My 24 years experience of flute teaching began at the age of 17, when I started teaching the flute privately to adults and children. I continued this until I left home to go to the University of Surrey. There I studied music and in the second year, I began working for Sutton College of Learning for Adults, teaching flute to groups of adults. After graduating in 2002, I then began working for Surrey County Arts.
I completed my PGCE in 2005. Alongside my flute teaching for Surrey County Arts, I also worked as a secondary music teacher at Hampton Community College, teaching Key Stage 3. I also held a position at Sunbury Manor School where I was GCSE music coordinator.
There I provided an intensive course on the whole GCSE syllabus over only two terms for a year eleven class. After covering two years worth of work in only two terms, the eighteen students achieved 100% passes, with several students going on to study music at further and higher education.
Whilst at Surrey County Arts, I taught as many as 100 students a week, establishing strong relationships with all my students and their parents. Through different approaches, I regained the interests of many students who had lost motivation, helping them to build their personal confidence and express themselves.
Other roles whilst working for Surrey County Arts included: teaching whole class music and recorder clubs, tutoring a wind band, taking junior choir rehearsals and teaching Wider Opportunities for whole classes playing the flute.
I have a 100% pass rate for students I have entered for exams, with 88% achieving merits and distinctions.
My main achievements in my teaching have been in the standards of playing I achieve through careful focus on technique. I work to make all areas of technique accessible to all ages and standards - but also maintain students' interests and enjoyment by choosing music they enjoy and through imaginative approaches to my teaching. For example I have rekindled the interests of teenagers who were losing interest by getting them to improvise to their favourite pop songs!
In 2010 I moved to London and worked for agencies as a teaching assistant and general primary teaching cover, before starting work for Haringey Music Service. In 2012 I moved to south London and since then have been teaching flute privately from my home.
From the beginning, I teach students the correct techniques to facilitate optimal tone production in all dynamics and registers, and how to use their diaphragm to drastically improve breath control. From my experience, I have learned that there are common psychological and physical interactions that often cause lip and throat tension and reduced airflow, thereby making it difficult for students to reach the high notes. To help deal with this, I have developed several effective and simple tone exercises and empowering visualisations, and am constantly evolving and developing new approaches together with my students.
Above all, it is my pleasure to hear my students playing expressively and being able to pass on the gift of music to others. I have been told I am an inspiration to my students, but they are also an inspiration to me! I have been lucky to teach people from age ranges 4-75. I work with each student to help them relax, achieve the very best they can and get the most enjoyment out of the gift of music.
Alongside my teaching, I have had a wide range of playing experience, ranging from playing in various orchestras to exploring many different musical styles. I have involved myself in composing, improvising, recording and performing music with a wide range of musicians, forming many diverse projects and bands. I currently work as an internationally touring musician and music producer – performing live flute to my own electronic music compositions. I have toured many different countries, and make regular releases.
In addition to this, I work as a session musician and am hired for a wide range of events in diverse styles of music - playing for weddings, funerals, corporate events, TV shows and pop singers.