Download Mike Roberts - Still Time Music

Mike Roberts
composer / pianist / producer / arranger
07776 482452
[email protected]
Hedgerow Cottage • 10 Dennis Green • Gamlingay • SG19 3LQ
biography
Mike Roberts studied composition, piano and electronic music at the University of York under Prof. David Blake, Jo
Rothwell and Richard Orton. After a ground-breaking final-year performance of Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ at
the Lyons Concert Hall in 1988, Mike starting playing professionally, initially with The London Contemporary
Dance Theatre and subsequently as Café pianist for the famous Betty’s Tearoom chain, Swallow Chase
Hotel Group and Country House Hotel Group.
His first commission as a composer came in 1989 with the Jim Henson Organisation, in association with Tyne
Tees Television, writing music for a new children’s ‘Muppet’ series, ‘The Ghost of Faffner Hall’ – featuring guests
Nigel Kennedy, Bobby McFarren, and Joni Michell. In that same year he became Musical Director for York
Lively Arts Theatre Co., and Bedside Manners Theatre Co. – a relationship that lasted for 3 years. A healthy
succession of composition commissions have followed and Mike’s client list now includes BBC TV, BBC Radio, ITV,
Pace Productions, Warner Chappell, Warner Classic, Focus Music, Stock Music, North Star Music,
Telemagination and CNN. Whilst working predominantly in Commercial Music, Mike has some notable successes
in the concert hall: In 2004 his electro acoustic composition “Birds of the Air” was featured as part of Oxford
University’s “The Composer Speaks” series; in 2004 his experimental score “Cyberscape” was premiered as
part of the BBC’s John Cage festival at the Barbican Centre, London; and in 2006 he assisted Andrew Calver
in producing additional Orchestrations for “Ocean 150” – scored for a 150 strong orchestra at the Roundhouse,
London.
For two years Mike was the Studio Director of Heatham House Recording Studios in West London – set up to
work predominantly with young people in education projects. This led to an involvement with music education generally.
After some initial experience teaching GCSE music at Christ’s School, Richmond and conducting music workshops
at Clarendon School for Children with Special Needs, Richmond, he started teaching Electronic Music part
time at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 1991 before taking on a more time-consuming role as Course
Director for the BTEC National Diploma in Popular Music at Chichester College of Arts, Science and
Technology in 1992. Leaving Chichester in 1994, Mike took on the direction of the Electronic Music Studios at the
Guildhall School of Music and Drama – a job that he is still involved in today – and became an examiner and
advisor for London Examinations Music Technology A’level between 1995 and 1998. Since 1998 Mike has led
several major education projects in schools resulting in the production of large-scale collaborative compositions – working
with organisations such as The Wigmore Hall and Stour Valley Arts.
Mike signed up with North Star Records in 1995 as a composer producing a series of relaxation albums, production
music and film & television scores. He is represented by North Star’s film and television section and an on-going composer
for the company. To date he has produced 3 albums for North Star – ‘Eternal Forest’, ‘Still Time’ and ‘Precious
Moments’ – and is currently working on ‘Ambiaquatic – music to watch fish by’.
In 1999 Mike founded, and became Artistic Director of, the award winning Jazz-Gospel ensemble ‘The Still Time
Band’. Under Mike’s direction the band’s performance portfolio includes The Edinburgh Festival, The
Salisbury International Arts Festival, Lambeth Palace, Westminster Central Hall, Greenbelt Arts
Festival, London’s Dorchester and Edwardian Hotels, BBC Television and Radio.
Mike is currently a Professor of Music at The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, a busy freelance
composer, the Artistic Director of The Still Time Band, and a freelance pianist and fixer. He has just completed
production of a new Christmas Jazz Album for singer Pipa Gordon, is finishing off production of a new Children’s CD
The Orange Hat, and has recently been commissioned by Walthamstow Music Service to compose a new
Community Symphony for a mass ensemble of over 250 school-age performers.
November 2007