Information About Nicholas - Largs teacher -

(7 reviews)

Personal Description:

I'm a professional composer, arranger, performer and bandleader active in the Glasgow area, and a final-year PhD student at Newcastle University. I've played thousands of performances across the UK, from the south bank of the Thames to the Dundee blues festival, including appearances on national radio, at music festivals, award-winning productions at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and have been nominated on electric bass and electric guitar respectively for Best Soloist at the last 2 Great North Big Band Competitions.

I have played in a variety of styles from jazz, funk, blues, soul, Scottish folk and world music, to rock and pop, to experimental and electronic music, hip-hop and drum and bass. I'm fluent on guitar and bass in a variety of styles, techniques and effects.

When I'm not playing and teaching music, I also teach mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, engineering and economics as a private tutor.

Tutoring Experience:

I started teaching guitar 17 years ago, and have been actively teaching guitar and bass essentially ever since, and working off-and-on with community groups, mentoring and developing young performers and vulnerable adults and working as a private tutor, both of theory and performance.

I've also had an extensive career in academic mathematics, in which I've just attained my PhD pending the acceptance of some minor corrections to the thesis. I've provided support to vulnerable students and taught a variety of subjects, levels and formats regularly for almost a decade.

Tutoring Approach:

Technique is an important part of any student's development, but my approach differs from that of most teachers in that I emphasise the student's internal musicality and personality from the moment an instrument is in their hands. Contrary to many online courses and other tutors, I don't focus on technique and speed-building as an end unto itself, but I encourage the student to focus on fluency and the brain-body connection, and look at how to develop technique in a safe manner, that will encourage the student to take charge of their own development outside of my relationship with them.

With this approach, anyone can sound good and feel good about playing, essentially from the moment they instrument is in their hands. Practice will be a comfortable, fun, organic process, and you'll be ready for the stage in no time!

I'm happy to travel, and am potentially available across the board - weekday or weekend, daytime or evening. My actual availability is varies somewhat week-on-week. As the site charges for setting students up with tutors, I will nominally (depending on my availability and the travel required) offer an hour or so of my time for free, with no obligation to you, to get the ball rolling, plan your development, and make sure that my approach is a good fit for your development goals. If it's not, I know several other well-qualified tutors in the area on each of my instruments and can recommend one whose approach suits your needs; I'm happy to offer to refer any student to another tutor at any time if they find my approach doesn't suit their goals.