Since childhood, music has been central to my life, from playing violin at school to learning the first chords on a guitar as a teenager and being in an indie band with friends.
I worked in three high schools across Leeds in pastoral roles, where I developed a love for working with young people. Moving to Otley in 2005, I joined local big band The Beatleaders on bass. In 2009, I toured with Corinne Bailey Rae as rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist, and have been a self-employed musician ever since.
Since 2011 I have co-run The Woolpack Music Studios in Otley, where we run community groups (Otley Ukulele Orchestra, Woolpack Studios Choir) and work with young people. We also have a recording studio and have wide experience in music production and composition.
I completed a Masters in Composition and Production at Leeds Conservatoire (formerly Leeds College Of Music) in October 2020. I write, performs and record original music under the name Astraluna, using a mixture of live and electronic instruments.
I have bee Musical Director for a number of performance and music theatre productions.
I sing and play guitar, ukulele and bass.
Richard Sabey
I have been working in music provision and production since 1996. I have since run numerous workshops, courses and projects with people of all ages. These have included: song writing, composing, music production, mass community ensembles (I run and arrange for a Ukulele Orchestra, Choir and a Rock Orchestra). I have set up, secured funding for and delivered many projects through my own arts company, and have also been engaged on projects by other organisations, for example, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Artforms Leeds, York University and numerous primary, secondary and special schools. I have composed songs and/or instrumental music for a variety of projects including; a community play; live (including improvised) music for theatre-in-education; recorded music to accompany issue-based interactive drama dvds; BBC2 programme about York Minster. In 2011 we set up our own studios in the centre of Otley, working with community groups and young people, and developing our music production work. I have also produced and sound-engineered many events both at our studios and elsewhere.
