bands.