About Me
I teach piano students of all ages, with ability levels ranging from complete beginner to advanced. Lessons are held in my home on my beautiful Yamaha U3H (below). I teach throughout school holidays as required and I can effectively prepare students for ABRSM piano exams, up to Grade 8.
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My Teaching Style
I see each student as an individual with their own objectives, preference of genres and ability. I appreciate the many benefits of learning to play the piano, rather than solely concentrating on taking exams, performing and competing. Music is ultimately there to be enjoyed, no matter how one wishes to do so. For those who do wish to share their piano playing with others or practice playing their exam repertoire to a live audience, I put on an informal annual Summer recital!
I specialise in teaching sight reading skills, score interpretation and ABRSM exam preparation. You will learn in a focused yet friendly environment and will be given gentle, constructive feedback. I strongly encourage the parents of my younger students to sit in on lessons to gain an understanding of what practice is needed for progression. While several of my students choose to learn pieces within the jazz style, I am solely classically trained and I do not teach jazz piano, (this is a specific field of practice in itself).
My Musical Journey
I begun piano lessons at the age of five, however my playing ability rapidly evolved when I was ten. I had been paired with a new teacher who gave me unrestricted freedom to play music outside of the exam syllabus, and soon I was unknowingly playing Diploma standard pieces. This unexpected development led me to pass my Grade 8 with Distinction and undergo five years of classical piano training and musicianship at the Junior Royal Academy of Music. So, since I was a little girl, I have been acutely aware of the effect a teacher's outlook can have on one's interest, progression, and potentially one's future. I taught the piano privately for two years during my studies, passed my Grade 6 in Music Theory and went on to take my BA degree at City University London (BMus with Hons). I am grateful to have had tuition from several highly regarded pianists, some of whom were either once students at or teachers at the Vienna Conservatory, the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall.
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After completing my degree, I relocated and sought conventional employment. But, for me, this was ultimately unfulfilling and lockdown led me to realise what is really important. To teach the skill which has enriched my own life, above anything else, is the most rewarding way for me to live.
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When I'm not teaching or playing the piano, you can find me trekking across the Downs, at the beach, on my yoga mat, getting my gardening gloves on, reading a good book or, most importantly, spending time with loved ones.
