Maria - St. Nicholas - Piano

Methodology

Make the effort and you will be thrilled at your achievements!

- Which subject(s) do you teach?

Piano, Keyboard and Music Theory

- Tell me about your qualifications.

I have a degree and Post Graduate teaching certificate, a number of teaching piano diplomas, and the CTABRSM, a course run by the ABRSM specifically for music teachers who wish to upgrade their skills. I attend courses and workshops annually, mainly in London and my county (Hertfordshire) to keep up to date in my professional development.

- How much do you charge?

£25 an hour for piano or keyboard and £20 an hour for Theory lessons

- Where do you teach?

Stevenage, Hertfordshire. If a pupil is really keen I have been travelling to people's homes over the past few years, but this year I shall be taking a course in Music Therapy and Autism; along with my other travels to follow other music interests I will need to cut down on tutoring outside the home. Still, it's worth a try but at least you have been warned

- When are you available?

4 days a week. I take Christmas and very brief summer holidays. I let the pupil decide over any other holidays they wish to take eg mid-term holiday

- Which ages and levels do you teach?

All ages, all levels

- Which qualifications do you prepare your students for?

Mainly ABRSM Exams and Trinity Guildhall - excellent results. 100% success rate

- Describe your arrangements for online tutoring.

I don't tutor online

- Do you have a personal message for students?

Learning a music instrument can make an enormous difference to your life! However try to make sure that you have enough time to practise, before you decide to take lessons, and you will need the instrument of your choice at home.

Experience

- What kind of experience do you have?

I have very many years' experience teaching in primary and secondary schools and from home; I teach all age groups

- Do you have an up-to-date DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service, formerly CRB) Certificate?

CRC (Basic Disclosure) checked; Certificate of NSPCC child Protection Awareness programme 2010. A parent or other adult approved by myself is invited to accompany children to their lessons and it works extremely well. Please do ask for relevant certificates when you visit me

- Where and with whom did you train?

Some truly wonderful and inspirational teachers; talented, brilliant professionals, including concert pianists, university lecturers, chief examiners, and academy scholars ie Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music and Trinity College: most notably Keith Stent, Anna Scicluna Bisazza, Martin Sanders Hewett and Julian Hellaby. Please do ask for further details of names, places, years in question, certificates and so on when you visit me

- Tell me about some of your current students.

My students are very varied and come from very different musical backgrounds. This is why they're such fun. Some follow demanding full time professions yet they still find time to practise. Others belong in jazz/rock bands and it's good to see that they are open to all sorts of repertoire. Practically each child or teenager that I teach responds in a unique way to the teaching methods I use. The pensioners like to relax but show a steely determination to concentrate and progress. Those sitting for exams sometimes take some persuading that once you have taken on a syllabus with many requirements, you have to face up to it, but often the challenge becomes a thrill in itself. My years of teaching experience continue to convince me of one thing: no two pupils are alike, the variety is never ending.