MUSIC THEORY LESSONS

Born in Kansas City, Dave started playing guitar at an early age. He studied with different local Jazz guitarists as a teen, later receiving his music degrees by attending University of Central Missouri and McNally and Smith College of Music in Minneapolis. Dave has studied privately with Jazz greats Ray Brown and Anthony Cox. He has over 30 years teaching and playing experience as well as touring around America, Caribbean and Europe. Music is Dave’s passion and he is all about sharing his knowledge and skills with others to help them achieve their musical goals. With over ten years experience working in the SEN sector, Dave also specialises in music lessons for students with sensory impairments.

Robyn is a performer and music teacher located in Manchester who specialises in Piano and woodwind instruments. Robyn was trained in Classical Clarinet, Classical Piano and Jazz Saxophone at Leeds College of Music where she achieved a first class honours degree. She is currently studying a Masters in Music Performance at the Royal Northern College of Music. As a performer, Robyn has been fortunate enough to tour the world. She has performed piano for the Broadway casts of Lion King and Wicked in New York and accompanied classical choirs in Singapore. As an Educator, Robyn has previously worked as a Piano and Woodwind teacher at Marlborough College Malaysia. Helping musicians of any age and ability reach their full potential was a highlight of Robyn’s year in Malaysia and she is delighted to be continuing this at The Music Shed.

Since graduating from the RNCM with both a degree in Session Musicianship and a MMus in Popular Music Performance, Jen has been teaching vocals both as a private vocal coach and as a Lecturer in Voice and Musical Theatre at the University of Chester and The Hammond Music School. She is a member of the British Voice Association and is the lead singer for Red Room Band, which she has run for the past ten years with her husband, Mike. A self-described voice nerd, Jen is passionate about helping people of all ages find their voice. Her wealth of knowledge and experience is outstanding which makes her a very busy and popular teacher at the school.

Ian has been playing drums for over 40 years. As a teenager he studied privately with Malcolm Garrett (Head of percussion at Birmingham Conservatoire) and since then has played in a wide variety of contexts from musical theatre to rock, soul and jazz. Jazz is his first musical love and he has been fortunate to play with such figures as Gary Boyle, Steve Berry and Lianne Carroll amongst many others. He is a qualified primary teacher / music coordinator with over 20 years experience and has taught classroom music to children from 4 to 18. He has also taught drums privately for many years. Ian always ensures that lessons are fun and transmits the sheer gleeful joy of playing drums to his students.

Phil has been playing the drums for 30 years. He graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Popular Music in 2003. Since then he has been working as a freelance drummer in Manchester and covering a broad range of genres, playing gigs, festivals and shows across the country. He is better known as the drummer in the popular Stone Roses tribute band, The Clone Roses. He started his teaching practice in 2010 and has taught numerous pupils in schools and privately ever since. He is a well liked, and respected teacher at the school by colleagues, students and parents and his ability to adjust his teaching practise according to his students needs makes him one of our busiest teachers.

Jake is a highly experienced musician and gigs regularly in the Manchester area, as well as around the UK. He has over 17 years experience of playing guitar and graduated with a degree in Popular Music and Recording from Salford University in 2009. He is able to teach a range of styles including Rock, Pop, Funk, RnB and Blues on Electric Guitar to more folk and country based, finger picking on Acoustic Guitar.

Tom has been playing piano for over 14 years and is a graduate of music from the University of Salford, where he majored in Jazz piano studies. In addition to teaching, he performs professionally in both function and original bands, as well as writing and collaborating with other musical artists on various projects. He strives to inspire students in the same way he was by his teachers. Tom has a calming and relaxing approach to his teaching style which allows the students to learn at a pace that is right for them.

Nathan has been playing Guitar and studying Music for over 15 years and thoroughly enjoys passing on his enthusiasm and passion for Guitar and Music alike through tutoring. Nathan has several qualifications in Music, including GCSE, A Level and First Class honours in Musical Arts (BA). Nathan’s teaching style revolves around his students and therefore adapts to their individual needs depending on their skill level, age and personality.