Meet the OHMI Team
L-R Dr Jacob Harrison, Tim Low, Martin Dyke, Nicola McLaughin, Dr Stephen Hetherington MBE, Rachel Wolffsohn, Blake McLaughlin,
Miss Ruth Lester OBE FRCS, Dr Andrew McPherson
Staff
Rachel Wolffsohn – General Manager |
Tim Low – Assistant Manager |
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Rachel studied Music and Education at Cardiff University and then Secondary Music Education at the University of Wales, Institute of Cardiff. After teaching secondary school music for a number of years she took an extended career break to care for her family before returning to work as the General Manager of the OHMI Trust in 2014. She has many years of experience as a school governor in the primary and secondary sector.
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Tim came to OHMI after stepping down from his role as Head of Solihull Music Service and is an experienced project manager, music teacher and musician. He also is a qualified teacher with degrees in Maths, Music, and Theology, is a member of MENSA and has been awarded a British Citizen's Award for Services to Education (2016).
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Trustees
Dr Stephen Hetherington MBE (Chair and co-founder) |
Martin Dyke (Co-founder) |
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Stephen was Chairman and co-founder of the HQ Theatres Trust, founder of the OHMI Trust, and is an Honorary Fellow of Exeter University and of Queen Mary University of London. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music, playing with a number of the UK orchestras, before moving on to produce theatre, opera, ballet and orchestras across the world with his colleague, Joseph Seelig. He has been a consultant for the development of cultural operations and buildings worldwide, including Britain’s largest tri-Lottery funded project, The Lowry, for which he was Chief Executive from its early conception until the formal opening by the Queen and Prince Philip in 2001. He directed the City of Birmingham’s bid to be European Capital of Culture in 2002. Hetherington has a PhD from the University of Birmingham with a thesis on the political rationales of British cultural policy. He was made an MBE in 2017.
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Martin has worked at Tyndallwoods solicitors for nearly 40 years specialising in commercial property transactions, landlord and tenant work and business disposal and acquisition.
He is head of the property team and is currently the managing director of the firm. He is vice chairman of governors of Blue Coat School, Birmingham. He holds a BA in Legal Studies. |
Ruth Lester OBE, FRCS |
Professor Andrew McPherson |
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Ruth’s career spanned over 25 years as a consultant surgeon specialising in children with upper limb differences, including at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Her work in this area has allowed her to interpret some of the difficulties these children needed to overcome when learning musical instruments.
In 2018, she was honoured with an OBE for her pioneering work in helping thousands of young people with hand and upper limb differences in 2018. During retirement she has continued her own passion for music, playing in an orchestra of doctors and some smaller ensembles as well as continuing and upgrading her own piano playing. |
Andrew is Professor in Digital Media at Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL). He is part of the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science’s Centre for Digital Music, and leads the Augmented Instruments Laboratory. In addition to its research and performance activities, the lab has led to the launch of two spinout companies: Touchkeys and Bela.
His activities as a composer and researcher in augmented instruments, new performance interfaces and expressive performance modelling, have been the catalyst for Andrew’s involvement in the Trust, which has included roles on OHMI’s Competition judging panel. |
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Professor Martin FautleyMartin is director of research in the school of education and social work at Birmingham City University. He has a wealth of experience in music education, both in terms of pedagogy, and of music education research. After enjoying many years as a classroom music teacher, he then undertook full-time Doctoral research working across the education and music faculties at Cambridge University, investigating teaching, learning, and assessment of classroom music making, with a focus on composing as a classroom activity.
He is widely known for his work on researching assessment in the classroom, but also researches understandings of musical learning and progression (especially in the novice stages), composing, and creativity. He regularly undertakes research and evaluation projects in the field of music education. |
Nicola McLaughlin
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Dr Matthew WrightMatthew Wright is a senior lecturer in acoustical engineering in the University of Southampton’s Institute of Sound and Vibration Research. His research interests range from aircraft noise reduction to the neuroscience of hearing, but he has a particular passion for the acoustics of musical instruments and introduced a specialist lecture course on this subject to his students’ curriculum. He is also a one-handed musician; when progressive neuromuscular weakness in his right hand meant he could no longer play the concertina for the Winchester Morris Men he had a one-handed version made to his specification which he plays to this day. As a wheelchair user he appreciates both the value of adaptive technology and the importance of putting the disabled person at the heart of any discussion of accessibility.
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Clare Salters
Clare is a former senior civil servant, who worked for many years on the Northern Ireland peace process and is currently pursuing a varied portfolio career spanning roles as diverse as woodwind instrumental teaching and helping to appoint the country’s judges. She brings with her considerable experience of charity governance and a commitment to improving inclusion in music-making as a trustee of a children’s disability charity (Reach), a local music service (Hounslow Music Service) and another charity working in the field of music and disability (Music of Life Foundation).
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Emma BrownEmma graduated from the University of Birmingham with an undergraduate degree in Music in December 2021. She is starting her Masters of Music at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in September 2022. Her main instrument is the flute which she also teaches to a number of students. She enjoys making music with other people in orchestras, chamber music groups and educational settings. Following an accident in May 2021 which resulted in below knee amputations on both legs, Emma launched Amputee Musicians UK. AMUK is a network for musicians living with amputations or limb difference and its aim is to encourage music making and develop a sense of community among disabled individuals who love music.
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Patrons
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Alison Balsom OBEAlison is an English trumpet soloist, arranger, producer, and music educator. She has been a passionate advocate for music education, and has won numerous awards, including three Classic BRIT Awards and two Honorary Doctorates. She was honoured with an OBE for her services to music in 2016.
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Dame Evelyn Glennie CH, DBEEvelyn is recognised as the first musician to maintain a full-time career as a solo percussionist. She has travelled the globe, playing and recording with the world’s finest orchestras and ensembles. She lost her hearing in childhood and studied at the Royal Academy of Music.
Beyond the world of music, Evelyn is an avid public speaker, consultant, presenter and advocate for humanitarian causes. |
Ambassador
You can read more about us and access our annual reports in OHMI’s entry on the Charities Commission website.
