A Passion For Music
I’m a Classical and Fingerstyle specialist…
As a performer I have a particular love for Classical/Spanish guitar, and fingerstyle playing. The sound of a nylon string guitar is so warm and rich, and even under the banner of ‘Classical’ you can find music written and performed by people from every continent, across hundreds of years of music. Add to that the shimmer and brightness of steel-string acoustic, and a similarly global treasure trove of music, and you’ve got enough to keep you hooked for many lifetimes!
…but I teach anything and everything!
As a teacher YOU are at the centre. I love all music, and and one of the great joys of my job is when a student says “I want to learn this!” and it’s music I never would have heard otherwise. No matter the style or genre, I’ll break it down and make it accessible for you. I love that every student is different, and that in a single day I can be helping people learn Arctic Monkeys riffs, jazz chord shapes, funk rhythms, or their favourite guitar solo, and it really means something to them. It means a lot to me too. Recently I have been privileged to help a dad learn a country song to perform at his daughter’s wedding, and another student did a beautiful cover of ‘Let’s Stay Together’ which she recorded to propose to her partner – who said yes!
My guitar journey
I have always loved music in all its forms. I got my first guitar in ’93 and started copying riffs by all the bands I loved. I’m a 90’s kid so it was Nirvana, Blur, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains…all that good grungey stuff! I picked up a few things up from friends, and went on to play in bands, mostly in a rock/metal style, gigging around the UK. As I got older I got the bug for fingerpicking steel string guitar and went on to take classical guitar lessons, getting my Grade 8 in classical guitar. Since then I’ve been immersed in solo playing. I started teaching friends, quite informally but then realised it was something I really loved and wanted to do more. For the last few years I’ve been teaching from my home studio and at a private music school in Sheffield and have never loved any job as much.
I have direct experience in education through working in primary and secondary schools (alongside some brilliant teachers), and as a learning mentor at the fantastic Get Sorted Academy of Music in Rotherham. I also spent a few years working with people who have learning disabilities and autism, running music sessions and enabling people to participate and enjoy music. Music is for everyone!
All that aside, I’ve led a pretty typical freelance musician’s life – in that I’ve always played music, but have supplemented my income at times by working as a teaching assistant, bartender, floor manager, furniture maker, carer…I reckon by now I can pretty much turn my hand to anything! When I’m not playing or teaching I love walking in the woods and countryside around Sheffield, going to watch live music of pretty much any style, and hanging out on my allotment (sometimes growing stuff but a lot of drinking tea and watching the birds come and go). I’m lucky to live in such a beautiful place!