As an educator, Scott has been a professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London since 1983 and since 1984 Head of their jazz program, renowned as one of the best in Europe. He was made a Fellow of the Guildhall School in 1988. He has won the BBC Big Band Contest six times and made four albums as director of the Guildhall Jazz Band, and teaches jazz composition, arranging and performance. He has led hundreds of courses and workshops in improvisation, performance, singing, world music, and conducting throughout the UK and Europe for education authorities, schools, colleges, universities, Arts Councils, choirs, and orchestras, was music director for the Globe Music Exchange and director of the African and Gospel Music Workshop at the Dartington International Summer School, and is artistic adviser to the Escuela de Musica Municipal in La Coruña, Spain. For the LPO he has directed numerous workshops, family and schools’ concerts and the Orchestra in a Weekend programme mixing LPO and amateur performers. His work has been featured on radio and television.

He often combines his roles as conductor, performer, presenter and educator to create unique programmes, crossing boundaries between styles and cultures and between performance, composition, improvisation, education, and entertainment. He has directed and presented many combined performance and education series and programs on the music of Bach, Haydn, Dvorak, Stravinsky, Bartok, John Adams, Lutoslawski, Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, gospel music, African music, Brazilian music and that of many other traditions and composers.

His approach is both inspiring and engaging; regardless of the medium or level he conveys a genuine joy of music-making and creates a unity of purpose and focus that results in moving, meaningful and organic performances and a clearer understanding of the beauty of music.

To read reviews of Scott’s education work, click here

Gospel Choir, Queen's Hall, Hexham, September 2006. (Photos: Dan Brady)