Artists and Researchers

Ellie Rashid is a freelance music practitioner, songwriter and performer. She graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London with a First-Class Honours in Music (BMus) and trained as an Early Years (EY) Music Practitioner with Wigmore Hall Learning.  Since 2018, she has been working for Creative Futures (CF) as an EY Music Practitioner. Her approach is child-led and primarily focused on integrating music from the home into EY spaces, validating music preferences of children, parents, and teachers. Music played at home is usually not limited to nursery rhymes; Ellie uses Popular Music (particularly rap) in EY settings, an area she has been able to explore on the Sound Communities project. These ideas stemmed from her Seeds Creative (CF)  project, where she researched the potential of Popular Music in EY Education and deconstructing the idea of genre hierarchy – an area of interest that Ellie has extended through conversations on her podcast, On Repeat: https://msha.ke/onrepeatthepodcast/#links-8

 

Ellie has worked as a practitioner for other projects including Mama Sings, London Rhymes and The Acorn Project. She has also led vocal workshops for organisations such as Nordoff Robbins the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and founded Goldsmiths' first ever jazz choir.  

 

Currently, Ellie is continuing to work on wonderful projects for CF. Alongside this, she volunteers as a song-writing facilitator with Girls Rock London and developed a radio show for the young people on this programme during lockdown. Ellie is also working on her debut EP under the moniker Wenlock Edge, which will be released later this year.