I started teaching the Clarinet, piano and voice in 2012 and have consistently taught pupils music since then. Before I began teaching, I used to regularly perform at local Stroke Association meetings. Discovering stroke patients who could not talk but could sing their sentences first piqued my interest in the effect of music on the brain. This formative experience underpins much of my continuing passion for teaching to this day.

Whilst at Royal Academy of Music I taught several different pupils as they worked towards both Trinity and ABRSM boards with successful graded results of Merit and Distinction. Several of my teenage pupils were successfully awarded Music scholarships on the clarinet (to prestigious senior schools). In addition to my private students in London, I coached chamber groups and individual students from the Junior Royal Academy of Music programme. I found this to be such a rewarding experience because it stimulated me to pivot my usual ‘personalisation’ of lessons. There were often 5 students in each chamber group and so I developed teaching techniques that would make sense to each individual but also translated to the group, as a whole. Being involved in their development was such a rewarding experience.

In addition to the JRAM work, throughout 2014-2017 I was a participant of the RAM Outreach Programme that visits a variety of Care Homes in North London in order to teach and play the Clarinet to patients. Delivering inter-active performances with the patients was fulfilling as this gentle approach to tuition provided such a dramatic improvement of well-being and quality of life to the people watching.

After graduating from RAM, I was accepted onto a conservatory course under a prestigious clarinet teacher in France. Whilst studying in Paris I was employed as an au pair for a young girl. As she was enthusiastic to learn music, I used the piano and clarinet as tools to help her absorb her academic studies (that she was less keen to learn). Without the resistance of being ‘bored’ by studies that disinterested her, she passively learnt the English/ Science facts prompted and disguised within our music lessons. I use some of these disguising skills to teach theory and aural skills through the instrument at hand. I find this facilitates a speedier learning process than separating out the different musical subjects.

I am an enthusiastic professional Clarinet teacher with extensive experience in tutoring a wide variety of pupils of all age ranges. Whether my students are 9 or 73, I prioritise getting to know them personally so that I can ensure our lessons are fulfilling and fun for them. Together, my pupil and I will create achievable goals for our lessons. This ensures that I can prioritise their improvement in whichever area they would like to see development in. I find this clear model of achieving smaller goals helps to build my students confidence and their enthusiasm for the instrument. I’m personally interested in the more recent discovery of Neuroplasticity within the context of learning musical instruments. I greatly enjoy de-constructing the process of Clarinet teaching in order to facilitate the smoothest learning experience for each pupil. I have taught a variety of pupils from a visually impaired young pupil, to a dyslexic older gentleman. I approach each one of my lessons as I would a puzzle, aiming to discover the way each student learns most easily whilst also discovering who they are as people so that I can make their lessons inspiring and exciting.

I live in Folkestone and operate my private music studio from my house. I teach Clarinet, Piano for beginners and all level Theory classes. I am also the music specialist governor of a local school, regularly meeting with the board of governors in order to ensure the music department is able to provide the right educational input for the pupils.

Music Qualifications & Achievements:

• Post – Masters degree course at Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris.
• Masters Degree from Royal Academy of Music.
• (Merit) Undergraduate Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of Bristol. (2:1)