MEET THE TEAM
Charlotte Miller: Director
Over the last twenty years, Charlotte Miller has worked within a variety of settings including schools, nurseries, children centers and NHS hospitals across South London in delivering a variety of Music/Health/Education and Intergenerational related services. Charlotte works as an Early Years Music Specialist offering Intergenerational Music Therapy sessions and is a Director of a children’s music company called Tempo Tots which offers a variety of services throughout the UK. These range from weekly live music making sessions to Music Therapy sessions, children’s classical concerts, skill enhancement training and inset days, choirs, health promotion evenings, first aid training and instrumental teaching.
Charlotte trained at Trinity College of Music and then continued her studies at Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Centre where after completing her Masters in Music Therapy she continued to focus her work on musicianship, child development, aspects of psychology and pathology, early intervention and health promotion.
Charlotte is a passionate Musician and Music Therapist working across many different age groups, but with particular interests in Early Years, older people, people living with long-term health conditions, intergenerational music-making, community, singing and creative reminiscence.
Charlotte has a huge belief in the impact of bringing different generations together and she is continually passionate and inspired by all those she meets and who are involved in the different music programmes.
IMM was born out of a desire to channel her professional music therapy, teaching, performing and leadership expertise into a venture that brings about positive social change for local communities.
Emily Abbott: Programme Director
Emily Abbott is the Programme Director for Intergenerational Music Making. She has designed and lead several successful programmes and initiatives working ‘on the ground’ with the community, care homes, hospitals and schools in order to tackle isolation and loneliness and promote strong, creative communities.
Emily works with vulnerable groups, including those living with Dementia, their carers and those suffering from mental health issues, both young and old.
Emily, along with IMM, aspires to promote intergenerational music practice across the UK with a goal of embedding their work within schools, hospitals and individual care plans.
IMM aims to meet the needs of those most vulnerable in our society.
Emily’s drive, passion for music and positive attitude stems from her childhood and teenage years spent performing, song writing and composing. Alongside this, she volunteered at secondary schools as a mentor for GCSE music and drama students. This passion and drive lead her to spend four months in Tanzania, after finishing college, working on a humanitarian project and subsequently, a working holiday in Nepal in a girl’s orphanage. She experienced how deeply music was embodied within local traditions, cultural identity and expression and how music had the power to transcend language, race and age.
Emily achieved a 1st class Honours Degree in Music specialising in Song writing and Community music. She is currently studying for her Masters in Music in Development at SOAS.
Emily is inspired by people and she is passionate about making a difference.
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Mica Bernard: Communication Co-ordinator
Mica has always had a passion for music, this passion led to a love for writing her own music. Taking this interest further she decided to study vocals at university and has recently achieved a First Class Honours in her BA Music Industry Practice degree specialising in vocals at The Academy of Contemporary Music.
Since finishing her degree Mica has been working as a private singing and piano teacher and a freelance musician giving concerts in care settings and facilitating music workshops with IMM. Mica loves the fact that her life revolves around music, not only continuing on her singer-songwriter path but helping others to relax, connect and enjoy music through concerts, lessons and workshops.
Megan Abbott: Project Co-ordinator
Megan discovered her passion for the arts at a young age and started her journey performing on stage when she was 11 and since then has played roles such as, Maid Marion in Babes in the Wood Pantomime, Ginnie in Goodnight Mr Tom and a Supernova in the UK Tour of Cilla.
She then went on to train in Musical Theatre achieving a Level 3 Extended Diploma. She has performed to audiences of over 2,000 people and worked with the community to develop their knowledge of the arts.
Megan has furthered her journey into the arts by joining the IMM team as project co-ordinator. Her passion for music and the community is evident through her dedication to IMM, working 'on the ground' with care homes, schools and community settings to promote connection and intergenerational relationships. IMM is forever growing and Megan is very excited to see what the future holds.
Sophie Mawhinney: Music Facilitator
Sophie is a music therapist, with experience of working with children in both mainstream and special education and in adult mental health and dementia settings. She is also a yoga and mindfulness teacher, with a passion for helping to make these tools for wellbeing accessible and fun for all ages.
Sophie loves the way that IMM bridges the gap between different generations and brings real joy into people’s lives through creativity and music. In the sessions she has run with young children and adults in a care home, she has been really touched by the connections formed and the caring atmosphere that developed in the group.
Marion Barton: Music Facilitator
Marion studied music therapy at Roehampton University and has worked as a Music Therapist for nearly 10 years. She has worked in schools and in elderly adult mental health, both privately and for the NHS. Having worked in the field of dementia and mental health for the elderly throughout her career she has loved becoming a part IMM in order to contribute her experience to our diverse team. She leads IMM projects in Surrey and London as well as contributing to trainings for care staff and students in the benefits of music to dementia sufferers. She also works with children and young people to further inform them about dementia, its effects and the value of music-making in care settings.
Marion joined the team in 2019 and says she loves her work with IMM because "seeing the joy on my elderly clients' faces when the young people walk into their care setting has transformed my practice and outlook on dementia care. It is also infinitely rewarding to see how the children we work with blossom when given the opportunity to collaborate with a different generation."