John Curwen

John Curwen (1816–1880) was an English Congregationalist minister and pioneering music educator who popularized the tonic sol-fa system of music notation, originally developed by Sarah Ann Glover. Born in Heckmondwike, Yorkshire, he served as a minister until 1864, then devoted himself to music education, founding the Tonic Sol-fa Association in 1853 and the Tonic Sol-fa College in 1879.