Past Blog Posts

Music year launched with mass lesson

September 22nd, 2009 by Emily

On 10th September 2009, leading musicians including Jamie Cullum and Killa Kela led an interactive nationwide music lesson to kick-start 'Music Year'. This is a new government initiative to get over two million schoolchildren playing a musical instrument by 2011. There is to be an investment of £330 million between 2008 and 2011 to encourage schools to push music on their curriculum, but the actual content of this drive is to be very much led by the schools themselves.

How would this money be best spent? Are subsidised lessons the answer, making expensive instruments more accessible to all, or is a more widespread approach the way forward, encouraging an appreciation of music that inspires young people to participate of their own free will?

Although private tuition is not co... Read More »

5 of the best guitarists in history

August 11th, 2009 by Emily

When it comes to choosing musical heroes, guitarists have always been high on the list. Indeed most guitar teachers receive the parental phone call as a result of a child's fascination with one of the guitar greats.

Now with the influence of games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band helping to spread the word, we thought it would be a good time to look at five of the best guitarists responsible for your child playing air-guitar in their bedroom ...

1. Jimi Hendrix - What can we say about the one man responsible for the electric guitar revolution? The one man people associate with playing a guitar more than any other? Jimi Hendrix was a bone a fide performer, and his contribution to music will never be forgotten.

The best age to start learning the piano

July 28th, 2009 by Emily

Those of us who teach piano will often be asked by parents at what age their children should start taking lessons. I tend to think that age seven is about right - partly because younger children's hands are very tiny and a child could struggle to reach all the notes! However, it's undeniable that many of the world's great pianists started honing their craft at an even earlier age. Mozart was famously composing piano concertos at the age of six, for example, and a lot of the Young Musician of the Year crop tend to have been playing the piano since the ages of four or five.

Personally, I don't tend to recommend that a child under the age of six attempt to learn piano. Quite aside from the physical issue of the child's size, there is the maturity level to consider too... Read More »

First Tutors: Music launches today

July 15th, 2008 by

We're delighted to announce the official launch of First Tutors: Music, the new place to find a music tutor.

If you're a parent looking for music tuition, First Tutors: Music lists tutor profiles of music industry professionals able to help.

If you're a tutor looking to meet tutees, First Tutors: Music is a great place to start! Just register with us and you'll be contacted by tutees directly!

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