Helen joined the team in 2016 as part of Creating Carnival. She is the musical director of the project that uses Brazilian and Cuban rhythms to tell the story of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
Helen discovered her passion for rhythm playing Bartok on the piano. She studied piano and percussion at university and later discovered and fell in love with folkloric Brazilian percussion and singing. Her ongoing journey of study and experience means that today she has become a highly regarded workshop leader, teacher and performer.
Helen is a strong advocate of world music, she is the musical director of the Huddersfield based percussion band Slick Stick Sambastic, she performs in Swiss vocal duo, Sätteli, directs the Hebden Bridge Georgian folk choir, and directs the Leeds U3A choir. She plays piano in the band Charanga del Norte, teaches piano and percussion privately and takes freelance projects/performances.
Her approach is very inclusive, supportive and encouraging. She believes in music as a fine craft and has respect for all musical traditions, she believes that through music you can better yourself, those around you, and ultimately send waves of positivity and belonging through a community, as well as creating community.