Information About Stephanos - High Wycombe teacher -

(9 reviews)

Personal Description:

Music has always been a cornerstone in my life – I began playing the violin a few months before turning 4, and piano lessons followed shortly after. By the age of 12, I had progressed through all of ABRSM’s 8 grades on both instruments and had mastered an extensive repertoire of European and Middle Eastern folk music.

It was at this time that I also picked up the guitar. Having no teacher, I turned to jamming along with the radio, learning every song on my favourite stations’ rotations until I could play anything the DJ threw at me.

This set me on a path of trying to learn all the things that the grade syllabus didn’t teach – how to explore music for myself, and how to develop my own playing style and personality.
Music has taken me to all sorts of places: from playing at the House of Commons to smoky rock bars halfway across Europe. And now, it’s an adventure that I want others to experience too.

Tutoring Experience:

I have experience teaching people of diverse backgrounds and age groups, all of whom had a variety of different goals. The diverse situations I have found myself in include: brushing up the acoustic guitar skills of gigging singer-songwriters, helping classical musicians adapt their style to fit into a rock/pop band, starting primary school-age children off in their first steps towards music theory and classical piano.

Tutoring Approach:

For parents:
When teaching children and teenagers, my foundation is fostering a long-lasting love and enthusiasm for music. Too often I have seen dry, uninspiring teaching that leaves the young pupil resenting the idea of learning an instrument. My aim is to give them a means of expressing and improving themselves that will stay with them long after they have stopped lessons with me.
Wherever possible, I do encourage parents to have an active role in the child’s learning. Whether you have any playing ability yourself or not, I believe that you have a part to play in every step of your child’s musical journey.

For adult learners:
I firmly believe that it is never too late! Whether you are starting completely afresh, or you are reviving an old skill from your youth, I will be glad to guide you.
If the strict music lessons you remember from school cause you to shudder, I aim to help you rediscover the joy of playing an instrument – I believe this to be of equal importance to knowing your scales and arpeggios. Lessons will be judgement and embarrassment-free, and we will take things strictly at your own pace.