About

What can I bring to your music tuition?

We are very impressed with your pedagogical skills and keen sense of psychology, making the most of the children's individual strengths and qualities.

Approach

My teaching focus lies in developing all-round musicianship in my piano students, and promoting long-lasting musical relationships of respect and sharing. I work with students of all ability and ambition levels, offering a personalised, responsive and reflective approach.

Students are encouraged to increasingly develop their own learning enquiry, so piano lessons include an ongoing mixture of reading music notation, singing, written work (theory), listening, analysing, playing by ear, improvising, 'feeling' for the keys, gesture, and games; the balance will depend on each individual's background, learning style, age, musical preferences, confidence levels, and goals.

I bring a package of insight, skill, and passionate dedication to my work; these are qualities that are ready for absorption by students to help them in developing their own musical identity, and in generating their own sustained musical activity of whatever kind throughout life. It's great when my ex-students return to have some supporting lessons for their latest musical goals, such as exams on other instruments!

Thank you so much for your help with the aural section, it really helped pull me through.
[Grade 8 orchestral instrument exam success]

We like the very nice balance between guidance and learner autonomy/self-reflection.

You have an excellent ability to explain things.

It’s great that you give him the opportunity to feed back to you about how he feels about things.

You give very clear direction that she understands easily with exam prep and home practice plans.

Your love of music permeates through to pupils and enables you to instil musical knowledge in pupils of differing abilities and commitments.

It has helped immensely with her confidence and given her another outlet to express herself.

Experience

I have nearly two decades of teaching experience including classes for small children and their parents, individual tuition for children, tuition and mentoring for teenagers, and tuition for adults of all ages—even beyond 80 years of age.
I’ve worked as an instrumental tutor, choir director, and musical arranger in schools, and I'm a committee member of the Wellington Branch of the Institute of Registered Music Teachers NZ.

Thank you for the excellent lessons and input over the many years. [Mother and son]

She always looks forward to lessons and has never asked to give up despite all other out-of- school activities waxing and waning over the years.

You connect with boys at a good level.

Most importantly...she is enjoying it immensely and we feel will carry a love of playing the piano through to adulthood, something neither of us managed to achieve.

You give good encouragement that motivates me to want to learn and practise.

Qualifications

I am an Associate Member of the Institute of Registered Music Teachers, NZ.
And I hold an MA (Dist) Music Psychology in Education from the University of Sheffield, UK, along with an LTCL in Piano Performing and a Dip Mus in Composition.

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