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Music Tuition available in Piano, Theory, Composition and Orchestration

I specialise in advanced Classical and Jazz Piano, Composition and Arranging, as well as fundamentals of Theory of Music for students from ABRSM Grade 5 to Diploma level. I offer substantial discounts for families and for bundles of 5 or 10 lessons.

I have a well-equipped studio with a new grand piano as well as other keyboards and music tech gear, and teach both in-person for students living in Edinburgh, and online internationally. As many of my students are from Edinburgh university, where I also teach Orchestration and Screen Composition, daytime lessons can be flexible from week to week.

My classes are helpful to students seeking to pass the higher performance and theory grade examinations, as well as to university undergraduates seeking to fill knowledge gaps and to explore composition and orchestration in greater depth. Students I have taught invariably achieve excellent results, as high as 144/150 in recent ABRSM practical piano examinations, and as high as 100% in Theory of Music.

I also teach Music Technology, specialising in Cubase DAW as well as Sibelius and Dorico scorewriter applications.

Extra information

Parents are welcome to attend all lessons for school-age students.

Location

At teacher's location: Guthrie Street, Edinburgh, UK
Online via webcam

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General info

Age:
Teenagers (13-17 years old)
Adults (18-64 years old)
Seniors (65+ years old)
Student level:
Intermediate
Advanced
Duration:
60 minutes
90 minutes
120 minutes
The class is taught in:English, French, German

About Me

Since 2007 I have taught Composition and Orchestration at the University of Edinburgh. Alongside my career as an educator. I have been self-employed variously as composer, conductor, musical director and record producer for a range of international clients including Caroline O'Connor and Sir Robert Helpmann. My commissions have been performed at the Royal Albert Hall and Garrick Theatre (London), Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Hamer Hall (Australia), the Australian Embassy (New York), Sala Accademica di Santa Cecilia (Rome) and Edinburgh University.

I have been a film orchestrator, composer, and musician and possess 28 IMDb credits for feature films, television documentaries, mini-series, as well as 33 Discogs album recording credits and I have been a frequent conductor of studio orchestras such as Victorian Philharmonic Orchestra (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra). Many of the media on which I am credited have gone on to achieve critical and popular acclaim, including Los Angeles Film Festival, Indiefilms, BAFTA, Best Film Score (NZ), an Oscar, Platinum record sales and an Australian Aria Award nomination.

Stars in films I have scored include Russell Crowe, Hugo Weaving, Phil Collins, Josephine Byrnes, Lee Majors, Guy Pearce and Terence Stamp. I have worked with Torvill & Dean as arranger and pianist; I was keyboardist for over 400 performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber's show Cats (Really Useful Theatre Company) as well for Phantom of the Opera (Cameron Mackintosh Limited), and as musical director for independent productions.

Some more recent commissions have been to arrange, conduct, mix and master the vocal and orchestral music for the Glenfiddich 21yo Whisky ad campaign, which reached 1.7 million YouTube hits, and to score the music for Ruaridh M Turner's multi award winning short thriller, The Beast in the Storm. Other commissions have been to compose a new 4 movement symphony for The Orchestra of the Canongait, and a new trio for the Hindemith Trio in Parma, Italy.

Education

PhD (Music Composition) The University of Edinburgh (2012)

BMus (Bachelor of Music) The University of Auckland, New Zealand (1975)
* First. All music subject passes with Distinction (A) or High Distinction (A+)
* Winner Hollinrake Memorial Prize and Senior Scholarship for best graduate student

DipEd (3 Diplomas in Education):
* Auckland Secondary Teachers College Diploma
* DipTchg - New Zealand Department of Education
* DpTeach - New South Wales Department of Education & Training, Australia

FTCL (Composition & Performance) Fellow of Trinity College of Music, London (1977)

LMusTCL (Composition) Licentiate of Trinity College of Music London (1976)

Experience / Qualifications

Qualifications:
* PhD, BMus, DipEd, FTCL, LMusTCL

Experience:
2007- present: The University of Edinburgh:
* Teaching postgraduate Orchestration and Composition

1986-2006: NSW Department Of Education & Training:
* Teacher of Music, Software Design & Development, Information Processes & Technology

1989-2006: NSW Board Of Studies:
* Higher School Certificate (HSC) Music Examiner & Computing Studies Advisor

1995-2006: Sydney Community College:
* Lecturer – Steinberg Training Centre: Authorised Trainer in Music Technology

1984: Progeni Systems Ltd/Polycorp secondment, New Zealand:
* Computer Programmer of educational software for New Zealand schools

1979-1985: New Zealand Ministry Of Education:
* Teacher of Music, English and Computer Awareness

1979: Waiariki Technical Institute:
* Lecturer – Theory of Music (part time)

1974-1978: New Zealand School Of Music Ltd:
* Founder / Director / Teacher

1973-1974: Auckland University Conservatorium of Music:
* Lecturer, Tutor & Examiner (part time) – Harmony & Aural Training

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from £46At teacher's location
from £46Online via webcam

Good-fit Instructor Guarantee


If you are not satisfied after your first lesson, Apprentus will find you another instructor or will refund your first lesson.

Online reputation

  • Instructor since October 2024
  • Phone number verified
  • Linkedin connected

Availability of a typical week

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from £46At teacher's location
from £46Online via webcam

Good-fit Instructor Guarantee


If you are not satisfied after your first lesson, Apprentus will find you another instructor or will refund your first lesson.

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