Robyn Saunders

Clarinetist, Saxophonist and Pianist recently relocated to Stockport having finished a year of teaching in Malaysia and performing in Singapore and New York. I have worked for music services for 6 years teaching instrumentally and this past year held the post of Musician in Residence at Marlborough College Malaysia.

As a performer, I have worked professionally on the West End and Broadway. I played Clarinet for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s promenade production of Julius Caesar and have worked under the baton of Marin Alsop, the only female conductor to have conducted The Last Night of The Proms.

As a pianist, I have accompanied the Tony Award-winning singer, Michael McElroy and the Broadway Boys whilst in New York and I also took part in workshops with the Broadway casts of The Lion King and Wicked. As a saxophonist, I have performed at famous Jazz clubs, BBkings and Swing46.

All these experiences have taught me invaluable lessons that I have brought to my teaching and can bring to you as students.

As an educator, I pride myself on getting genuine enjoyment from all the students I teach. I welcome students of any age, as I have experience teaching ages 4+ on a variety of instruments, and I have extensive experience working with SEND pupils, specifically tutoring young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. I get great enjoyment from teaching beginner’s piano but also thrive off mentoring post-grade 8 students to achieve a higher level of playing.

I have entered students for ABRSM and Trinity College Exams, but for those that just want to try something new that is great also! During my undergraduate degree, I worked as a musical director around Yorkshire. Through this, I gained several skills I have applied to my teaching, especially in the recent online format. The creation of rehearsal tracks, fun exercises, and video tutorials to follow at home.

When directing pantomimes, I became very proficient with logic pro and in the creating of virtual ensemble videos using Final Cut Pro. These skills have aided my teaching massively, particularly for my pop students as I am able to record them so they can create their own album. Even during Covid-19, I can edit performances of my students together so they can still enjoy a version of ensemble performance.

Whatever you wish to get out of music lessons, I personalize my teaching methods to each student and endeavour to help you achieve your goals.

Music Qualifications & Achievements:

• Currently studying MMus in Performance at Royal Northern College of Music
• BA (Hons) in Music from Leeds Conservatoire, first class classification and receiving the Joseph Stones Prize for highest degree mark in the graduating class
• Principal study, Clarinet under Hannah McCabe
• Second study, Jazz Saxophone under Jim Correy and Classical Saxophone under Sarah Markham
• Grade 8 Distinction in Clarinet, ABRSM
• Grade 8 Distinction in Piano, Trinity College London
• Certificate in International Child Protection

I’ve always been an enthusiastic educator having received the Dennes-Gilkes memorial award for ‘Services in music to the community’ and I’ve been blessed with a successful performing career. As I return to university to further my own performance education, it is working with students that I will miss dearly from teaching full-time in Malaysia and is my main motivation to build-up my private student portfolio.

My biggest performance achievements include performing as a soloist at the Leeds Direct Arena and at the Leeds BBC Venue premiering new works for International Women’s Day. My career highlights are the achievements of my students, ranging from a clarinetist who is now going on to study at Leeds Conservatoire with a scholarship and a 5-year-old pianist who during lockdown recorded himself performing a 20-second piece which was then used in a school online concert (much to his and my delight).