What Styles do I teach?
Musically my background is classical which means that I have a very healthy respect for the written symbols on the page. If Beethoven wrote an F# for 2 beats then that is what I do. This is the traditional approach to classical music. Thus, in the classical sphere, there has always been great emphasis on learning to read music written down (the black dots etc).
Pop musicians usually work in a very different way: although there is a market for 'cover' bands who specialise in reproducing exactly what Coldplay, Abba, Beatles or whoever did with a song, ['cover' bands even strive to look like Abba, John Lennon or whoever] pop musicians strive to reproduce their own new songs, style, sound and image. When they are honest they admit that they have influences. Very rarely are we able to find music books which reproduce exactly [in treble/bass clef or even guitar TAB] what The Beatles, Genesis, ELO, Take That etc actually sang and played. I am not knocking pop music: it is simply a different way of operating. With pupils in the early grades I do work with simplifications of pop and rock but to be honest I'm not entirely convinced that they work well. They DO work in that they can maintain a child's interest, but the left hand is often presented with rather limited ideas, often being quite boring. "Thompsons Chart Toppers", "Making the Grade" and "What else can I Play" are examples of series that I use, but when pop songs are reduced to a grade 1 piano solo, the heart of the song has usually been ripped out: very rarely are such pop songs designed as piano solos: they thrive on the main tune being sung (not as a right hand piano melody), and rely heavily on the percussion and guitars. However, kids in particular often have a leaning towards such songs because they are very are familiar with them. I'm not knocking pop music: but when reduced to a grade 1 (or even simpler) solo, it can be rather flat. Can you imagine Beethoven's "Fur Elise" arranged for a trio of bagpipes? I rest my case.
Jazz
Jazz is not simply playing by ear. Playing by ear is not necessarily jazz! True jazz is essentially improvisation in styles largely derived from the African slave communities in the USA and was in full blossom by the 1920s. It's shape could be ragtime, New Orleans, swing, big band and the more art-form-like be bop to name just a few incarnations. Also, improvising is not necessarily playing jazz: classical musicians have improvised for centuries. Regarding Jazz: I love the work of Brubeck, Shearing, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum and others; they are amazing and have enriched music wonderfully; but teaching improvisation is not yet a strong point of mine so if that's what you are after, then please look elsewhere. Having said that, if you are happy to work on jazzy/pop pieces that are fully written out on treble and bass then I may be the teacher for you.
Church Music
Christian praise and worship music is a repertoire I am delighted to help with as I am Director of Music for Parbold Church in Lancashire. Usually those who are interested in this already attend a church. However: anyone interested in this as an area of study must appreciate that this repertoire does not have a vast list of graded resources: often the piano arrangements are not very pianistic at all. However, many who are interested in church music understand that studying with the usual teaching pieces up to around grade 4 (at least) is highly beneficial. Worship music I would use is by Kendrick, Townend, Tomlin, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes as well as traditional hymns.
PLAYING BY EAR
I can easily help someone to play by ear or to work from treble clef only but that is not the same as pure jazz improvisation. The ABRSM [examination body] actually has a separate syllabus for jazz development.
Pop musicians usually work in a very different way: although there is a market for 'cover' bands who specialise in reproducing exactly what Coldplay, Abba, Beatles or whoever did with a song, ['cover' bands even strive to look like Abba, John Lennon or whoever] pop musicians strive to reproduce their own new songs, style, sound and image. When they are honest they admit that they have influences. Very rarely are we able to find music books which reproduce exactly [in treble/bass clef or even guitar TAB] what The Beatles, Genesis, ELO, Take That etc actually sang and played. I am not knocking pop music: it is simply a different way of operating. With pupils in the early grades I do work with simplifications of pop and rock but to be honest I'm not entirely convinced that they work well. They DO work in that they can maintain a child's interest, but the left hand is often presented with rather limited ideas, often being quite boring. "Thompsons Chart Toppers", "Making the Grade" and "What else can I Play" are examples of series that I use, but when pop songs are reduced to a grade 1 piano solo, the heart of the song has usually been ripped out: very rarely are such pop songs designed as piano solos: they thrive on the main tune being sung (not as a right hand piano melody), and rely heavily on the percussion and guitars. However, kids in particular often have a leaning towards such songs because they are very are familiar with them. I'm not knocking pop music: but when reduced to a grade 1 (or even simpler) solo, it can be rather flat. Can you imagine Beethoven's "Fur Elise" arranged for a trio of bagpipes? I rest my case.
Jazz
Jazz is not simply playing by ear. Playing by ear is not necessarily jazz! True jazz is essentially improvisation in styles largely derived from the African slave communities in the USA and was in full blossom by the 1920s. It's shape could be ragtime, New Orleans, swing, big band and the more art-form-like be bop to name just a few incarnations. Also, improvising is not necessarily playing jazz: classical musicians have improvised for centuries. Regarding Jazz: I love the work of Brubeck, Shearing, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum and others; they are amazing and have enriched music wonderfully; but teaching improvisation is not yet a strong point of mine so if that's what you are after, then please look elsewhere. Having said that, if you are happy to work on jazzy/pop pieces that are fully written out on treble and bass then I may be the teacher for you.
Church Music
Christian praise and worship music is a repertoire I am delighted to help with as I am Director of Music for Parbold Church in Lancashire. Usually those who are interested in this already attend a church. However: anyone interested in this as an area of study must appreciate that this repertoire does not have a vast list of graded resources: often the piano arrangements are not very pianistic at all. However, many who are interested in church music understand that studying with the usual teaching pieces up to around grade 4 (at least) is highly beneficial. Worship music I would use is by Kendrick, Townend, Tomlin, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes as well as traditional hymns.
PLAYING BY EAR
I can easily help someone to play by ear or to work from treble clef only but that is not the same as pure jazz improvisation. The ABRSM [examination body] actually has a separate syllabus for jazz development.