Creative music, sound & participatory practice
SEND · Sound baths · Museums · Galleries · Orchestras · Cross-Arts
I’m Luke Crookes, a North Manchester-based bassoonist, workshop leader and creative practitioner. My work brings together professional musicianship, sensory and embodied practice, cross-arts collaboration and long experience of creating spaces in which people can participate in different ways.
Professional commissions are through my freelance practice, Luke Crookes | Tuning In. I work in Manchester, London and across the UK, with international projects by arrangement.
Ways to work together
SEND & Inclusive Practice
Workshop days, longer projects, sensory and creative programmes, staff development and work across PMLD, SLD, autism and neurodivergent contexts. Explore SEND school workshop themes.
Sound baths & wellbeing
Live bassoon, singing bowls and soundscapes—creating space to arrive, listen and unwind.
Freelance commissions for organisations, venues and groups.
For local public sessions through Tuning In CIC:
Book a community sound bath
Museums, Galleries & Heritage
Creative encounters with paintings, objects, architecture, history and place, developed with galleries, museums, heritage organisations and schools.
Orchestras, Music & Performance
Creative learning, composition, orchestral projects, performance and collaborative work grounded in professional bassoon playing.
Cross-Arts Collaboration
Work with visual artists, dancers, theatre makers, movement practitioners, architects and cultural organisations where sound becomes part of a wider artistic ecology.
Free on iPhone, iPad and Android
A moment for you. Wherever you are.
Meet Give Yourself a Moment, my free wellbeing app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Short guided audio practices, created and voiced by me, for a pause in your day.
24 practices. Free to keep. No account. No subscription.
Choose Calm, Focus, Energy, Rest, Sleep or Create. Nothing starts until you press Play.
Begin with a two-minute pause. Watch Connect to my breath, with clouds, spoken guidance and original accompaniment. More little moments will be added over time.
A body of work
The archive includes projects with the National Gallery, Museum of London, British Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, Open City, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Barbican, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia, Opera North and many SEND schools and colleges.
See the work in pictures
Browse photographs from school workshops, museum and gallery projects, orchestral work and sound baths. Project films will follow as the archive is prepared.
How I work
Sessions are carefully prepared but not rigidly imposed. I create an intentional container, attend closely to the people and space, and work responsively with sound, movement, material, atmosphere and what is actually happening in the room. The aim is not to force participation into one form, but to create multiple meaningful entry points.
Explore the approach and research →
“Thanks for an amazing project. It was inspiring, creative, educational, and most importantly FUN for the staff and the pupils.”
Kerri Ovel, Deputy Head, Beatrice Tate Special School
Bassoon & musicianship
The professional musician and workshop leader are not separate identities. Bassoon, ensemble listening, timing, resonance and responsiveness run through the whole practice.
Bookings & enquiries
A sound bath for your team, a SEND workshop day, a cultural collaboration or a longer programme—I am happy to begin with a conversation. You do not need a finished brief.
Community sessions & listening online
Community sound baths
Join a public sound bath at St Chad’s Church in New Moston, North Manchester. These community sessions are currently run through Tuning In CIC, separately from my freelance commissions.
Listen online
Explore Give Yourself a Moment: four free guided listening practices for a pause during the day, after work, on the sofa or before sleep.