Information About Edwin - Lewisham teacher -

(2 reviews)

Personal Description:

Hi!

I'm an experienced professional piano, singing, theory and aural teacher based in Brockley.

Full Biography:

Edwin attained a First Class degree in Music from the highly respected University of Manchester (rated best in the country 2013 and consistently highly ranked in league tables) where he studied singing with Richard Strivens and piano with Hazel Fanning. Before this, he studied at the Royal College of Music for six years. His teachers included Margaret Maguire (voice), Geoffrey Govier (piano) and Philip Bainbridge (trumpet). He also studied music theory there. He has performed in major venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, the Fairfield Halls, St. Martin in the Fields, the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall, the Duomo (Florence), and many others.

Edwin is a bass-baritone singer. His experiences in opera include playing Bartolo in an acclaimed student performance of Mozart's 'Marriage of Figaro', and performing the title role in Gilbert and Sullivan's 'The Mikado'. He was Simone in a production of Puccini's 'Gianni Schicchi' which toured Umbria and was performed at the City Lit university, London. He also played the Father in the first act of Humperdinck's 'Hansel and Gretel' and sang in productions of Blow's 'Venus and Adonis' and Handel's 'Semele'. He also often performs solo recitals and has partaken in several prestigious masterclasses, including one with Marcus Farnsworth.

As a pianist Edwin has performed frequently, including in the Southbank Centre. Furthermore, several of his compositions have been performed in public concerts, including a string quartet workshopped by the Danel Quartet.

He is also an experienced chorister. He has sung with choirs all over the UK and in Ireland, Italy and Hungary. He sang with Manchester University's elite chamber choir, Ad Solem, and regularly sings with Stile Moderno and Icosa. Furthermore, Edwin ran a children's choir and several children's ensembles for two years till his studies in Manchester. He now frequently performs with 'pop-up' semi-professional choirs in London.

As a teacher, Edwin believes in introducing solid technical foundations to all his students in an enjoyable and approachable manner. He has had many excellent teachers over the years who not only taught him music but also the art of teaching. He accommodates the particular nature of each student and no two lessons are the same. Where the student shows interest, he enriches lessons with insights into music history and theory so that students can combine good technique with good understanding. He also has a keen interest in the psychology of music and performance and can help students practice efficiently and perform confidently.

Tutoring Experience:

⦁ BMus (hons) 1st class from the University of Manchester's music department (rated best in the country)
⦁ LRSM in piano performance.
⦁ Grade 8 in singing, piano, and trumpet
⦁ Royal College of Music from 2005-2011.
⦁ Nearly a decade teaching students of all abilities and ages
⦁ Specialised in teaching adults
⦁ Professional, patient and fun teacher with several year's experience.
⦁ Reference available on request.

Tutoring Approach:

Music has the power to enrich our lives when it is taught well. Of course it is enjoyable, but its pursuit also develops valuable life skills, and ultimately music offers new ways of understanding the world. With this philosophy, I believe lessons should above all be fun, interesting and inspire further investigation and practice; too many people are put off by poor, uninspiring teaching. However, with good teachers they find a life-long love for music and musicianship.

Alongside ensuring strong foundations for good technique, I try to inspire confidence, passion and creativity in students so that they can engage any piece of music with their own original interpretation. Where the student shows interest, I enrich lessons with insights into music history and theory so that students can combine good technique with good understanding. My ultimate objective is to empower students to control their own musical development and enrich their lives with this wonderful skill.

I adapt my teaching style to apply the most suitable strategy and teaching techniques for each individual student. These techniques have been developed from years of experience and influenced by teachers, psychologists and musicians including Paul Harrisson, John Holt, Stewart Gordon and Timothy Gallwey. I create a friendly, approachable and relaxed atmosphere so that students feel comfortable and enjoy themselves. Though some students respond well to challenges and official achievement, I will not pigeonhole students into doing exams if I believe they will not benefit in some way. I put an emphasis on pieces the student will enjoy, but I also explore new or less familiar genres of music regularly.

Teaching 'unmusical' students and people with learning difficulties are a true test of a teacher's abilities, and I enjoy teaching such students. Often, they can achieve good results with the right guidance.