MY STORY
Rebecca Toal is a freelance creative, working as a trumpet player, podcaster, writer, teacher and mental health advocate. She is passionate about radical honesty and authenticity, and infuses her work with these values.
As an orchestral trumpet player, Rebecca has performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Ulster Orchestra and Academy of St Martin in the Fields. She also has a passion for historical performance, and has had the pleasure of playing the baroque trumpet with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Armonico Consort, Ensemble Alia Mens and the Academy of Ancient Music. Recently she also undertook the challenge to perform Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no. 2 with the Mayfield Festival Orchestra. True to her creative fluidity, Rebecca loves the imaginative and innovative work that contemporary music has to offer, and is thrilled to have played with Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, Apartment House, London Sinfonietta Academy, and An Assembly.
Co-hosting the podcast Things Musicians Don’t Talk About with Hattie Butterworth, Rebecca aims to destigmatize issues in the music industry and create transparency around what life as a musician looks like now. The podcast has now interviewed over 60 musicians and industry professionals including TikTok star James Partridge, international trumpet soloist Simon Höfele, composer Gavin Higgins and BBC broadcaster and writer Dr Hannah French. The podcast received Highly Commended in the Classical Music Digital Awards 2020 and continues to campaign for the awareness of mental illness and discrimination within the arts. Rebecca and Hattie have been working hard to expand Things Musicians Don’t Talk About outwards, supplementing their main work on the podcast by commissioning blogs, compiling resources and delivering in-person workshops to organisations and institutions such as the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, Chethams School of Music, Wells Cathedral School, the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. Things Musicians Don't Talk About is proud to be supported by the Royal Society of Musicians.
Words and communication fascinate Rebecca, and she explores their power through writing and speaking. Her written work has appeared in Music Teacher Magazine, JESTA, and Opera Now. As a speaker, she has given talks and appeared on panels with the Liverpool Philharmonic Music Industry Careers Fest, London Mozart Players, creative community What Does Not and Empower IWD.
Rebecca recently chose to stop teaching privately to create some more space in life, though still teaches trumpet lessons at St Albans High School for Girls, and values the opportunity to explore and perfect the art of communication with her students. She has previously taught at Junior Trinity Laban, Music Education Islington, Enfield and Hertfordshire Music Services. Rebecca is furthering her commitment to working at relational depth with others through her part-time studies as a person-centred counsellor, and is looking forward to qualifying in 2025.
Rebecca graduated with a first class Master of Arts degree and an LRAM from the Royal Academy of Music in 2020 and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she received her Bachelor of Music Honours degree, in 2018.
MY STORY
Rebecca Toal is a freelance creative, working as a trumpet player, podcaster, writer, teacher and mental health advocate. She is passionate about radical honesty and authenticity, and infuses her work with these values.
As an orchestral trumpet player, Rebecca has performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Ulster Orchestra and Academy of St Martin in the Fields. She also has a passion for historical performance, and has had the pleasure of playing the baroque trumpet with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Armonico Consort, Ensemble Alia Mens and the Academy of Ancient Music. Recently she also undertook the challenge to perform Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no. 2 with the Mayfield Festival Orchestra. True to her creative fluidity, Rebecca loves the imaginative and innovative work that contemporary music has to offer, and is thrilled to have played with Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, Apartment House, London Sinfonietta Academy, and An Assembly.
Co-hosting the podcast Things Musicians Don’t Talk About with Hattie Butterworth, Rebecca aims to destigmatize issues in the music industry and create transparency around what life as a musician looks like now. The podcast has now interviewed over 60 musicians and industry professionals including TikTok star James Partridge, international trumpet soloist Simon Höfele, composer Gavin Higgins and BBC broadcaster and writer Dr Hannah French. The podcast received Highly Commended in the Classical Music Digital Awards 2020 and continues to campaign for the awareness of mental illness and discrimination within the arts. Rebecca and Hattie have been working hard to expand Things Musicians Don’t Talk About outwards, supplementing their main work on the podcast by commissioning blogs, compiling resources and delivering in-person workshops to organisations and institutions such as the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, Chethams School of Music, Wells Cathedral School, the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. Things Musicians Don't Talk About is proud to be supported by the Royal Society of Musicians.
Words and communication fascinate Rebecca, and she explores their power through writing and speaking. Her written work has appeared in Music Teacher Magazine, JESTA, and Opera Now. As a speaker, she has given talks and appeared on panels with the Liverpool Philharmonic Music Industry Careers Fest, London Mozart Players, creative community What Does Not and Empower IWD.
Rebecca recently chose to stop teaching privately to create some more space in life, though still teaches trumpet lessons at St Albans High School for Girls, and values the opportunity to explore and perfect the art of communication with her students. She has previously taught at Junior Trinity Laban, Music Education Islington, Enfield and Hertfordshire Music Services. Rebecca is furthering her commitment to working at relational depth with others through her part-time studies as a person-centred counsellor, and is looking forward to qualifying in 2025.
Rebecca graduated with a first class Master of Arts degree and an LRAM from the Royal Academy of Music in 2020 and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she received her Bachelor of Music Honours degree, in 2018.