Verity Thompson

Musicianship with woodwind, piano and ukulele

I'm an instrumental teacher with 17 years of experience and a Certificate in Instrumental Teaching from the British Kodály Academy.  

I teach recorder and flute to grade 8, piano/saxophone/clarinet to grade 3 and beginners' ukulele.

I can also teach Theory to grade 5 and Musicianship as separate subjects, however, they are fully integrated into the learning process so my instrumental pupils won't need additional lessons. 

I enjoy working with children from age 4 through to adults. I specialise in very young beginners.

I teach on weekdays during school hours and early evening. 

Click here for lesson prices or read on below to learn more about my approach.

My approach

Kodály pedagogy is all about giving pupils the tools to explore and understand music in depth. Aural skills are the foundation and theory is integrated into the learning process.  (Click here to learn more about Zoltan Kodály and his philosophy).

Beginners start with a Musicianship with... approach e.g. Musicianship with Piano. The focus is on developing a secure sense of pulse, understanding rhythm, hearing pitch accurately understanding the structure of the piece, developing co-ordination and laying the foundation for hearing harmony. We use singing in every lesson as a tool to develop these skills (the children develop beautiful singing voices) and do a lot of practical exercises to help the children work out accurately what they are hearing.

None of this is to the detriment of developing technical skill on the chosen instrument.  This begins in lesson one, from the very first note we make and is integrated into all subsequent learning.  Technique is about how we control our instrument.  Musicianship is about understanding the music we want to express.  Neither side should be left behind, they both need to be present and integrated from the beginning.  

The Kodály approach is about giving the children ownership of the music they are making and the lessons can help them develop many valuable life skills.  Children are encouraged to be curious, notice patterns, make connections, embrace challenge, critique themselves, solve problems and think for themselves.  As confidence grows, they become comfortable with setting high standards for themselves and are guided to choose their own effective practice strategies to reach their goals.   

This approach yields great results for all my pupils, beginners to advanced but it is particularly effective for young pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, auditory processing disorder and children with autism.  For these children the value goes far beyond music education, it helps to calm and organise their brain and get different parts of their brain speaking to each other.  It also provides a safe space to learn to manage their own areas of anxiety in the learning process.  

Older beginners or pupils from a different learning background are very welcome to follow this path too but even if you're not sure about singing, you will still find my lessons full of tools and techniques that will help you practice more efficiently, connect with the composer's intention, bring the music to life and make you feel confident with your instrument.

Moving forward...

For some pupils, graded exams give them a solid focus for their efforts and clear markers of progress.  My Musicianship with... curriculum is carefully designed to thoroughly prepare pupils for the requirements of Music Medals and grade exams (practical and theory). Exams are not helpful or necessary for everyone though. I'm just as happy to help you reach your musical potential following a carefully thought-out curriculum, tailored to meet your own goals.

Preparing for performance

I encourage all my students to prepare a selection of favourite pieces to performance standard, regardless of whether they intend to take exams.  Working with the level of detail required to prepare pieces to this standard trains us to set high standards for ourselves, pushes us to the next level and shows us what we are capable of.  

I encourage my school age pupils to engage with performance opportunities.  I help them to thoroughly prepare and learn to manage performance anxiety so that it is a positive experience that they are proud of.  A teenager that can stand on stage in front of their peers and perform to a high standard has developed a high degree of courage that will carry them through many challenges in their working life.  

I have coached many successful young competition and scholarship winners.  I can't produce miracles but as with exam preparation and other performances, I can help you choose the right repertoire for the occasion and develop efficient practice strategies that will prepare you to stand confidently on stage and shine.