Information About Janice - Newcastle teacher

Personal Description:

I am a performing musician working as a mandolinist, singer and songwriter within multiple ensembles in the North East of England. I came to traditional music in my mid twenties, after having studied classical piano as a teenager. Learning mandolin and finding my niche in folk and trad improved my confidence and my love for music.

My studies in mandolin have been broad; The main bulk of my education was at Newcastle University where I was exposed to multiple styles including Scottish, Irish, American old-time, Northumbrian, English and some Scandinavian music. I gained two scholarships to study bluegrass mandolin on week long residential courses, one in Tennessee US and the other Oxfordshire, UK. Finally, I spent one year in Norway learning Norwegian traditional music. I’ve never settled on one particular style and still love having all of these different aspects in my playing. As a performer and teacher, this has made me adaptable to whoever I’m working with.

Tutoring Experience:

I have experience in teaching adults one-to-one on mandolin and piano, in choir leading and in musical directing for theatre.

Tutoring Approach:

I encourage a balance between learning by ear and reading notation as I find both skills useful in different ways. As all students have different goals, I’m happy to align my style to suit you, whether you want to learn purely for enjoyment, to join in at your local session, or if you want to push yourself. I’m interested in different practice techniques and approaches to learning as well as performance health.