Information About Bethany - Bristol teacher -

(16 reviews)

Personal Description:

About me:
My name is Bethany and I am a professional musician, composer, producer and artist based in Bristol. I would describe myself as warm, friendly, understanding and deeply passionate about music.

I am a first-class music graduate with a Master’s degree, and also hold a first-class undergraduate degree in Music and French. Music has always been a huge part of my life – I began when I was 7 years old and have never stopped since. I am classically trained to Grade 8 in viola and classical voice, and Grade 7 in piano. I am also a self-taught Celtic harpist of seven years, regularly performing at weddings, shows and within my own musical projects. Alongside classical training, I love exploring a wide range of genres including folk and jazz. Being half Irish, I particularly enjoy Irish folk traditions on violin, as well as Scandinavian folk influences.

Over the past 12 years, throughout my degrees and independent study, I have developed an exceptionally versatile skillset covering classical viola, composition, jazz theory and vocals, studio engineering and music production. This breadth of experience makes my teaching approach holistic, adaptable and creative. Some of my pupils even study more than one instrument with me, or combine classical lessons with songwriting or production — something I think is a valuable option for some people, as different areas of music constantly inspire one another.

Alongside teaching, I am an active performer and songwriter, releasing music under the name Bethany Ley. I have performed sold-out UK tours and played internationally in Italy, Iceland and Ireland, as well as performing with bands and ensembles, and being part of an experimental electronica project. I have a wide range of musical interests and have even recently studied Gamelan (a classical Indonesian instrument) in Indonesia. I also compose and perform for a range of clients including Celestial, The Theatre Royal, Radstock City Council, The Roman Baths, The Rondo Theatre, Glastonbury Festival (West Holts Stage), BBC Radio 4 and more.

About my lessons:
I have experience teaching children as young as 5 through to adults in their 80s, and I pride myself on being flexible and student-led. My lessons are tailored entirely to each pupil’s needs, learning style and ambitions. I am happy to teach students working towards exams (ABRSM, Trinity, Rockschool) as well as those learning purely for enjoyment. I also support pupils in building inspired and effective practice routines.

I typically teach violin, piano, harp and voice, and also offer more bespoke tuition in composition, songwriting and music production. If you have something slightly unusual in mind, I’m always keen to chat and see how I can help!

Lesson Prices
£45 – 60 minutes
£35 – 45 minutes
£25 – 30 minutes

An additional £5 applies if I travel to the pupil’s home. If travel is particularly far, this may be slightly higher.

Tutoring Experience:

I have extensive experience teaching both children and young adults, with my youngest pupil being 5 years old. I teach classical, folk and popular music, and can either support students through graded exams or tailor lessons purely for enjoyment. I also teach both classical and jazz music theory.

Alongside instrumental teaching, I have experience working in therapeutic and specialist environments. I completed university work experience supporting elderly people with severe hearing loss during cochlear implant therapy, and I have worked with stroke survivors using piano to support relaxation and motor skills. I currently coach young people with mental health vulnerabilities and previously worked at Trinity Centre teaching music production, theory, lyric writing and performance to young adults from a range of backgrounds.

I have also taught children’s folk ensembles at Halsway Manor Folk Residential in Somerset and lead group music sessions for young people at Firebird Studios’ Saturday Morning Club.

My lessons are always student-led and adapted to suit each learner’s age, ability and learning style. Whether you are a beginner or more advanced, I will work with you to create an inspiring and achievable learning path.

I am DBS checked.
I teach in Bristol, either from my home or at the pupil’s home, and I am happy to travel reasonable distances.

Tutoring Approach:

My approach to Music Tuition for all my instruments and voice is student led - unless they require more ordered guidance. Through clear communication, the student and I can work through which areas they wish to develop further. I teach a range from classical (grades, or leisure) to pop (grades or leisure), to jazz (theory, improvisation and tunes) to folk (which typically will include learning tunes aurally, an invaluable skill for musicians going into any field!).

I understand how important it is to be unique and to 'find your voice' in whatever instrument you are playing (voice being the obvious example) so I like to put an emphasis on this. I believe finding enjoyment and inspiration in your instrument is important at any age.

Finally, as a femme musician, I also understand the discrimination that sometimes arise in this field - and have myself experienced it first hand. I know my students capabilities and focus on confidence building, and finding their own voice in order to produce music - or a performance which is their own.