To reach your full potential, you’ll need to be taught by great tutors. At WaterBear we have some of the best tutors and mentors in the UK today. As working professionals, the tutoring and visiting faculty team may be subject to occasional change and availability may vary. Our visiting faculty also bring a wealth of experience in the form of in-class masterclasses and Q&A sessions throughout the year.
Jack Pollitt is a London-born drummer with an impressive career, having collaborated with artists such as Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, and Barry Manilow. He spent ten years as a member of the band Mamas Gun, achieving number-one hits in Japan and South Korea, where they also toured extensively. Jack remains an active session musician, working in the studio, on tour, and in the West End. Most recently, he has been performing with the legendary vocalist Elkie Brooks. Jack’s formative years were spent studying jazz at university, complemented by private tuition from the late Bob Armstrong, one of the UK’s most esteemed drum teachers. His formal music education, coupled with extensive real-world experience, equips Jack with the essential skills and knowledge to be an effective educator and mentor in a music college environment.
Dr. Jerry Thackray holds a PhD in Music Journalism and has been a freelance music critic for over 30 years. Under the name Everett True, he has edited, published, and written for numerous magazines and websites in the UK, US, and Australia, including Melody Maker, NME, The Guardian, Village Voice, The Stranger, Rolling Stone, MOJO, Uncut, Classic Rock, and Plan B Magazine. Jerry has also authored several books on rock music, covering artists such as Nirvana, the Ramones, and The White Stripes, and under his stage name The Legend! released the very first record on Creation Records.
Leonie Sloots is a Sheffield based musician and event manager, best known as the lead vocalist of the alt-pop band Luxury Goods. She has shared stages with artists like Self Esteem, Skinny Pelembe, and While She Sleeps, and has performed at major festivals including Tramlines, Live at Leeds, ESNS, Rock N Roll Circus, and Liverpool Sound City. With nearly 20 years of experience, Leonie is passionate about writing music with a memorable, eclectic sound, and combining strong vocals with powerful live performances.
Supported by funding from the Arts Council, Help Musicians, and PRSF, Leonie has gained valuable insight into the resources available to musicians for career growth. Beyond performing, she worked as an event manager at Dynamo in Eindhoven and is currently Project Manager at Sheffield’s Migration Matters Festival, the UK’s largest Refugee Weekfestival. There, she oversees event planning, logistics, and artist management, ensuring smooth, impactful events. She is passionate about helping students navigate the music industry, ranging from vocal technique, songwriting and performance to building a business and branding.
Mark “Smutz” Smith PGCert, FHEA, has 28 years’ experience in artist management and works as a music business lecturer and industry consultant. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he has overseen projects achieving millions of streams and hundreds of thousands of listeners for 2023/24 releases, as well as Gold and Platinum records in recent years. Mark has worked with artists as diverse as Passenger, New York Dolls, Kelvin Jones, and Wavysof, and achieved a UK Top Ten hit at Christmas 2024 with Chris Simmons’ A Cold December. He is also the project co-creator and a member of the Subpostmaster Choir — Hear Our Voice — finalists on BGT25.
Ali is a guitarist and educator who has performed in various bands for many years, touring across the UK and internationally as both a live and recording musician. He is a member of the band Slung and also works with Small Pond, contributing to Brighton’s independent music community through live projects and creative collaborations. With extensive teaching experience, Ali is known for helping students build advanced technical skills, develop their musical creativity, and gain the confidence to perform at a professional level.
Sam Bell is a leading UK guitarist and educator. After first picking up the guitar aged 5, by the age of 18 he’d been featured in Guitar Player magazine as an up-and-coming player to watch. He is a contributor to Guitar Interactive magazine and creates lesson courses for LickLibrary.com. Sam plays for UK tech metal band Mask of Judas and releases his own instrumental music. When not on the road, Sam demonstrates for guitar and equipment brands such as Ibanez, Laney, Focusrite and Neural DSP. He’s also been releasing musical and educational content on YouTube since 2009 and has collaborated with other YouTube content makers such as Andertons TV, 42 Gear Street, GuitarPlayback and Ibanez Official.
With two decades of experience in the music industry, Claire has fully established herself in the underground house & techno scene as a producer, songwriter, label owner, DJ and vocalist. She has written and produced tracks on some of the world’s biggest electronic labels such as Crosstown Rebels, Armada and Anjunadeep, achieving a wealth of radio play including an essential new tune on Pete Tong’s Radio 1 show and millions of streams on YouTube and Spotify. As well as holding residencies at major clubs like Ministry of Sound and Egg London, she has built a strong international presence and has spent the last five years touring the world including USA, India, Australia and South Africa. Claire also runs her own brand Constant Circles, consisting of a record label, events company, music and arts blog and a globally broadcasted radio show.
Sam is a skilled engineer and producer with many years of professional experience live and in the studio. He is currently the head engineer and studio manager at Small Pond Recordings in Brighton. He has undertaken regular work with many local and international musicians in a wide variety of genres including Lovejoy, El Moono, GENN, Delta Sleep, The Physics House Band, Blue Lab Beats and The Wedding Present.
Jack Taylor, a professional guitarist based in Liverpool, UK, brings over a decade of experience in the music industry, excelling in pit work, session gigs, and functions. With more than 500 performances across four countries, including Nepal and Brazil, he has also supported Grammy winner Mark Lettieri in Liverpool. As a dedicated educator, Jack teaches at the University of Chester, Leeds Arts University, and WaterBear, and has conducted workshops at prestigious institutions such as LIPA and the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory. Currently, Jack is focused on crafting new original material that blends jazz, funk, Latin, and fusion influences, following his debut release, Songs For You. This new project reflects Jack’s passion for crafting singable guitar lines, rich harmonic textures and eclectic grooves.
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