Simon Ravens

The first thing I should say is that I love teaching. This is significant, because if I don't enjoy teaching someone, then chances are they're not enjoying it either, and then we've got a problem! I teach all levels, from beginner children to adults at diploma and performance levels. Lessons are given privately at my home in Ilkley (on a gorgeous Steinway grand). I feel I should say that my pupils often win prizes at local competitions and get high marks in exams... but I'm far more interested in whether pupils are fulfilling their own talents - at whatever level that is. 

On a practical level, from the very earliest stages I teach pupils how to teach themselves: I don't just give them off-pat answers. I want them to realise that teasing out the music from the notes written on the page is a fantastic challenge. As a performer I'm a classical musician, but I enjoy teaching jazz - particularly how to improvise around notes written on a page. I also happily teach musical theory - both informally as part of piano lessons, and formally when pupils need to pass ABRSM exams or need help for school work. With children, at a young age I do stress that the greater the involvement of parents in practice, the greater the success of the pupil will be.