David Barton

Composer

Born in Winchester in 1983, David Barton has worked passionately within the field of music education for over 20 years. He has taught flute, piano, and singing privately since 2001 and currently teaches more than 40 students ranging in age from 11 to 78. Based in Lichfield, Staffordshire, David has been a Trustee and Secretary of The Lichfield Festival of Music since 2016. David is an ISM Member and Ambassador, and holds ISM Registered Private Teacher Status.

Committed to offering CPD opportunities for instrumental teachers, over the past 10 years David has developed an online mentoring programme for those working towards teaching diplomas. He has mentored a whole range of teachers all over the world, and continues to develop his provision in this area. He writes a successful blog, working with a number of publishers including Faber Music, Hal Leonard, OUP, and ABRSM, to review and promote music. He has been a syllabus consultant for both ABRSM and LCM Examinations.

As a composer and arranger, David has more than a hundred works published in the UK and overseas. Performances take place worldwide, notably in the United States. A Celtic Blessing was selected as a JWPepper Editor’s Choice and has sold over 3,500 copies, while God So Loved the World was selected for performance at The London Festival of Contemporary Church Music. David is a Writer Member of both PRS and MCPS.

Following an MEd at The Open University, David is an active researcher in the field of music education, having recently completed a PhD at the Royal College of Music, London, where his thesis focussed on autonomy and control in private music teaching. He has written for a number of publications, including Music Teacher, Piano Professional, Cathedral Music, the British Journal of Music Education, and PAN. He has been a Research Consultant with ABRSM and a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the Royal College of Music, London. He is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

David was a finalist in the Musicians’ Union Inspiration Award category at the Music Teacher Awards for Excellence in 2018. He is also active as a piano accompanist and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.