Sue Baxter

Music has always been a huge part of family life for our Musical Director, Sue Baxter. Starting with her church organist grandfather and pianist grandmother, mother and aunt, Sue has passed her love of music on to her son Michael who is now a professional singer and musician.

Sue’s love of music started early as she began playing the piano aged 4 learning simple tunes taught by her mother and then having formal lessons at the age of 5. Sue took up the guitar at 12 and trumpet at 14 and the full list of instruments she plays includes drums and steel pan, baritone, posthorn, xylophone, some church organ, ukulele, penny whistle, marimba and bodhran.

After having private lessons as a child, reaching grade 8 in trumpet and ALCM in piano, Sue went on to study music at Dartington College of Arts specialising in Performance on Voice and Piano gaining a BA(Hons) degree. After graduating Sue then studied for a PGCE in Secondary Education from Bath Spa College.

Sue’s experience and expertise in performing, teaching and coaching music is wide and varied, ranging from being a ‘Greencoat’ in Mallorca as part of the entertainment team and working in cabaret, to running Steel Band, Samba Band, Junk Band, Pitched Percussion Group, Wind Band and choir groups, leading classes on brass, guitar, recorder and singing at primary schools and as Head of Music at Dartmouth Community College for 17 years has taught hundreds of children to love and enjoy music.

Sue joined The Chordettes after hearing the chorus sing by accident (she was looking for a line dancing class at the time, their loss is our gain!) and being so impressed with the tight 4-part harmony that she became hooked. That was 8 years ago and now Sue has taken up the challenge of becoming The Chordettes Musical Director, and took the chorus through her first competitive year at the 2018 LABBS Convention in Harrogate where we were placed 18^th.

Apart from the music, friendship and fun that being part of The Chordettes brings, Sue's determinatio to help the chorus to bigger and better things in the future has seen the introduction of regular coaching from external category experts in singing and performance.