Information About Charlie - Tower Hamlets teacher

Personal Description:

I am currently studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and will graduate this year with a Bachelor of music with honours in Classical Percussion. I started my journey in music when I was seven years old, learning first the Recorder and then the Piano. A few years later I began playing Drum-kit in a local Brass band and soon moved on to Percussion which has been my focus ever since. I taught myself how to play various Percussion instruments and, before coming to study in London, won several soloist prizes, such as the 'best soloist' award at the National Youth Brass Band Championship of Great Britain and the 'best instrumentalist' award Yeovil Entertainment Contest.

At Guildhall I have focussed my studies on improving my technique, especially on the more virtuosic elements of Percussion such as the Marimba and Vibraphone, while also delving into some less explored areas like African drumming. I have performed in many different notable venues with different orchestras, such as the Barbican and the Royal Albert Hall. I also actively partake in outreach projects and music schools for young learners, such as the Centre for Young Musicians, as these sorts of projects were very important to me during my development as a musician.

Tutoring Experience:

I have experience teaching Percussion in one-to-one sessions and in larger groups. These students have all had a wide range of abilities and ages from beginners to adult learners. I also have experience tutoring sections of Percussionists in both ensemble and orchestral settings and am currently employed by the Centre of Young Musicians, a well-known Music Saturday school in London.

Tutoring Approach:

I like to focus on building a strong but relaxed technique focussing especially on techniques that can be applied across all areas of Percussion. This will help my students to develop as well rounded and versatile musicians. I like to start with the basics by teaching my students how to play the Xylophone, Snare Drum and Drum-kit before branching out into other areas, such as the Vibes and Marimba when they are ready.

I will cover as many different areas and genres of Percussion with my students to make sure their skills are as diverse as possible including Western Classical Percussion, Contemporary solo/ensemble Percussion, Latin Percussion, African Percussion and Jazz. As Percussion is such a diverse discipline, it will ultimately be up to the student as to which route they would like to pursue and I will support them creatively along every path.