Pauline graduated from SOAS as a mature student specialising in South Asian culture and religion and spent the latter part of her working life as a University Administrator.
Her musical achievements include a Dip HE in music from Oxford Brookes University, grade 6 piano, grade 5 violin and grade 6 recorders. Yes, recorders are a serious musical instrument (despite bad press from school children playing screeching descants); think of Piers Adams, Michala Petri, Daniel and Frans Bruggen, and Peter Holtslag—although she has no pretentions of being anywhere near as competent as they are.
Her classical music interests span the musical eras: Renaissance and Baroque, the rich harmonies of Romantic music (especially the violin concertos) and the hypnotic repetition of minimalist composers. Pauline also has a passing interest in non-western music, particularly North Indian classical music. She previously played with a gamelan group and has recently joined a Taiko (Japanese) drumming group.