Helen Crocker

​

Helen's musical life started as a clarinetist, playing in orchestras and wind bands in the South West.

 

With percussion as a third study (piano being the obligatory second for classical musicians), she later spent 10 years as the timpanist for Plymouth Symphony Orchestra.

 

In 1993 she started learning the drums embarking on an adventure into the non-classical world. She played semi-pro for 20 years in various bands of different genres, focussing mainly on jazz, and in 2012 became the drummer for The Lisa Davies Big Band.

 

At the beginning of 2015 an ankle injury became the driving reason for Helen to give up drums and take up the sax. Helen is now the band's second tenor, a position she achieved within 6 months of leaving the band having never played a saxophone before!  Her clarinet experience and formidable sight reading ability has clearly enabled this but it is still an incredible achievement.  Helen also regularly gigs with the bands she was previously playing in as the drummer.