Helena Summerfield of Manchester, UK on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Helena Summerfield. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Helena, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Something outside of work that brings me joy is watching ice hockey with my family. We have season tickets for our local team Manchester Storm and I am so pleased to have found an activity that both of my teenage children still want to do with their parents. Following ice hockey gives us a shared interest and topic of conversation plus it’s nice for me to have a non-music related outlet. When day to day life gets busy it’s priceless to have guaranteed family time together each week – even if it is spent shouting at the opposing team!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Helena Summerfield and I am a programme manager for Jazz North – the strategic development agency for jazz in the north of England. Founded in 2012 Jazz North has established a national and international reputation in Artist Development, Sector Support and Learning & Participation. I am very proud to be a member of the Jazz North team.

After studying the saxophone at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, I worked for many years in music education. I was the lead jazz tutor at Trafford Music Service (Greater Manchester) when they received the 2021 ‘Will Michael Jazz Education Award’ and became ‘Jazz Educator of the Year’ at the 2022 ‘Parliamentary Jazz Awards’ in recognition of my work on the project ‘Jazz Camp for Girls’.

I am passionate about encouraging children to engage with the jazz genre and to experiment with improvisation and am looking forward to speaking about this at the Music & Drama Expo at the Business Design Centre in London on 13th February 2026.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
I’m not sure that one person in particular taught me the most about work but I have always tried to learn from both positive and negative workplace experiences and interactions with my colleagues. I am a great believer of trying to be the kind of person that you would like to work with and striving to embody the qualities and traits that you admire in others. I also never cease to be amazed by the way that people can reappear in your life and how the person you helped in past can become the one to help you in the future. Although it can feel a bit awkward at first, never underestimate the importance of networking and attending conferences in your relevant field. I try to reframe networking as an ongoing process of building connections that will continue throughout my career rather than it being a one-off event.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
When I left music college I was feeling quite deflated – I felt unconfident in my ability as a musician and unsure about what to do as a career. I was advised to apply for a teacher training course and luckily this started to rebuild my confidence and sense of direction. If I could go back in time I would tell my younger self that, despite what I am thinking, my musical voice is valid and worthy of being heard. I would tell my younger self that we all have our own unique timelines and definitions of success and to try and stop comparing myself to others.

One of the best things about getting older is that you care less about what the wider world thinks about you – obviously you still value the opinions of your family and close friends but you come to the realisation that not everyone is going to like you, and that is ok. Losing people that you care about makes you realise that life is short and how even the best laid plans can be derailed without warning. I am trying to be kinder to myself as I age and have come to the realisation that it’s ok to say ‘no’ to things that aren’t working for me – although it can take me a while to plan an exit strategy.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
A project that I’m committed to working on is called ‘Jazz Camp for Girls’. This is an international initiative inspired by a Danish program to encourage young female-identifying musicians to explore jazz, improvisation and composition in a supportive environment. The program was launched in Denmark in 2014 and the goal is to increase the presence of female instrumentalists in the music industry and promote gender balance in jazz.

‘Jazz Camp for Girls’ now takes place in 18 countries (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Netherlands, India, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Turkey) and I am proud to be the project manager in England. When I first heard about ‘Jazz Camp for Girls’ it really resonated with me, I wished that there had been something similar for me to attend as a young musician. I love working on the project and watching the girls develop their musical skills and grow in confidence during their time at the camp.

Since Jazz North’s pilot project in 2019, 39 jazz camps have taken place across the north of England in 14 different regions and over 600 girls have attended a jazz camp event so far. Our main activity takes place in March around the time of International Women’s Day but this year we also organised a 4-day summer camp that received very positive feedback and we are hoping to repeat this for 2026.

I have been asked in the past why there isn’t a jazz camp for boys and if the project is discriminatory. I would argue that it is just similar to schemes designed to encourage more boys to sing. The jazz scene is still a male dominated one and I feel that initiatives working towards a more inclusive jazz community can only be a good thing for everyone involved. Historically the contributions of women (in many fields) have often been overlooked and I do not believe that highlighting these achievements in anyway undervalues the achievements of their male counterparts. In November 2011 UNESCO designated April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people around the world. Jazz music was recognised for promoting peace, dialogue among cultures, diversity, and respect for human rights and human dignity; eradicating discrimination; fostering gender equality; and promoting freedom of expression. In other words, jazz is a music for everyone!

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope to be remembered as someone that cared deeply about music education and believed in its value beyond academic achievement. Obviously not all children are going to want to go into careers as a musician but learning music has many proven benefits, for example to improve children’s memory, language development and pattern recognition. Engaging with improvisation has been shown to help children with problem solving and the development of cognitive pathways. Listening to music develops emotional intelligence and helps children to manage their feelings. Playing a musical instrument in an ensemble develops team work skills, perseverance and confidence. I feel that these are all vital components to creating rounded, well balanced, empathetic, constructive members of our society.

As a musician, I hope that people remember hearing me perform with fondness and think that, in the words of the (ironically named) song I composed for the ‘Jazz Camp for Girls’ project, ‘She wasn’t bad for a girl!’

Image Credits
Molly Summerfield
MiHi-Music Artist Visuals
Leo Woollison Crook