Meet The Team

Meet the musicians behind the mayhem! At Joe's Academy of Music, it's so important that whether your child is 5 years old, 16 years old, or you're an adult student yourself, that you feel comfortable and in good hands when learning a new instrument, or jammin' out in a band. All our teachers are DBS checked, as well as many of our teachers having specialised certifications in working with children with learning disabilities.

Co founder & Teacher

Tracy Taylor Banks

Tracy began her musical career as a twelve-year-old when she played the title role in ‘Annie’ in London’s West End. She went on to play Mercy Lewis in ‘The Crucible’ at the Royal National Theatre.
After training classically with John Dalby, she worked extensively through her teens as a vocalist and voice over artist including tours with The Herb Miller Orchestra (brother of Glenn) and supporting acts such as Bob Monkhouse and Freddie Starr (back in the day!)

Returning to theatre in her twenties, she played leading roles in ‘Evita’, ‘Hair’, ‘A Slice of Saturday Night’ and ‘Good Rockin’ Tonite’.
She moved to Spain in 1995 where she remained for fifteen years earning her living as a professional singer and worked as a presenter on Central FM Radio, where she looked after the drive time show for two years.
She ran her own drama and singing classes in Spain and worked for a major theatre school.
Since returning to the UK, Tracy has continued to work as a freelance performing arts teacher and trained for four years as a Therapeutic Counsellor. She currently has a private practice in Brighton and feels strongly about the crossover between music and mental health. Now, she’s excited to be teaming up with JAM to help educate people all over Brighton & Hove.

Co founder & Teacher

Daisy Banks

Daisy has been performing from a young age. She attended singing, acting and dance classes from age four and has always had a particular skill and passion for vocals. She completed an extended diploma in performing arts, then a BA Hons in music performance, where she took part in many showcases, musicals and ensemble performances as a vocalist. She worked closely with the music department, and in addition to performing, acted as stage manager or sound/lighting technician for their productions and events.

Daisy has experience as a one-to-one vocal coach, choir leader, and also co-founded a performing arts school for children and young people. She has most recently formed a vocal duo, “Relative Pitch”, with her mum with whom she has been singing with for many years.

Daisy aims to provide her students with an understanding of their existing strengths and healthy technique in order to develop and progress, whilst instilling confidence, self-belief, and a love for performing.

Drums, Keys, Bass and Guitar

Max

Max Watson is a versatile multi-instrumentalist, professional songwriter, and dedicated music educator with over 11 years of experience leading instrumental and band sessions. Alongside his work as an educator, Max has written and collaborated on original music across a range of genres, further enriching his creative approach in the classroom and rehearsal space. Having performed across Europe, Scandinavia and North America, he brings a wealth of professional experience and insight to his teaching with an ethos which centres on nurturing both technical proficiency and artistic expression, helping students build confidence, musicianship, and a lifelong love of music, whether performing solo, as part of an ensemble, or pursuing their own songwriting journey.

Drums, Keys, Bass and Guitar

Ben

Ben, is a multi instrumentalist originally from Wales.
Although he specialises in guitar, his other instruments are bass, drums and keyboards.
He has a background in street performance and has also toured as a session musician. Ben plays in various bands, has two albums out on Spotify and currently enjoys composition and teaching.
He is very excited to be on board and is already proving to be a hit with his new students.

Saxophone

Freddie

Freddie received a first-class honours in BA Music Production whilst performing in bands as well as working as a session and internationally touring musician. Working across different areas gives him a great deal of insight into the music industry and what it means to play with other musicians in live and studio environments. A recent highlight for him was making his radio debut, performing on NANCY’s ‘The World’s About to Blow (Thank God It’s Christmas)’, which played on Radio 1 on Christmas Eve. He prides himself on his calm and patient nature –communicating new concepts clearly in a way that is easy to understand. Freddie has built up a wealth of resources over the years and creates his own diagrams and pictures for the lessons. He aims to build a supportive, focussed and positive framework around the aspirations of each individual student so that they can achieve their goals, being flexible and sensitive to the ability and needs of each student.