Clara Simon

I teach the piano through demonstration and listening. In the same way as children learn to speak before they read words, we learn skills and play songs before reading music. It’s simple and works particularly well for younger children.

​I believe that everyone has musical potential which can be realised if it is nurtured in the right way. Just as we learn to sculpt the sounds we make, potential itself must be cultivated carefully if it is to become something beautiful. A child needs the support of their teacher and parent for this to happen. Adults benefit from a supportive community.

I am a Suzuki-trained piano teacher (European Suzuki Association) with extensive experience. I currently hold positions at Magdalen College School and Dragon School, Oxford. Past positions include Radley College, Cleaves School and Surrey County Arts. I am a Music graduate of the University of Manchester, UK.

Who I teach

I teach children and adults from the beginning. If you have learnt before, I will assess your level, choose appropriate pieces for you and issue you with recordings to learn from so you can take part in studio play-togethers. The Suzuki repertoire forms the core of my teaching and it is what all my group lessons are based on.

How I teach

In the early stages, I teach by ear and demonstration only. Once your ears have begun to attune to the sound of the piano and your technique is in place, we start reading music. Why this order? Listening is how sound is received, so it is ultimately through listening that we refine our art as musicians at every level. By training my pupils to listen, I empower them with musically response-ability from day 1.

Piano in Community

My experience is that community is a huge motivator for playing an instrument. For this reason, I offer a weekly online studio play-together which all my students are invited to. Here we review all the repertoire we have learnt, together. For children, I also give a weekly group lesson where we play games with our pieces together and learn music theory. For adults, I have an online platform to connect with me and other students to share progress, challenges and cheer each other on.

Online/In Person

I teach adults online and in person at my studio in Headington, Oxford. I only teach children in person.