Rebecca Francis
Violin
Becca Francis is a Sheffield born-and-bred musician, who returned to the City with her young family in 2014. After studying the violin with Nina Martin throughout her teens and spending nine years in the City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra (finishing as leader), Becca completed an undergraduate music degree at Oxford University. She then undertook a Maters in Violin Performance at the Royal Academy of Music, London, where she won the Mortimer Development Award for Innovation in the Arts and mentored undergraduate students on the Music in the Community course.
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On finishing her formal musical training, Becca worked as a freelance musician in London, the highlights of which included: performing with Nigel Kennedy, Elton John, and Katherine Jenkins; and delivering community projects for the London Symphony Orchestra. After teaching at the First String Experience at the Junior Royal Academy for many years, Becca decided her passion lay in teaching, embarked on a Post Graduate Certificate of Education, and has been working in education ever since.
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Becca is the creator of the SMA Infant scheme, a course for 4-8 year olds, with nearly 100 children enrolled. The ethos of this program is learning through fun and Becca, and the SMA Infants staff, infuse high-energy teaching with Kodaly and Dalcoze techniques. On a Saturday, Becca helps with the SMA Junior Choir and runs the Junior String Orchestra; as well as teaching violin to a number of lovely talented pupils. During the week Becca teaches music at Notre Dame High School, where many of the Sheffield Music Academy students attend.