Madeleine Millar

Ever since I left school a decade ago, I have been a teacher. When I was 18 years old I started teaching woodwind instruments in several different schools in Berkshire and it felt so joyous and natural, I knew no matter what else I did I would always be a teacher.

Since then, I went on to teach all of the woodwind instruments, piano, and singing in a wide variety of schools including Elstree Independent Boys School and Wimbledon High School. I have also taught privately students from the ages of 4 to 77, from beginner to diploma.

As a teacher I believe in letting the student and guardians decide what they would like to achieve from the lessons. I have experience taking students right through to Grade 8 with distinction, but I also take great pleasure in teaching students who just want to sing Disney songs, or who just want to learn Ivor The Engine on the bassoon. Making music with my students is the key thing, playing alongside them and hopefully bringing them joy.

Music Qualifications & Achievements:

As a first instrument Bassoonist, I studied the bassoon for my undergraduate degree at the Royal College of Music (graduating with a First) and for my Masters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (graduating with a Distinction).

Here are the exams I achieved throughout my childhood on my instruments:

• Bassoon – Grade 8 distinction
• ATCL, LTCL, DipABRSM Recorder – Grade 8 distinction
• ATCL Piano – Grade 8 distinction
• Singing – Grade 8 distinction

It was important to me to be able to teach nearly all of the woodwind family, so I developed a lot of experience also teaching the clarinet, flute, and saxophone. I have been surrounded by quality music teaching my whole life, my mother being one of the foremost bassoon educators in the country. What else could I have ended up doing as a bassoonist myself? I accredit my mum with a large portion of the reason as to why I teach.

My love of teaching and the good it can do was only confirmed by my time volunteering with the London Symphony Orchestra Discovery scheme during my Masters. I aided in workshops for adults with learning difficulties, and also for babies. This experience was unparalleled, leaving me with skills to bring forward for years to come.