Teaching Experience:

I teach the piano, having taught predominantly in London and latterly in the south-west of England. I have a broad teaching experience which has encompassed private and peripatetic teaching in both the independent and state sectors at primary, secondary, further education and higher education levels.

I teach the piano from my home – I have two uprights, a Bluthner and a Bentley, which sit side by side. I also give online lessons via Zoom – something which has proved remarkably successful in recent years.

Throughout the Covid pandemic, I kept much of my work going online, thereby ensuring continuity for my students during a challenging period. This included entering pupils of all ages for exams and competitions, many of whom achieved outstanding results.

From 1989-1995 I was a peripatetic teacher for the London Borough of Bromley, teaching at primary and secondary schools within the borough.

From 2000-2002 I was a Tutor in Music (Piano/Theory) for Sutton Adult Education College, teaching small groups of students and giving lecture-recitals.

I was a visiting Piano Teacher at Old Palace School, Croydon (independent status) between 2003-2004, teaching girls between the ages of 11 and 18.

I taught the Piano at Glenthorne High School in Sutton (Specialist Arts College) from 2004-2005.

I was an external Tutor for Roehampton (University of Surrey) in Piano, Theory, Harmony and History from 2002-2005.

I was a part-time Music Lecturer at Strode College, Street from 2008-2010, which involved teaching the Piano to students aged 16-19 and accompanying instrumentalists and singers for the A-level course, within the college and in public concerts.

I was a visiting piano teacher at Sherborne Preparatory School in Dorset from 2006-2016.

I currently have a private teaching practice in Yeovil, South Somerset.

I am passionate about teaching the piano and derive tremendous satisfaction from teaching a wide variety of students from different cultures and backgrounds.

Although I am Classically-trained, I play and teach many different styles of music and am always happy to explore diverse repertoire with my students.

Although my starting point is always the individual student, my methods are largely based on the teachings of Tobias Matthay.

I now accept only higher-level students: those of Grade 8 or Diploma standard or pianists aspiring to study at one of the major music conservatoires or universities.

I regularly prepare candidates for ABRSM exams: Practical, Performance Grades (video examinations), routinely achieving Distinctions. I also prepare pupils for piano competitions and have achieved consistently high results with many first prizes. I actively encourage performance and my pupils have taken part in piano competitions in London, Bristol and Taunton as well as local Young Musician competitions, where several have been prize-winners. For instance:

At the 2017 Taunton Festival of the Arts, my pupils were placed first in 8 classes, all of them achieving Distinctions.

At the 2018 Taunton Festival of the Arts, my pupils were placed first in 4 classes, with several in second place. During the same week, at the Stoke sub Hamdon Music Festival, one of my youngest pupils won the highest award in her category.

In the summer of 2018 five of my pupils achieved high Distinctions at various levels in their ABRSM piano exams.

At the 2019 Taunton Festival of the Arts, three of my pupils came first, two were placed second, nine were awarded Distinctions and the youngest, aged 7 years-old, was presented with the top trophy for the most promising pianist in the whole competition. This pupil also won the highest award at the Stoke sub Hamdon Festival for the second year in a row.

At the 2020 Taunton Festival of the Arts, three of my students were placed first in their classes, one was placed second and eight were awarded Distinctions for their playing.

In December 2020, five of my students, four children and one adult achieved high Distinctions at all grades.

At the 2022 Taunton Festival of the Arts, three of my students were placed first in their classes, all gaining Distinctions. One of those students was subsequently award Highly Commended at the Taunton Junior Young Musician competition.

At the 2023 Highbridge Festival of the Arts, three of my students were placed first with gold medals, three won silver medals and three won bronze medals.

At the 2024 Highbridge Festival of the Arts, three of my students were placed first with gold medals and three came second with silver medals. Two of the competitors had never played in public before.

I am a traditional teacher (and make no apology for this!) with methods which get results. I can rapidly identify the strengths and weaknesses in a student’s playing and know how to solve technical and musical dilemmas.

I have prepared many GCSE and A-level students for the performance element of their exams, solo and ensemble work as well as composition. At Sherborne Preparatory School, I prepared many pupils for scholarships to senior schools.

I teach the piano at the very highest level: I have taught many students of Grade 8 and advanced levels and have prepared several of them for admission to university and music colleges. I have taught the advanced piano repertoire for a number of years, including the study of concerti and preparation for the ABRSM’s Music Performance Diplomas. Some of my former pupils are now successful teachers.

I also teach the piano duet repertoire (1 and 2 pianos), which has included Milhaud’s Scaramouche, the Poulenc Sonata and works by Ravel, Debussy, Faure, Bizet, Schubert, Lutoslawski, Rachmaninov, Walton and Richard Rodney Bennett.