After over a year of planning, myself & my family have finally made the move from Bedfordshire to Oakham in Rutland. Now that the boxes are beginning to get unpacked & we are getting settled, I am ready to start accepting new students in my new home!
I guess the first question I should answer is who am I & what do I do?......
I started my musical journey by asking to join the free group violin class at my local primary school in Kent. Thus I started with Fiona McLean who now runs Camerata South West. I eventually went on to join Sgt Roy Slade for private lessons in my teens. It was here that I heard tales from the Royal Artillery Orchestra where he was leader for many years & met so many famous musicians during & just after WW2. His stories fascinated me & after a while he introduced me to his Viola which had been lovingly restored by a maker at Hills in London & given to him as a present. I soon fell in love with its sound & eventually convinced my parents to buy me one & so began my love affair with playing in orchestras. Over the years I have played with many different regional orchestras in the UK & have been lucky enough to play in such venues as the Royal Festival Hall (London), Barbican (London), Corn Exchange (Bedford), Orchard Theatre (Kent) & West Road Concert Hall (Cambridge) to name but a few. I actually met my husband in one of the first semi-professional orchestras I played with (Dartford Symphony).
Now to my teaching! I am happy to teach anyone of any age from the age of just 3. I was introduced to Kay Tucker - inventor of the Stringbabies method just a few years ago & have been blown away by the results I am able to achieve using this method. Within weeks, pupils are able to read simple notation & compose their own music whilst having lots of fun. My most advanced student at the moment is working towards her grade 8 but I have helped people of various different ages towards their diplomas in the past. The most rewarding part of my work though, has to be my whole class year 3 sessions. Introducing so many children at once to the violin or cello & helping them to come into my musical world is the greatest of joys. I am never disappointed with the enthusiasm they bring despite any personal challenges they might have (I once taught a child with no fingers on her left hand). All have approached the lessons with the best possible attitude & ready to learn. And it is incredible what they are able to achieve in just 10 weekly sessions.
That's me nearly finished for today! But before I go, I would like to invite anybody of any age & any ability that thinks they might like to try the Violin or Viola a free trial session in my studio. The relationship between teacher & student is such an important one, I like to make sure everybody is happy before I ask for any money. Why not drop me a line? worthlodge
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