I have been teaching piano and music theory to private pupils for over thirty years. Normally I advise parents not to enrol their children before they are 6 years old as this ensures they are settled into primary education, have a grasp of letters and numbers and sufficient finger strength and control to adopt a correct hand position. This enables them to progress through the early stages much more quickly than would be feasible for a younger child. I also enjoy teaching adults including many who have had lessons as children and wish to resume after a gap of several years and others who always wanted to try but didn’t have a chance before.

I usually centre my teaching around the syllabus for ABRSM exams, and incorporate scales, sight reading and aural training as well as actual performance pieces in a wide variety of styles. All students are offered the chance to prepare for exams, when appropriate, if they wish. Although I stress exams are optional, experience has taught me that most students (both adults and children) like to be aware of roughly “what grade they are up to”. Once the basic skills are secure, I normally introduce some more formal music theory training.

Over the years my students have achieved 100% success rate in exams, both practical and theory, with a high percentage gaining merit or distinction. Some have gone on to follow successful musical careers of their own.