Information About Edward - Acton teacher -

(6 reviews)

Personal Description:

I'm available for ONLINE piano lessons for learners aged 11 upwards across all abilities, styles, and commitment levels, and I have an enormous wealth of knowledge and experience to share to help you achieve amazing progress along your piano playing journey. I'm a highly experienced teacher across the whole musical spectrum -- from jazz, through pop, rock, and soul, to classical -- and I bring to piano tuition the full breadth of my practical experience as a pianist, songwriter, and composer.

I hold an ATCL classical piano diploma with distinction, a first-class BA in Music from the University of Oxford, and I recently completed an MA specialising in jazz performance at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music. I have taught piano extensively and have also worked as an accompanist for singers in showcases and concerts, as a session musician in recording studios, as a side person in small jazz combos and big bands, and as a performing concert musician.

Tutoring Experience:

I have 7 years' teaching experience both privately and in schools and have delivered over 1500 piano lessons to students ranging from beginners to Grade 8 level and from 11 years' to 90+ years' old. I also previously worked as a private tutor offering 1-1 tuition for Music GCSE exam candidates.

Tutoring Approach:

I can help with exam preparation; aural, sight-reading, and improvisation skills; songwriting, composing, and arranging; transcription; repertoire; interpretation; technique; and theory. I'm happy to support students no matter their commitment level or pace of learning. Most importantly, though, I look right away to identify with each student their musical interests and goals. I make sure that every student is getting started on playing piano music that they love from the first lesson.

Unless the student prefers an ad hoc approach to lessons, I structure piano lessons in a methodical way that encourages the student to develop his/her ability to learn music both by reading notation and by ear. For beginners I recommend the Alfred All-in-One course that integrates repertoire, theory, technique, and knowledge of musical fundamentals. By the end of the course, the student has attained a sound foundation (roughly equivalent to Grade 3/4 level) in piano playing, upon which we can then build by choosing repertoire together from a vast array of pieces and songs according to the student's interests.

For more experienced students and those completing the course, an indicative list of repertoire/study areas is given below:

- ABRSM study pieces (Grades 3-8)
- Bach inventions
- Clementi sonatinas
- Chopin nocturnes
- Film score arrangements (e.g. Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park)
- Composing original music
- Classic pop/rock songs through the ages
- Popular hymns and folk tunes
- Jazz standards/Great American Songbook
- Bebop/hard bop/modal jazz
- Funk/groove

I am a highly adaptable teacher and am always looking to expand my teaching offer, so please do get in touch if you would like to develop with me a bespoke learning plan.