Information About Christopher - Hackney teacher -

(3 reviews)

Personal Description:

Hey there!

I love teaching music. Music has been my passion for twenty years and it never stops exciting and challenging me, in my exploration with students and in my professional life.

Aside from teaching, I am a professional accompanist, musical director, composer and session musician. I studied classical piano from a tender age, and gained my Diploma at the age of 19. I then took a sharp turn and gained a place at Trinity College of Music studying jazz drum kit. After Trinity, my passion for piano was reignited, and I continue to work professionally using both piano and percussion. I have conducted musicals, worked in West End pits, recorded live for BBC Radio 2, BBC London, Jazz FM, created music for screen, dance, theatre, and toured as a musician in theatre productions, jazz trios, and big bands.

The areas of music I'm interested in range from Mahler's symphonies to soul, funk and hip-hop!

Tutoring Experience:

I always had a passion and excitement for teaching, and took my first students in my parents' front room 15 years ago. Since then I've taught thousands of students in almost every setting: one-to-one students as young as 4, singing assemblies of four hundred primary kids, ukulele groups, A-level students, short courses, university students.

I started professionally at Tramshed Centre for Performing Arts in Woolwich, moving to Bexley Grammar School, then onto Newham Music, where I taught in almost every school in the borough eventually! I now work for an excellent girls' state school in Newham, and a mixed secondary in Notting Hill.

Tutoring Approach:

As a teacher I offer classical piano, and modern piano (pop etc). But usually I like to explore a range of other supporting musical areas, including improvisation, composition, ear training, music appreciation and others. Variety helps to stimulate student's ambition and interest, and helps to understand music in a broader sense. After all, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt and Chopin were all known for their improvisations! Usually, we'll settle on a combination that you enjoy best; some students may much prefer being taught by ear, whereas others may be very focused on the classical repertoire and completing those certificates. However I do try to advocate for a broad study of music if the student is willing.