Information About Ian - Halesowen teacher

Personal Description:

Professional Performance Experience:

Royal Shakespeare Company -
Timon of Athens, A Winter’s Tale, Pericles, Secret Garden
RSC CD recording - John Woolf & Friends (2011)
Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

UK / European Tours -
Barry Manilow (Lead Saxophone UKTours 2000 onwards) Gladys Knight (Lead Saxophone)
The Four Tops (Lead Saxophone)
The Temptations (Lead Saxophone)
Jack Jones
Sister Sledge
The Supremes
The Three Degrees
42nd Street
Anything Goes
Joseph & HisTechnicolor Dreamcoat
Barnum
Guys & Dolls
Me & My Girl
A Chorus Line
West Side Story
Annie GetYour Gun
Chicago
Phantom of the Opera
Singin’ In The Rain
Evita
Hairspray
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

London West End -
City of Angels (Prince of Wales Theatre)
West Side Story (Prince of Wales Theatre)
The Shaughraun (Albery Theatre)
Chicago (Adelphi Theatre / Cambridge Theatre)
The Pyjama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre)

Media -
BBC TV & Radio Sessions (including License Fee Jingles)
Central TV (resident musician Central Weekend)
ITV X Factor Sessions
Featured Solo Clarinet - TV Movie - ZDF, Germany 2017
Numerous independent recording projects

Tutoring Experience:

In addition to a high profile playing career as a “doubling” woodwind specialist, I am currently the Saxophone tutor at King Edward VI High School for Girls (KEHS) in Birmingham and, on occasion, provide cover musical direction for the King Edward VI School Senior Swing Band. In September 2014, I took up a position as Clarinet and Saxophone teacher at The Priory School in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Additionally, I teach Clarinet and Saxophone at Tettenhall College in Wolverhampton and I am a member of the Sessional Woodwind Teachers Register at Services For Education in Birmingham.

I have worked extensively, as a sessional woodwind teacher for Staffordshire County Music (now Entrust),Warwickshire County Music Service and Birmingham Music Service (now Services For Eduction), teaching saxophone, clarinet, and flute from beginner to ABRSM/Trinity Guildhall Grade 8 standard.

The wide variety of teaching experience gained through work with music services and hubs has involved Junior, Senior and Sixth Form age groups teaching in both groups and individually.

As well as guiding pupils through both ABRSM and Trinity Guildhall external examinations, with a current 100% pass rate, I am very enthusiastic to widen a pupil’s musical experience by developing a sound technical facility upon their instrument and actively encouraging ensemble playing.With this in mind, I have been responsible for the setting up of many groups within educational environments to promote the skills necessary for playing with others (rhythmic accuracy, intonation, sight reading etc.) and to enable pupils to have an outlet for their hard work and diligence.

As a past member of the award winning Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra, I have had the honour of coaching associates of the organisation in not only sectional rehearsals but also as a full ensemble.

The academic year of 2010/2011 saw my active involvement in the Jazz Working Party within the Birmingham Music Service where the task was to accumulate and disseminate knowledge within the woodwind department to enhance the pedagogy of jazz tuition.

Throughout my educational career I have successfully taken on many organisational roles covering ensemble audition/assessment, performance logistics, external/internal examination support amongst other duties.

In addition to tuition within educational establishments, I teach, and hold consultations, with a variety of ‘private’ pupils of all abilities, including some overseas students using “Skype” and “FaceTime” technology.

In 2011, I was fortunate enough to collaborate with the world renowned American saxophone player, Eric Marienthal, on producing some “apps” for the Apple iPhone & iPad which educate pupils across the globe.The first app entitled Play Sax From Day One is aimed at the beginner and the second application entitled Tricks of the Trade focuses on jazz improvisation for advanced students.

The apps have proved immensely popular and this has led to me producing another series of iPhone/iPad apps providing a “playalong” practice facility for pupils learning ABRSM Grade Examination scales for saxophone.Again, these apps have proved popular and have received very positive reviews from users.

Tutoring Approach:

All tuition is online via Skype or Facetime. Lessons can focus on general technique or on specific areas of concern. In addition, I firmly believe in ensemble playing as a requirement to progress with respect to time and intonation, therefore I regularly produce online duets and pieces with backing tracks that the student can use to work on these essential qualities.