Also see about me as an Educator
Subjects Covered:
I teach Improvisation for any instrument. My goal is to facilitate your freedom, to make your own choices and sing your own song - to ease you away from a reliance on licks, and to compose your own ideas in the moment, so to speak. I aim to give you the feeling that you have more time to say what you want to say, and are much more relaxed about it.
I teach Harmony for any instrument (Guitar/Piano/Vibes or Sax/Trumpet/Trombone etc), and how it relates specifically to each. I get into how you think about harmony, clean up any mess, and find a direction that suits you and where you are. We can look at Jazz or Classical harmony and we can see how they cross at different points.
I like to teach theory in a way that aligns with the heart of why you want to play music. It doesn't have to be cold and detached.
Teaching composition has been a very interesting endeavour for me over the years. It's important to find out what the student, as an individual, wants to say through their writing. Sometimes a student has the whole composition in one single idea, but they don't know it, and they certainly don't know how to develop it. I give them tools and strategies to flesh out ideas and continue a narrative line to its conclusion.
I teach one-to-one or group lessons. I also teach ensembles. I look at interaction, dynamics, listening, time and feel, and playing without forcing it in an ensemble situation.
I teach at my home. I live about 40 minutes north of Manchester. I also teach in Colleges (one-to-one, workshops and ensembles). I also teach and counsel on Zoom.
When I teach at home, Monday to Friday, between 10am and 4pm. When I teach in colleges the time varies.