in 1986 steer and ian dearden received an arts council commission for an interactive electro-acoustic music drama for children. and as head of 20thc studies at the junior royal college of music 1987-1991 he created the rcm’s first midi studio, and pioneered electro-music tuition for young people with a yamaha-sponsored summer school at uea. this phase of his life culminated in 1990 with the commission for notes from janàček's diary, an experimental bbcr3 programme for which he was, uniquely, given a studio at the bbc radiophonic workshop. the result was ‘a kaleidoscope of subtle and bewitching effects.’ (the times)