Information About Robert - Weymouth teacher -

(13 reviews)

Personal Description:

I'm a friendly, DBS certified piano and music theory teacher. I have a positive and tailored teaching style and aim to help my students develop a love and understanding of music, building on their own musical interests.

Alongside my teaching, I am a full-time musician and composer, performing on piano and guitar at venues including Glastonbury Festival, the Wales Millennium Centre and esteemed folk club Green Note. My compositions and arrangements have appeared in films, games, TV and on BBC Radio 1-6.

I graduated from Cardiff University with a BA First Class Honours in Music and English Literature, also winning the Grace Williams prize for highest first year results in the School Of Humanities.

I've been teaching piano to children and adults since 2014 and it has been a hugely enjoyable and enriching experience for me. I have recently moved to Dorset from Surrey after teaching in the Guildford area for five years. I will be offering piano tuition in the vicinity of Weymouth and Dorchester from 2024 onwards.

Tutoring Experience:

Over 8 years of teaching, I've had the privilege of teaching a variety of students of all ages and abilities, with an 80 year range between my youngest and oldest students - it is never too late to learn. I have worked with many of my students for 4 years or more, taking them through several grades in the process. Seeing my students progressing over time and finding their musical voice is one of the greatest joys of teaching.

Since 2020 I have also been offering online lessons via Skype, FaceTime and Zoom. Although the online format naturally presented a few logistical challenges initially, I am now very fluent in the format and have got a number of students through grade exams purely via online teaching.

Tutoring Approach:

Students learn in different ways and enjoy different kinds of music so I avoid adopting a 'one size fits all' approach to teaching. Whether the goal is technical development, pure enjoyment or a combination, I will always check in with the student about what they want to focus on. I am well versed in classical, pop, folk and jazz music and I play by ear. I often write out sheet music for pop songs, film scores and even music from games that students want to learn, and adapt them to the student's level.

Not only can I help the student develop a well rounded approach to their music exams and the constituent parts of this, but also can endeavour to teach skills that are often undervalued by formal music courses, such as playing by ear, improvisation, reading chord sheets and so on.

I also separately offer music theory tuition where I will aim to communicate the (often bewildering!) theory behind music in the most approachable, engaging way.

I am a very friendly and approachable teacher and will always encourage my students to query anything they are confused about or struggling with. These discussions have given me a real insight into how different people learn and think about music. I am a naturally very patient person and prefer to focus on positive reinforcement, ensuring that the lesson time is an enjoyable, collaborative and creative learning experience.