Information About Steve - Margate teacher

Personal Description:

*** Zoom lessons available: 2 camera angles (standard and additional top-down view of the keyboard for demonstrations), ability to display and annotate sheet music and high quality audio for clear demonstrations and fully integrated lessons ***

I am an experienced teacher and musician and am passionate about helping others to enjoy and develop their musical interests! I have been teaching for more than 15 years alongside an active and varied career as a professional multi-keyboardist, having performed on many internationally-renowned stages worldwide as well as numerous live TV and radio broadcasts.

My love of music began with childhood classical piano lessons alongside a curiosity and fascination with improvising and playing by ear. I studied Jazz Piano at Trinity College of Music (2005-2010) under the guidance of Simon Purcell, Liam Noble, Andrea Vicari and Douglas Finch, and during my time there I received the Gladys Puttick Prize for Extemporisation (2008) and the Jon Hassell Memorial Prize for Jazz (2010).

I have a wide range of musical interests and have been involved in many projects across a variety of genres and styles. My versatility as a keyboardist has led to work performing and recording as a pianist and organist as well as on a variety of other keyboards (Rhodes, Wurlitzer EP, Clavinet, Synthesisers etc.) with artists including Michael Kiwanuka, Nick Mulvey, Nerina Pallot, The Dutch Metropole Orchestra, All Saints, Rea Garvey, Andreya Triana, Jono McCleery, The Outlook Orchestra, Kate Earl, and Joss Stone.

I have been fortunate enough to perform on numerous world-renowned stages including: Glastonbury Festival (Michael Kiwanuka, Nick Mulvey), The Royal Albert Hall, The O2 Arena London, Ronnie Scott’s, Terminal 5 (NYC), The Theater at Ace Hotel (LA), La Salle Playel (Paris), North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Tokyo Opera House amongst many others.

Live TV performances have included: (UK) The Graham Norton Show, BBC Later with Jools, Glastonbury Festival, The Mercury Music Awards Live; (US) The Stephen Colbert Show, The Ellen Degeneres Show, The Jerry Springer Show, The Conan O’Brien Show, The Craig Ferguson Show.

Radio sessions have included: BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale live sessions (various), BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6, France Inter, KCRW (US), Spotify Live (UK and US).

I am experienced in synthesis and sound design and use these in both my playing and writing work. I also have a keen interest in the working of musical instruments and studio equipment, learning how they function and how to repair, modify and design aspects of them to further deepen my understanding of them.

Tutoring Experience:

I have been teaching privately and in institutions as a peripatetic teacher for 18 years, working with individuals and groups as well as leading various workshops. I have worked with a wide range of students of all ages and at different stages in their musical development: people first discovering the joy of playing; disillusioned teenagers who have only ever had classical piano lessons and struggle with relating that to their musical world; musicians preparing for exams and auditions; professionals looking to further their development and expand their skills.

Tutoring Approach:

When teaching I’m able to draw on my breadth of experience as an active musician, adopting a flexible and dynamic approach to lessons and working together with the student’s aims, needs and individual learning style in order to help them hone their craft and further their musical development.

An example of topics that might be covered in lessons could include:

- Instrumental technique and body awareness (including techniques specific to certain keyboards eg. Piano / Organ / Clavinet etc.).
- Music theory (with reference to practical applications in music!)
- Improvising
- Transcription and its possible uses/applications
- Harmony
- Voicings as a keyboardist
- How to practice and self-teach
- Stylistic approaches (e.g gospel, blues, jazz, pop)
- Rhythmic awareness
- Compositional analysis
- Sight reading
- Aural skills
- Working on ‘feel’
- Playing with other musicians
- Advice on ‘real-life’ musical situations e.g. performances / recording sessions.
- Working with effects and building an effective keyboard setup for live and studio applications

A core component of my teaching is that it should support the student to feel empowered, inspired and excited by playing! Through careful, focused and personalised study together I work with students to ensure they become equipped with the tools necessary to maximise their creative potential.