Information About Jamie - Greenwich teacher

Personal Description:

I grew up in Devon surrounded by folk music, and though I play lots of different styles, folk music has always been my favourite to play and also to teach. I'm now based in South East London and currently perform in a Ceidleigh band - Bonnie Blue - bringing folk music and dance to contexts where it is often unexpected: we have a residency at the Old Blue Last pub in Shoreditch and it's always a pleasure to see people who don't normally listen to folk music jumping around and joining in the Ceidleigh.
I also play in an originals band called Wesley, we play indie rock with jazz harmonic inflections also influenced by classic songwriting styles (Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen).

Tutoring Experience:

I have several years teaching experience, both in a 1 to 1 context and also in a large ensemble workshop setting. On Guitar I'm happy teaching students who are interested in learning Jazz, Classical, Rock or Folk. I also teach Classical Piano, Folk Mandolin and Tenor Banjo. I run a choir in South London writing original music and performing at community events; I'm also part of the Mobile Music Hub - a travelling workshop bringing music to festivals in Devon - notably Beautiful Days 2022/2023.

Tutoring Approach:

My teaching method is grounded in bringing music to the lesson that is enjoyable to play and rewarding to learn. I'm always working to expand my teaching repertoire to incorporate pieces that will engage different students with different interests.
I'm also keen to tailor my approach to the specific requirements of each student. If the structure of graded exams feels helpful in measuring progress, then I'm happy to go down this route. Likewise I'm happy to teach students who prefer a different approach, working towards a performance in front of friends and family can be a helpful alternative for example.
Where it is relevant I like to incorporate elements of Kodaly musicianship training into my teaching. Training your ear to understand music on a deeper level is an essential part of becoming a musician, and Kodaly method is a well rounded way of approaching this, massively enriching your experience of playing music.