Phyllis Tate

Phyllis Tate (April 6, 1911 - May 29, 1987) was an English composer known for forming unusual instrumentations in her compositions. Her musical style has been called avant-garde and she is recognized for appealing to amateur performers and children.
Born in Buckinghamshire, England, to an architect, Phyllis Tate was kicked out of primary school by her headmistress at the age of 10 for singing a lewd song at the end of the year. Not a very auspicious beginning for such a prolific composer, who then (much to the disdain of her mother) taught herself how to play the ukulele. She was discovered in 1928 by Harry Farjeon, who prompted to her to receive formal music training, which she took up at the Royal Academy of Music for the next four years. While at the academy, where she studied composition, timpani, and conducting, Tate composed a number of pieces while attending the academy, including an operetta entitled The Policeman's Serenade. However, because she was extremely self-critical, all of her compositions from before the mid 1940s were destroyed by Tate herself.