Teaching and Coaching

I am an experienced teacher and coach at primary, secondary and tertiary level, and very much enjoy leading group coaching and masterclasses for professionals and amateurs. I can also offer joint coaching sessions with my duo partner and harpsichordist Thomas Allery at our studio in West London, where we have a beautiful single manual harpsichord by Alan Gotto (2016).

Throughout my career, I have taught many private recorder students, from beginner to diploma level. I believe that each student has different strengths and needs, and that the real purpose in learning a musical instrument is to enjoy the process and to achieve high standards alongside a genuine appreciation of musical language and theory. I can teach to exam requirements, and regularly submit my students for ABRSM examinations with great success. However, many of my students simply learn for fun, and it is equally satisfying to see their progress as the years go by. I always teach with historical context and historically informed practice in mind; I strongly believe that these can be incorporated into lessons from an early age.

Outreach

For many years, I was proud to be a Live Music Now! musician, performing with my duo partner Thomas Allery in care homes, hospitals, SEND schools, and other community venues, bringing live music to those who rarely have the opportunity to hear it.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were delighted to lead a residency at Park Avenue Care Home, singing and playing with the residents and staff through the medium of their lounge TV! One of the staff members wrote some lyrics about Park Avenue, and we set them to music, and performed them the following week during our session. As a surprise, the entire staff learned the “Happiness Song” later that week, and recorded a video for us, socially distanced in the garden!

With Ensemble Hesperi, I regularly create projects which involve interactive musical workshops in a variety of community settings. There is nothing more rewarding for me than bringing joy to others through music.