Violin lessons in Leicester

Hi, my name is Maja Benevrkic and I am very passionate contemporary artist/musician. I have finished my education here in England on De Montfort University getting my Bachelor’s in Arts, however, prior to that I have lived and studied in Croatia where I received most of my musical education. I can offer private tuition for Violin, Viola, Guitar, Piano, Music Theory, Composition and Singing for £35 per hour. (Lessons paid for in advance.) Your current knowledge of music can be at any level. Are you someone without any previous knowledge of music who wants to learn and explore it more? Or are you an experienced musician who wants to boost your knowledge of music to even higher level? Or are you someone who is seriously preparing for auditions to enter music academy? I’d be happy to take all of you on. Since I was very engaged in classical music community for the past 15 years, my music base is mainly rooted in classical music. However, using that knowledge I was able to expand to every style and can explain every music genre and technique. I can confidently teach you how to read and write sheet music, site read, improvise, transcribe pieces of music or write your own music arrangements. Furthermore, if you want to record your own songs, I can teach you how to properly record an edit it in programmes such as GarageBand. How I teach… My method of teaching varies from person to person I teach. The first step I take is finding where my students interests lie because that is the firmest base to build up on. Once I understand my student better I find as many correlations between their main interest and the subject I’m teaching. Pulling strings between the two peaks their interest more and they have less trouble with paying attention to the subject (or at least that’s what my experience of helping my friends during school years thought me.) I like to adapt the speed to the one that my student is most comfortable with because I believe that anyone can learn anything, but the only difference is the speed we are able to learn/understand it and I am ready to prove that claim. Since I have my Bachelor’s in Performing Arts I’m more than used to seeing the same concept through many different lenses, so let’s find a new way to see music through your lens. Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy: At least 24 hours notice before lesson Missed sessions will be charged at the full cost of the lesson Discounted lesson packs must be purchased in advance. (Sessions purchased this way can be cancelled or rescheduled with proper notice, but refunds will not be available.) Music Qualifications & Achievements: University: De Montfort University (2019-2022) Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts (First Class) College/high school: High school of music Ivan Matetic Ronjgov, Pula (2013-2017) High School Diploma (Professional violinist) A Levels: Croatian, English, Math, Violin

I grew up in a household of musicians. Both my parents were music teachers and my brother was internationally renowned double bassist and professor, Corin Long. I learned several instruments from a very early age, beginning with the clarinet at age 4, then the flute and finally I fell head over heels in love with the violin around age 10 and haven’t looked back since. I passed ABRSM grade 8 violin with distinction aged just 14. I was lucky enough to grow up in Leicestershire, world-renowned for its high standard youth orchestra: The Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra. With this orchestra, I learned the professional repertoire and, through touring with them to various countries, got to play in some of the most inspiring venues in the world. It was an amazing experience! At age 20, I went to drama school and trained to be a professional actress. Throughout this time, I was also teaching the violin to pupils who attended the junior after school department. I had also taught pupils privately in my mother’s music department. She passed on to me children that had been given up on by their existing peripatetic teachers and I was able to coach them through the early ABRSM grades. I learned from this to never give up on anyone. All they need is the right approach. After Drama School, I worked in Theatre-in-education before spending 11 years working for Singing Sally’s, a pre-school music and movement company in Leicestershire. Here, I wrote many of the songs that featured in the weekly sessions. In 2008, I set up my own Music and Movement company (Tickled Skink), teaching primary aged children about world habitats through music (including original song), drama and movement. By now I felt I had gained many years of experience in engaging the very youngest of children and I wanted to apply this to my many years of violin teaching. In 2016, I undertook the “Stringbabies” training in Glasgow. Stringbabies is a method of teaching very young children general musicianship and violin playing through a system of shapes. I used this method on many of my very young pupils but still, my theatre/storytelling/imaginative muscle was twitching. After years of having it ring a bell at the back of my head, I finally put pen to paper (or rather mouse to screen!) and devised my own story and character-based approach to learning violin, reading music and general musicality. This is proving a big hit with children as young as three. It’s fun, engaging and meets the very young child at their own level of development and fascination. It also seems to make them want to practise, to get excited about lessons and to be keen to progress (they want to know what happens next in the story!). This is where I am today. I have successfully combined my two greatest loves: music and drama, to create something unique. I am also a huge fan of Mimi Zweig and use a lot of her technical exercises to improve bow control and technique. I teach the violin to children of all ages but specialize in the beginner to intermediate level of playing. I love fostering that initial spark and growing it into something amazing! I also teach ABRSM Music Theory Grades 1 to 5. Music Qualifications & Achievements: ABRSM Violin Grade 8 Distinction ABRSM Flute Grade 8 Merit ABRSM Grade 8 Theory

Thank you for taking the time to read my profile. I am an experienced peripatetic teacher and classroom teacher for over 20 years. I have experience in working at different schools, i.e. a post-16 establishment, a high achieving academy, an independent school and a state school in Coventry. My roles within all of these establishments have been Music Teacher, Head of Music/ Lead Teacher in Music and currently Head of Faculty (Creative Arts which includes Music, Performance/ Dance, Media and Art) When working as a peripatetic teacher I have taught my two main instruments; piano and violin as well music theory, composition and GCSE at Edexcel, Educas and AQA and BTEC. I have also worked with a wide range of students from 04 years old to over 75 years old and have focused on playing for fun, playing for exams or a hybrid of both. I like to establish a strong, trusting working relationship with students (and parents) by knowing how to motivate students in terms of what they want to learn and how they learn. This has come from my experience as a peripatetic teacher but also through my teaching training (PGCE at post-16 and GTP) and more recently my NQPLT (National Qualification in Leading Teacher). At my current school I am also a Lead Teacher in the 6 Principles of Great Teacher where I often showcase Modelling, Explaining, Practicing, Questioning, Challenging and Feedback in the Faculty and to other trainee classroom teachers. I like to consider what the student wants and am happy to focus on what is best for the student. I also want to focus on the holistic benefits of learning an instrument such as increasing confidence, discipline in practice and other skills involved in learning an instrument.