Education

I can't recommend Mike enough! His friendly and professional demeanour puts me instantly at ease. Some of the things I value most about Mike are: 1) That he takes time out of the lesson to prepare for lessons and consider pieces that might help develop a specific skill to share with me, 2) his vast knowledge, whatever I bring to look at he knows so much about the background/history of the piece and can share useful insights to help me contextualise and better interpret the music, and 3) his attention to detail with recognising what I'm doing and what to focus on. I studied music at university and Mike's knowledge and way of communicating all that he knows is extremely high quality. The teaching studio is comfortable, tidy and cosy. Fantastic value for money to receive an hour of such high-quality tuition, I leave each lesson feeling motivated and energised with a concrete idea of what to work on for the following fortnight to best improve my playing. Thanks Mike!
Jan 13th, 2023

I've been taking lessons from Michael for over 2 years now and his tuition throughout has been fantastic. Michael is a great teacher and has a vast knowledge of many areas of music. He has a relaxed but professional style which creates a great atmosphere for learning. Michael caters the lesson to the student, I initially started learning through the Alfred method books, they offer a variety of styles to learn which suits me perfectly, I expressed interest in the blues and jazz style, which Michael was happy to incorporate into my lessons. I have also been looking at classical impressionist, in particular, the works of Eric Satie, once again Michael has an excellent knowledge of the genre as is able to provide insightful and constructive lessons around each piece. I thoroughly recommend Michael as a piano tutor.
Apr 13th, 2018

I've been having singing lessons with Mike for 4 years now. I've recently passed my Grade 8 in solo singing. This is something I never thought I'd be able to achieve but under Mike's tutelage it's been made very possible. I'm a rock singer in a local band so at first I was a little bit unsure if it was the right move having classical style lessons but Mike certainly helped me to improve every aspect of my voice. He helped me develop the tone of my voice as well as working on different techniques for breathing correctly. His vast knowledge and experience have guided me to be confident in reading and understanding music too. He is a very patient tutor and an all-round great guy with a very friendly and welcoming nature. I look forward to each lesson as I'm inspired to continue progressing to the very highest level! I couldn't recommend Mike enough!
Apr 12th, 2018

I began piano and music theory lessons with Mike just to try my hand at something new and see how it went. I started with no formal knowledge or experience and Mike helped me discover self confidence and enthusiasm, particularly for music theory which I found really absorbing. He is an excellent teacher, always encouraging and offering thoughts on interpretation, and technique. I never leave a lesson discouraged but always with a goal for improvement for the next lesson - sometimes achieved sometimes not! His knowledge and musical ability are first class and it's a pleasure to watch his demonstrations of pieces. I started with Mike four years ago and I have gone from nothing to achieving a Grade 8 distinction in Music Theory which I'm very proud of, and credit is due to Mike for his expert guidance and encouragement. I would recommend him without hesitation.
Mar 23rd, 2018

I started off having singing / sight-reading lessons with Mike, which I thoroughly enjoyed and which made me far more confident. I am now taking music theory lessons, and feel I am making good progress - thanks to Mike's patience and expertise. He is able to explain quite complex issues very clearly, and also gives you additional information which makes music theory really interesting. Lessons with Mike are fun, and I always come away feeling I have learnt a lot.
Feb 5th, 2018