Sarah Gail Brand

Sarah Gail Brand is a Professor of Improvisation and Group Improvisation at the Guildhall School, holding roles in both the Faculty of Jazz Studies and Music Therapy. She is an academic tutor, examiner, and founder of the Guildhall Improvised Music Ensemble. Her work spans performance, composition, and music therapy, with a focus on children and young people with learning difficulties.

Education: Jazz studies at Middlesex University (1993), PG Dip in Music Therapy from Guildhall School (2001), and a Master's in Composition from Goldsmiths College (University of London).

Research interests include the psychological impact of improvisation, music therapy methodologies, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Her compositions blend jazz, classical, and improvised traditions, such as We Should Consider The Possibility (2014) and scores for silent films like Easy Street (2013).

Publications include a 2012 article in the Psychology of Music exploring improvisation’s therapeutic effects. She has collaborated with renowned artists like Evan Parker and Wadada Leo Smith, and appeared in BBC TV’s Comedy Vehicle.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Guildhall Improvised Music Ensemble, a platform for experimental collaborations between jazz and orchestral musicians.