James

ONLINE TEACHING ONLY!

Professional double and electric bass player and senior lecturer in music (theory/analysis, ensembles, improvisation, composition, 1 to 1 lessons) at Leeds Conservatoire from 2018-2023.

James Banner was born in Dudley, England in 1991. He has studied in Birmingham, Paris and Berlin, and is now based in Berlin, working around Europe as a musician (double/electric bass), educator and composer. He performs mostly in fields of jazz, improvised and contemporary music as a soloist, sideman and bandleader and employs a holistic and collaborative approach to music making.

Awards:

• Studio Award Berlin Senate Department of Culture and Europe
• Elsa Neumann Stipendium 2018 from the Berlin University of the Arts/Hanns Eisler
• Making Music’s Adopt a Composer scheme in partnership with Sound and Music, PRS Foundation and BBC Radio 3
• Kulturprojekte Berlin Scholarship to develop a new duo project with US based soprano Stephanie Lamprea plus guests from Berlin/NYC

Selected performances include: Proms at Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, London Jazz Festival, Konzerthaus Berlin.
Selected broadcasts/recordings include: BBC Radio 3, Kulturradio RBB, BR-Klassik, Deutschlandfunk Kultur - for discography please visit my website!

Tutoring Experience

ONLINE TEACHING:
I am offering teaching online/remotely via Zoom/Skype/Teams/Facetime/Whatsapp:
- Fully DBS checked
- Training/experience in remote teaching and learning, 1 to 1 and groups (Leeds Conservatoire)

Teaching experience:

Senior Lecturer at Leeds Conservatoire (double/electric bass, ensemble, improvisation, composition, across all genres)
Saturday Music School at LCoM (group double bass lessons and ensemble, ages 9-13)
Composer in Residence with award-winning creative enterprise Make The Paint Dance
Workshop leader for Jazzlines (THSH Birmingham, ages 8-18)
10 years of private tuition in double bass, electric bass and composition

Tutoring Approach

My approach ensures that my students are encouraged and inspired to explore all aspects of music making from the very beginning.; active listening, improvisation, composition, ear training and rhythmic skills are used together to help to develop the whole musician and improve instrumental abilities.

As part of my teaching offer I am able to give extra feedback on your playing via video/audio/email in between lessons at no extra cost. I also offer bespoke resources where necessary as well as give listening recommendations etc. :)

I have experience teaching a wide range of people from young beginners to older professionals, and aim to develop the confidence and skills of my students in a safe and inclusive environment. I am happy to work towards grade exams, personal musical goals, conservatoire auditions, original songs/compositions, identifying together which areas we want to develop and work on and providing the necessary tools and resources to further skills. Most of all, I provide a fun and enthusiastic learning environment to make lessons enjoyable for everyone!

Lessons are only available online: Facetime/Whatsapp/Skype/Zoom.