ONE-TO-ONE LESSONS
In one-to-one lessons I can help students to develop a wide range of skills, catering for any style or any ability on the piano. I also teach music theory, composition and arrangement, jazz tutoring (for any musician), band tuition, music history, Sibelius, aural skills, rhythmic skills and improvisation. Over the past decade I have taught people of all ages and abilities, from young children through to conservatoire students and graduates, as well as leading groups in workshops for schools and music services.
I offer a 30 minute online consultation lesson for half price.
A SUMMARY OF MY TEACHING PRINCIPLES
Different methods suit different individuals
There is no one pathway to becoming a fulfilled musician. Whatever one's strengths are in other areas of life, they can be utilised to get better at learning an instrument. For instance, some people are gifted at picking up languages, others are better at maths, others feel most at home in art class. Learning music can draw upon dozens of different skillsets – one doesn't have to be good at any one thing to be a good musician. I tailor and adapt activities to suit each individual, and the routine of each lesson evolves over time. Designing our lesson and practice routines is a two-way process; I encourage plenty of dialogue in this regard.
Self-reflection
I always found that the best teachers were those who enabled people to teach themselves. Knowing what to practise this week can get you from point A to point B, while knowing how and why it is helping can get you beyond point B. With children especially, I opt to take the time to instil an understanding of what works, what doesn't work, and why. I encourage all students to think for themselves as much as possible.
The two fundamentals
There are two areas of focus which I believe to be paramount to learning music holistically: relative pitch, and rhythmic precision. From beginners to full-time professional musicians, these two faculties are at the forefront of everyone's development. Strong relative pitch enables you to hear something and play it back, and to play or write down what you hear in your head. Good rhythmic precision is fundamental to playing any style of music convincingly, and for advanced musicians, rhythm is normally the thing that still needs refining the most. I believe that rhythm is widely under-emphasised in traditional classical music education – I like to put a strong focus on it from early on.
Theory: making it clear why it's useful
Theoretical understanding gives us the tools and short-cuts we need to learn new music. Over the last century, the predominant music education programmes have somewhat separated music theory from practical music making, which has resulted in some stigma around learning music theory, and people commonly coming to the conclusion that it is boring and irrelevant to making music. In fact, it is empowering for anyone pursuing any kind of musical expression, and without it, the whole endeavour becomes extremely difficult and slow. It is important that through every step of the way, learning theory is seen by the student for what it is – something that opens doors and provides short-cuts. I believe in teaching theory alongside learning the instrument rather than away from it.
Listening
When we are caught up in our own world of music practice, it can be easy to forget to enjoy the art form or to keep exploring it. Personally, it is the pleasure I derive from hearing other people's music which drives me to practise and improve my own. In a practical sense, listening alone can teach us so much and improve our playing immensely. As a composer and improviser, listening to new and varied music is really important for staying fresh and creative, and for providing musical "vocabulary": we put out what we take in. On an emotional level, loving listening to music makes the motivation to practise come much more easily, and makes the overall process feel more purposeful and wholesome.
Whatever aspect of music you would like to learn, I will teach it thoroughly and holistically. Above all else, I seek to foster a passion and love for music by sharing my own.
Testimonials
"I've been studying with Toby on and off for six years. He is a brilliant musician, a fantastic teacher, and a really nice person. His patience and flexibility as a teacher is incredible - I never feel that he's frustrated with my progress, or when I can't manage something - and he's always able to find a way to break a problem down. As a piano teacher and a professional pianist myself, I couldn't recommend him more highly."
Edward Picton-Turbervill (31)
March 2024
"I feel deeply lucky and grateful to have been taught by Toby and I would wholeheartedly recommend him to any prospective student. I think Toby is one of those once in a blue moon kind of teachers that can really change peoples lives - not only is he an outstanding musician but he is able to translate this immense skill into a precise way of connecting with his students and their unique ways of understanding and approaching music. I found that his way of teaching made everything click into place for me and I will always feel such gratitude to have been taught by him."
Rosemary Moss (26)
October 2024
"Toby has been the most amazing piano teacher!! He teaches in a very instinctive way, and has sounded me out very well! He has been kind, patient and understanding and has listened to exactly what I wanted out of my lessons. He has focused on a variety of skills and aspects to the lessons and has pushed me just the right amount out of my comfort zone!"
Anahid Kutchukian (42)
February 2024
"My son, Oliver, has come along in leaps and bounds under Toby's tuition. Toby pays great attention to detail and has been brilliant at building my son's confidence. He has developed a keen understanding of my son's strengths and weaknesses as a player, and has made the experience of learning the piano deeply pleasurable and creative, and personal for him, too. We are extremely lucky indeed to have found such a superb, ambitious and experienced piano teacher."
Mark Crees, parent of Oliver (16)
March 2022
"Toby is polite, very punctual and good with communication. I would highly recommend Toby to anyone looking for a piano teacher for their child. He is amazing."
Peter Edward, parent of Yeshua (7)
September 2019
"Toby is an inspiring teacher whose passion and enthusiasm is infectious and intuitively adapts each lesson to the right level so I always feel I'm learning something new. Having not touched a piano for 25 years, lessons are now a highlight of my week and every lesson I leave with my head buzzing with eagerness to practice all the new things I've learned – I feel like I've made more progress in the past few months than I did in 5 years of learning the piano as a kid!"
Holly Moy (38)
July 2019