Skills and Concepts Introduced During the First Year of Lessons

The responsibility for cultivating and developing an individual’s musical and technical capabilities, for instilling a lifelong joy and appreciation of music and creating a solid foundation upon which all other musical activity is built, are some of the goals we, as teachers, strive towards nurturing in our students.

I like to introduce my students to a wide variety of activities designed to stimulate the ear, the eye and the mind. As well as focusing on the necessary skills of note reading and co-ordination at the keyboard, I strongly encourage the development of aural awareness and creative musicianship.

Above all, I believe learning should be an enjoyable and stimulating experience, a shared ‘journey of discovery’ for both the teacher and the student, no matter what their age.

The following is an outline of the practical knowledge gained and the type of activities I introduce during the first year of tuition.

Don’t panic! I know it appears to be a lot, but I introduce all these elements in a systematic and holistic way, each component building and expanding upon the other to make a student’s progress feel very natural and seamless.