Ben

I’m a PGCE qualified music teacher, with twenty-eight years experience teaching and performing all over the world. I’m passionate about sharing my musical abilities and knowledge with others, and guiding them to unlock their creative potential and enjoy the rich gifts of this beautiful art form.

As a piano and keyboard teacher I’m quite student-led, I’m very tuned in to the individual learning needs, interests and motivations of students and finding the right pathways to optimise learning, achievement and enjoyment of the process. This varies a lot student to student, from ear-led learners who may be suited to improvisation to more reading-based learners who may prefer classical structure, and the many permutations that lie between. 

There’s a common language of rhythm, pitch and harmony underpinning all musical styles which I can help to gradually  reveal and illuminate, helping to create and nurture confident musical performers in their chosen genre.

I’m quite eclectic with my material and therefore can provide a bespoke curriculum for the tastes of most students. I’ve got a strong jazz, rock, funk and soul background from my live band work, as well as experience as a composer and arranger so I’ve much to share in the realm of this kind of repertoire, its nuances and improvisational techniques. I’ve also a strong affinity with classical material, film music, folk music, Latin, pop throughout the ages. I am a music producer  and can teach music production in LOGIC Pro software.

As a musician I’ve toured the world and played many festivals with celebrated soul singer Alice Russell, as well as gigging with many other artists, notably rock pioneer Arthur Brown, the Mummers, Mama’s Gun, Z Star and Quantic. I’ve co-written, produced and released several albums with my band 12 Stone Toddler as well as playing on many albums on the Tru Thoughts label, performed in quite a few BBC radio sessions and TV shows. 

All these life experiences have fed into my teaching practice and given me a good musical toolkit I can put in the hands of my students to build their own musical identity. I’ve taught all ability levels, beginner to advanced, and all ages from five year olds curious about music, through teenagers and young adults wanting help with their perform and start bands, or help with their musical studies in schools/ colleges, to retired people wanting to pick up a new skill or reignite an old interest. 

As well as the sheer joy of performing, music can improve confidence, language skills, knowledge of history and culture, and facilitate friendships and new connections, and is thoroughly beneficial to mental health and quality of life.