Information About Martha Polly - Cambridge teacher -

(3 reviews)

Personal Description:

POLLY - mandolin tuition for all levels & beginner's clawhammer banjo.

I am endorsed by Eastman™ (**Web Address Removed**) and I play an MD815-SB.

I first picked up the mandolin when I was a child and I have been performing internationally in various line ups since my early teens.

I toured with old time/jug band group The Whiskey Dogs in both the UK and Europe for several years, performing at festivals in Portugal, England and Ireland, as well as several seasons of concert shows across the UK.

My current projects include Celtic/bluegrass crossover group The Magpies, with award winning guitarist and singer, Bella Gaffney, fiddle player Holly Brandon and acclaimed cellist Sarah Smout.

I also perform with English singer-songwriter Dan Webster as part of his 6-piece band.

Tutoring Experience:

I have been teaching mandolin to students of many ages and backgrounds for the past three years. I teach students at York St John University as part of the Music undergraduate degree and I also teach beginner's clawhammer banjo.

Tutoring Approach:

I teach mainly one-to-one lessons in folk, old-time, bluegrass & Celtic mandolin as well as clawhammer banjo, offering a range of technique tutoring, tunes, exercises and songs.

My teaching approach is primarily an aural one, as is the rich tradition of these styles of music, but I do provide both notation and tablature as a reference for my students to take home. I provide recordings of all tunes and exercises we are currently working on, as well as recording the students themselves at their request to further their progress.