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Gaspar
- Rate £35
- Response 1h
£35/hr
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- Piano
Gaspar - Central Lewisham - Piano
- Piano
Lesson location
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At Gaspar's house: London
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at your home or in a public place : will travel up to 20 km from London
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Recommended
Gaspar is a respected member of our tutor community. He is highly recommended for his commitment and the quality of his lessons. An excellent choice to progress with confidence.
About Gaspar
- What kind of experience do you have?
I am thorough and detailed yet friendly and encouraging. All my students say that I am the most patient person they've ever met. I never get frustrated with students, as I believe this betrays a lack of creativity from the teacher. If a student doesn't understand something, it is my responsibility to explain from another angle or try something different. If a student isn't motivated to practice, I try to understand what exactly they struggle with and we come up with creative ways of rekindling enthusiasm - for example:
1) Reading. When I was 8 I loved playing the pieces I already knew, but I remember the agony of practicing new pieces. That was because, like most young players, my reading was far behind my playing. Deciphering my grade 5 pieces was painful and frustrating, but as soon as memory kicked in I was fine. So as a teacher, I make sure my students' reading fluency stays ahead of their playing fluency, and that has proven very successful in making their practice more enjoyable. They have to learn a few sight-reading fragments every week, which take 5mins each to perfect dynamics and articulation, record it on their phone (or their parents) and send it to me (usually via Whatsapp). This seems to work much better than the usual vague promise to practice sight-reading during the week. And the little ones feel so proud recording and sending me their work!
2) Knowing how to practice. Not all teachers proactively teach their students how to practice, and when they do their good advice rarely gets implemented. It takes a lot of maturity and self-discipline to improve one's practice. So every now and again I pick a small passage and ask my student to record on their phone (or their parents phone) every time they practice that passage over the coming week or two. Every evening I listen to their work and comment if needed so they practice better the next day. I am always astonished at the transformation that technique brings. My own practice feels exciting and rewarding, I want theirs to be the same!
3) Repertoire. I never force students to work on a piece they don't like. For exams, they choose their favourite pieces. However occasionally if a piece is a close 2nd and has some technical or musical elements that would be great for their development, I explain this and they are often equally happy to go for that one instead.
Sometimes they ask to learn pop songs. This is usually an opportunity to teach harmony, and I will get them to come up with their own accompaniment patterns like a professional pop pianist. However we usually keep at least one classical piece going simultaneously, as the intricacies and complex subtleties are very healthy for developement. I also always teach some jazz rudiments, as it brings a wealth of harmonic understanding, and is great fun.
If a student really dislikes classical, and the parents consent, I am perfectly happy to just do pop and/or jazz.
4) Analysis. Before starting a piece, we always discuss and annotate the start and end of every phrase, "sub-phrases" and any peculiarities. It is so helpful for a student to 'see' the hidden structure in a new piece, because otherwise it looks like a daunting ocean of notes. That way their practice can be organised in phrases and sub-phrases right away, which helps motivation.
5) Recording. This is especially motivating to my young beginners. Whenever a piece is learned and details I have asked for are there, I turn on my professional recording equipment and we record it. However if the piece isn't quite ready but the student thinks it is, I don't contradict them and record it anyway. Then I play it back and when I point out the imperfections they immediately want to try again, take after take. After a while we both agree an extra week is needed, and it is usually perfect the following week! As the months go by they build an impressive portfolio of beautiful polished recordings, which many post onto soundcloud (the youtube equivalent for audio), and share with family - a source of much pride.
6) Lastly, an example of creativity to adapt to a particular student's problem. I had a dyslexic student who really struggled with sheet music, ignored what I wrote on her notebook, and couldn't motivate herself to practice even though it was clear she loved music. She had pop singing lessons, and we eventually decided to drop classical and work on her songs so she could sing and accompany herself. Yet she still struggled to practice, and I realised that my notes were the problem. So I got her to take her phone out at the end of one lesson and film me recapping what we'd just learned, demonstrating slowly at the piano. And that worked miracles, so we are still using that technique!
