Teaching Philosophy

My overall approach is a simple one: to tailor lessons to what interests you and to offer a wide variety of possibilities and approaches. Everyone has their own tastes and preferences and my role is to help you explore and develop towards your musical aspirations.

I work in a gentle and relaxed way with the emphasis firmly on enjoyment! However, I also make sure to provide opportunities for evolving a consistent technical basis and to aim for deepening musical understanding, both of which are in your best interest in the longer term.

It is completely natural to be a little unsure if you are starting from scratch as a beginner, but this can be one of the most satisfying and illuminating points from which to learn, and we will only move forward at a pace that is right for you. Many people prefer quite structured support at this stage and there are all sorts of tools available to help you learn the basics.

I’m interested in whatever kind of music you want to explore, be it classical, Jazz, blues, Rock, hymns, folk and world music, musical theatre, ambient, film music or even improvisation. Some people like the structure and signposts you get in the music exam system, others do not want this at all, while some like a mixture of approaches. It’s really up to you.

I really enjoy teaching music as a joint exploration, and as a teacher and mentor of many years experience and as a composer and performer in many different contexts, I hope that I can bring useful insight and offer encouragement and informed advice.