PIANO TEACHING AND SINGING

I have been living and teaching in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire since 1985. In that time I have taught piano and singing at the Sibford Quaker School, Banbury, Tudor Hall School, and the Warriner School, Bloxham as well as privately in my home. Over the years I have taught people of all abilities and all ages from those who are young beginners to others  who are mature adults.

Helping people,especially adults, discover their voices has become  a speciality.

It is never too late to learn and there is nothing like the experience and thrill of hearing yourself sing  or play for the first time! In recent times there has been a steady rise in the number of adults who have come for their first piano lesson or a singing lesson eager to find out whether it is too late to learn. Of course it is not : age is no barrier to learning unless there is an inhibiting physical problem. 

In teaching the piano and singing, my aim is to extend the potential of a pupil of any age by increasing awareness and capability in a sympathetic and non-threatening atmosphere. By careful tuition, endless encouragement and enthusiasm, pupils can make remarkable progress and find that music has a real place in their lives.

Here are some comments by pupils:

"As you know I have always seen music as something to be enjoyed and I can undoubtedly say that I wouldn't have enjoyed learning the piano half  as much if I didn't have you as my teacher! Not only did you somehow manage to turn me into a grade 5 pianist playing Beethoven sonatas ( still can't quite believe that myself), despite my issues with reading two staves of music at once and coordinating my two hands, not to mention adding in the pedal,  you also inspired me to explore music in greater depth and that is what I will take most from my lessons"

"You showed me how to really listen to music, to try to understand what the composer was feeling when he wrote it, to conjure up images in my mind and create a story as I play a piece....... and for that I truly thank you."

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

       Lecture) Piano Teaching, What's it for?, EPTA, UK Conference, Trinity College of Music, London, July 2002

       Teaching Adult Beginners: A Great Challenge! Piano Professional (European Piano Teachers Association (UK) Autumn 2009

       Left Hand Right Hand – some problems learning the piano, Incorporated Society of Musicians Journal, November 2002

      The Importance of Being Kind - The Music Teacher March 2010