(click on 'view full profile', you can listen to some of my recordings on the right hand side)
Teaching experience:
I have taught extensively since my teenage years. Though I am not an exam freak, I have passed every single student who has chosen to take an exam (most of them with distinction; the only thing I can say about the others is that there is only so much I can do for students that don't work!).
When I was 20, I was selected by the WAM foundation as a particularly promising young teacher, after a thorough evaluation. They sent me with a handful of other outstanding young pianists to train piano teachers and students for an entire summer in New Delhi (India) all expenses paid. This involved teaching over 30 individuals one-on-one, as well as performing, running lectures, workshops and masterclasses in venues such as the British Council and the Dhoon school, India's "Eaton".
Performing experience:
I am in constant demand as a soloist and accompanist. Concerto performances include Beethoven's first piano concerto with the St Albans Philomusica, Mozart's 23rd piano concerto with the Harpenden Friend's ensemble, and Rachmaninov's 2nd piano concerto with the Hertfordshire County Youth Orchestra. In 2009 I was involved in BBC's 2009 Maestro series final as concerto soloist with 'Drum n Bass' legend Goldie conducting. More recently I played for E4's Made in Chelsea (which you can watch for free on E4's youtube channel, 27mins into Season 3 Episode 9). I worked with Matt Willis (guitarist/vocalist from Busted and 2006 winner of ITV's I'm a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here) as the arranger and pianist for Boys In The Front Room, a new musical on the life of Joe Orton which is currently undergoing production. I performed in an interesting solo Covent Garden concert this year, where the entire programme was chosen online by the audience ahead of the performance; they were made to request and vote for any classical/popular/movie music they wanted to hear, and I had a week of extreme musical marathon to learn the pieces I didn't already know! I also regularly work for Puzzle Piece Opera as musical director and pianist, as soloist or accompanist for functions, and as arranger and composer.
I have won a number of prizes, including the European Teachers Piano Association's piano competition and the 2009 UHRecordings composition prize which involved a large cash prize and a recording. At 16 I received a full scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music (Junior) where I studied with Timothy Barratt who is a trainer for ABRSM examiners and co-writes the ABRSM teaching notes on piano examination pieces. I took advantage of a full grant to study composition for a year at the university of Hertfordshire and then accepted a scholarship to study piano at Trinity College of Music under Philip Fowke, an internationally renowned concert pianist. I was also incredibly fortunate to take lessons in France from Bernard Flavigny, who studied with Cortot, Messiaen, Nadia Boulanger and was a classmate of Boulez.
I find being a composer brings huge benefits to my playing and my understanding of music. I have written music for ads, short films, and plays. I run a successful business, Commission A Piano Song, where people commission pieces based on a loved one's name (which we code into musical notes, more information on the company website). My interest in eastern traditions and music has involved me in performances on the Indian harmonium of hindustani classical ragas, devotional bhajans and sufi qawwali in various venues, including the Brighton Festival. I also play jazz piano.
- Do you have an up-to-date DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service, formerly CRB) Certificate?
Yes.
Additionally parents are very welcome to sit in on their children's lessons, during which they may read or check their emails!
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About the lesson
- All Levels
- English
All languages in which the lesson is available :
English
I started playing the piano at the age of 4, and I am now a professional pianist with a vibrant career. I studied on scholarships at the Royal Academy of Music (Junior) and Trinity College of Music.
- Which subject(s) do you teach?
Classical piano - beginner --> grade 8 --> Diplomas (ABRSM, Trinity).
I also teach jazz, theory and composition.
- Tell me about your qualifications.
Piano:
Grade 8 (aged 15 - distinction)
DipABRSM (aged 16 - distinction)
LRSM (aged 18 - distinction)
BMus (hons)
French horn:
Grade 8 (aged 17 - dinstinction)
Theory:
Grade 5 (aged 12 - 100/100)
- How much do you charge?
£35 per hour
I don't give a discount for the initial 'taster' lesson, but I do give extra time for free for the inital chat and for me to play you something at the end. After this first lesson you're welcome to try a few more teachers before making your mind up. It's important that you find the right teacher for you, as there are many different teaching styles and personalities.
