Welcome!
Hello,
I'm pleased you've visited this site. Perhaps for many years you've been meaning to learn to play an instrument or one of your children have shown an interest recently? It might be that you're looking for information to help you pass your Grade 5 Theory Examination? Perhaps you're trying to improve your scales or to gain ideas on fruitful ways to practise? You've come to a good place to learn about these things and more.
I've been teaching music for well over thirty years and have amassed quite a few ideas to help people become better musicians. Have a look around, clicking the pdf links and contact me if there's anything that you'd like to know more about. You will also find some of my arrangements on this site.
If you are interested in finding out more about taking regular lessons with me in Nuneaton, whether for a short time or for longer, you can discover more about this on the next page.
John
About John
Background
John began studying the piano in 1976. The piano was a gift from his great-uncle Reg, who could no longer play due to arthritis. Learning from several local teachers, he regularly practised and passed the grade examinations in piano and theory. In 1985 he won the Cyril Collins Bursary in Atherstone and in 1986 he won the Ernest Wilkinson Prize for services to music at Atherstone School.
After O levels and A levels, he studied theology and philosophy at the Birmingham Bible Institute for three years. Music was still important and so was studied to diploma level in his spare time. Several teachers in the Midlands helped him to achieve his goals. He has passed the following examinations:
LRSM (Teaching), CT ABRSM, AMusTCL,
Advanced Certificate (Piano Performance)
In 2008, he also took two of the Associated Board Jazz Piano exams. Teaching himself, he passed: Grade 3 (138/150 marks) and Grade 5 (139/150 marks).
Work and philosophy
John has been teaching music in his home since 1991. For twenty years he also worked in several state primary and secondary schools in Warwickshire and Leicestershire, as well as an independent preparatory school. The COVID Crisis made it obvious that is was time to purely teach in his own private practice at home, rather than spending time each week travelling from school to school, looking for absent pupils across the other side of a large site and sometimes working in dirty and unattractive school rooms and even in corridors when the normal room wasn't available.
He has played the organ/piano for many funerals and weddings, played at numerous 'Christian' events across the Midlands, played for two years at Spring Harvest and played at a biannual National Prayer Conference for over ten years.
He occasionally acts as an accompanist for music examinations.
John is a full member of the Independent Society of Musicians (ISM).
John regularly enters pupils for Associated Board practical and theory examinations with excellent results. Other Boards are used where necessary. Over 450 examinations have been passed with John's help.
John has the ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of ability levels and age groups.
Written records are kept for all lessons given. This aids lesson planning and is a useful means of checking and maintaining pupil progress.
An holistic approach is promoted, utilising material covered in school music lesson curricula, improvisation, composition and rhythmic work. Independent learning is very much encouraged.
He has been annually subscribing to a DBS (CRB) Enhanced Disclosure Check since October 2013. No convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings are recorded.
Hobbies
John is married and has a son who is in his twenties. He enjoys researching his Genealogy, as well as Current Affairs, Christianity, taking photographs, travelling, looking at maps - contemporary and historic, watching Formula 1, reading about the 1st World War and novels by CJ Sansom and Lee Child. He might be described as an ISTJ.
128 Wentworth Drive, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 6NX
07982 404 951 nuneatonmusiclessons@gmail.com
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