About

My Background

I started playing the piano at aged 2. My first song was…Eastenders! I have improved since then, and after years of hard work and practice, I attained distinction at Grade 8 and was invited to perform as the highest grade 8 scorer at an ABRSM High Scorers Concert. I have also always been involved in choirs, particularly church choirs and cathedral consorts, and attained both the Bishops Chorister Junior and Senior Awards. I was an accompanist for GCSE and A-Level exams whilst I was at school and reached the finals of the Uttlesford Young Musician of the Year competition in 1998.

Teaching

I started teaching at the age of 12. My mum bought me a piano and basically told me I needed to find a way of paying for it! I was already an accomplished musician, so I started passing my knowledge onto others. By the age of 13 my business was flourishing and I had 25 students, that I taught after school and at weekends. I have always loved teaching and have been doing it now for 27 years.

Over the years I have taught piano lessons and singing lessons to all ages and abilities (from beginners to grade 8) and I take pride in finding the right approach for the individual. I try to make my lessons fun and enjoyable, as I strongly believe that you need to enjoy your instrument in order to get the most out of it and in order to progress. That is one of the reasons that I like teaching Theory and the history of music, as it is important to know where the music you play comes from, in order to perform it to its best.

Exams

In the 29 years I have been teaching, I have a 100% pass rate for ABRSM exams. I have also helped many students taking their GCSE and A-level exams, and some who have been trying to get into College. However, there is absolutely no pressure to take exams at all. I have enjoyed teaching the many students I have had that take lessons simply to enjoy learning an instrument. I care about my students and have a very good rapport with children and adults alike. I like to always keep our goals in mind, whether that be the exam certificates or learning for fun and plan my lessons according to those goals.