- Where do you teach?
I teach from my flat in Lewisham, a short walk from Lewisham station, right behind the shopping centre and library. Hundreds of buses stop at the bottom of my road!
I do not travel to students - unless you are a millionaire prepared to pay for my fare and travel time (£20/hr). There is usually parking space on my road and I can give you a £1 visitor parking permit for the hour.
- When are you available?
As a performing musician my schedule is pretty flexible. I am available daytime and evenings on weekdays and saturdays. I don't teach on sundays (except for occational rescheduling).
- Which ages and levels do you teach?
I have students of all levels, including grade 8 and diplomas. However I am always happy to take on beginners, as I love nurturing young pianists from the outset. I have taught students aged 4 all the way to retired adults for whom playing the piano was a lifelong dream.
P.S. Most teachers will not take on students beneath the age of 7-8, which is understandable for traditional teaching. However I suggest looking into Suzuki Piano, which is very well suited to children as young as 2-3. Though I am not a trained Suzuki teacher myself, I incorporate many elements of Suzuki teaching for the first few months with all beginners.
- Do you have a personal message for students?
I am thorough and detailed yet friendly and encouraging. All my students say of me that I am the most patient person they've ever met. I never get frustrated with students, as I believe this betrays a lack of creativity and knowledge. If a student doesn't understand something, it is my responsibility to find another angle or try something different.
Too many teachers just make their students tackle incrementally harder pieces, without fully (if at all) tackling the wealth of basic instruction. This was the case for many of my early teachers, and that cost me years of improvement. I feel bitter about this, but it fuels my passion for teaching: I want to pass on the gems of knowledge which I wasn't given as a child. Balance between hands and lines, voicing of chords, imperceptible fluctuations of tempo to make the phrases breathe and the music speak, anticipatory pauses for expressive notes, dynamic sculpture of phrases, micro-phrasing, highlighting a piece's architecture, finer points of pedalling, articulation, and the use of all the above to express what the music is saying and bring it to life… These are skills that students need to tackle from the very outset for them to develop alongside finger coordination and fluency. This is what makes students sound professional no matter what level they're at (and earns them distinctions for exams!). I cannot bear teachers who simply say "you must feel the music" when they don't provide adequate training. Once you have mastered and internalised these skills to the point when they become completely natural and inbuilt, only then does "feeling the music" make sense, because your subconscious can manipulate these tools on its own. As a result, playing the piano becomes incredibly pleasurable and immersive, regardless of the student's level.
I ensure all my students understand music in the full sense of the term; most pianists play the notes in front of them in the same way someone might recite poetry in a language they don't understand. It may be a perfectly competent rendition, but it's ultimately ludicrous. I teach sound theoretical skills which makes taking grade 5 theory effortless, as it's infinitely easier learning theory hands-on in the context of a piece of music rather than abstractly from a book or in a class. I teach aural skills, transcription and jazz basics (which incidentally enables students to play keyboard for rock/pop should they ever need to). This brings tremendous benefits to their classical playing and makes well-rounded musicians.
I really emphasise reading skills, so that students' playing and reading improves at the same rate. Unfortunately, most students' reading only develops during the last minute panic over exam sight-reading, and during the first few days of tackling a new piece before muscle-memory kicks in. The chasm between their reading and playing levels steadily widens over years and learning new pieces becomes increasingly painful. Finally most loose interest and give up, only to bitterly regret it in later life.
I often hear teachers complaining that students don't know how to practice properly, but they rarely seem to do anything about it. That is always my first priority because if a student spends his time at the piano improving his practicing technique, his playing will follow naturally. What works best is asking them to record 10mins of practice (i.e. 8 bars) and upload it to Soundcloud, youtube's equivalent for audio files. I am then able to give timed feedback on it, and within a couple of months they are usually able to practice like professionals.
In short, it all boils down to this: if I get my pupils excited about their playing and practice, I've done my job.
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Rates
Rate
- £35
Pack prices
- 5h: £175
- 10h: £350
Gaspar's Video
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