Michael Maxwell Steer
Head of 20th Century Studies at the Junior Royal College of Music until 1991, Maxwell is a successful composer with many tv scores to his credit. He had also held posts as a BBCr3 Producer and London Head of Music for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
When he moved to Wiltshire Maxwell found himself often asked to teach piano in his village. To find a way to give young musicians a first-hand experience of music, without the restrictions imposed by exams, he encouraged pupils to compose their tunes, and to bring music they themselves wanted to learn. With these as a basis he evolved with a sequence of pieces that worked to enthuse children and accelerate their progress. See his pupils performing.
Then in 2001 the computer music programme Logic introduced coloured note heads. Maxwell colourised his teaching music to help a dyslexic pupil, and this resulted in an immediate doubling of his development. After introducing it for all beginners, Maxwell has seen that ColourMuse works like rocket fuel every time!
Recent experience with teaching a Downs pupil has shown that ColourMuse works just as well for learning-disability groups as regular beginners.
Maxwell coordinates the Ethics/Spirituality/Philosophy Field of the Big Green Gathering, and also runs Nadder Music Café in his village. Visit his website, or see him playing the harpsichord.