Do you teach online?
Yes, I teach piano and theory online. As well as private one-to-one tuition, I have new group classes for online theory starting soon. Please contact me with any questions you have.
At the moment all of my teaching is carried out online due to social distancing restrictions. I teach pupils from anywhere in the UK, via FaceTime, Zoom, Skype and any other suitable software. For online lessons to be successful, you will need to have sufficient bandwidth to prevent screen freezing and audio interruptions, so before your first lesson we'll arrange a few minutes to check the connection is suitable for lessons.
Who do you teach?
I teach children (usually from 5 years upwards), adults, parents and their children, grandparents and their grandchildren - everyone who wants to learn is welcome.
You can learn for leisure at your own pace, or you can take practical performance and / or theory exams, for example if you want a professional music career, or for personal development. Every learner is different, but for online lessons ideally a child would need to be aged 9 years or over, unless you (as the parent or guardian) have experience in teaching, music or both.
Am I too old to start learning to play piano?
No, you are never too old to take up an instrument. Music is for all and learning an instrument should be availble to all who want to.
My studio has a diverse mix of learners of different ages, from complete beginners to post-grade 8. Wellbeing is at the centre of my teaching philosophy and I feel strongly that people learn in different ways so my aim is to find each pupil's best approach to learning to suit their individual needs.
How much do lessons cost?
You can choose from 30 (£10), 45 (£15) or 60 minute lessons (£17.50), although I will advise if you're not certain how much time you need. For example, a beginner may need 30 minutes only, with the amount of time increasing as they progress further.
Your first three lessons are half price because it gives you the chance to try out lessons before you commit to more.
What time do you teach?
Usually weekdays only from 9:00am to up to 8:30pm. Please contact me for availbility.
Do I need to have a piano at home?
Yes. To make the most out of your learning, you need to have a piano so you can practice at home. I highly recommend an acoustic piano, but if sound output is an issue in your home, then a digital piano would be fine providing it's the right type. I have taught pupils who have passed Grade 8 piano performance having practiced on a digital piano at home.
My studio piano is an upright Petrof. I qualified as a piano technician (CGLI, Dip), so I'm very happy to offer advice to parents and music students searching for a piano of their own.
Do I need to practice between lessons?
To move on, the answer is yes, yes, yes! There are many ways to approach practice, and different approaches suit different pupils. But, the one undeniable theme is that pupils who practice regularly move on much faster than those who don't. I can recommend approaches for practice, but you will need to work out how to fit them into your lifestyle. Just 10 minutes of focused practice regularly (e.g. four or five days a week) can make all the difference to improving.
Of course things can happen in our lives from time-to-time which means regular practice stops temporarily. But in general, if you cannot commit to regular practice I recommend starting lessons when you can.