Dr Jill Jarman- UCMA Associate Lecturer

Jill Jarman is a composer and jazz pianist. Her compositions reflect diverse genres, effortlessly merging the boundaries between them. Recent compositions include; Soundwaves of light (2006), an orchestral tapestry based on the light frequencies of the stars in the sky, an ensemble piece Shadows (2008), based on the interplay of shadows and H2O (2010), an orchestral piece imitating the molecular behavior of water. Jill writes prolifically for choirs, two recent London premiers include The Listening Tree (2006) and Voices of change (2008) which received BBC airplay on New Year’s Day, 2010. She conducts the Addison Jazz choir in London.

Jill conducts and orchestrates much music for recording sessions including work with the Royal Philharmonic orchestra for events such as the Commonwealth Games, BAFTA premiered film, The Troop, and a short Ballet Rise for BMG. The recipient of two Arts Council awards, Jill founded an experimental string quartet with graduates from Trinity College and toured extensively with her jazz quartet, (album ‘Spirit Level’, Zinc records).

As current composer-in-residence at the Judd School, Jill enjoys a creative relationship with young musicians and has written a book of children’s songs published by Music Discovery Network in America. Jill’s belief in music education continues with the creation and development of a series of workshops for choirs, and ongoing research into music-listening and music-making for young children. She gained a PhD in Composition at the University of Surrey in 2010.