Mavis: Manchester tutor

Certified Tutor

I am a graduate of The University of South Africa, The Royal Schools of Music in London and the London College of Music. My five-year degree in Musicology means that I am qualified to teach theory in all grades of music from beginners to university students. This also includes History of Music, Harmony, Analysis, Counterpoint and Composition while the degrees from the Royal Schools of Music include piano performance, teaching methods with the addition of sight reading, aural and a general history of music. Although my qualifications are from a different country, they have been assessed by professional, qualified personnel and changed accordingly to the USA requirements, hence I was able to work at schools, university and college.

As a young child of the age of 10, I won a Music Studentship in the City of Liverpool and was moved to a professional teacher, performer and composer. I was performing by the age of 11 for many concerts, with the privilege to perform in the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool at the age of 12.

As an older teenager, I gradually realized that teaching was to be my profession and since then my life has had many new opportunities in the many schools that accepted my credentials. So, from teaching at the High School level all subjects of music and having had the wonderful opportunities' of conducting school orchestras (my high school orchestra earned a distinction at an international Eisteddfod), and also conducting and directing many popular musicals (along with a team), including "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Oklahoma", my life has been exciting, with lots of hard work.

Whilst living in New Jersey, I was Adjunct Professor of Piano (Second Instrument) at Montclair State University and was also employed for a time by the Montclair-Kimberley Academy.

In Texas I had the opportunity of teaching in the Aldine Elementary Schools system and again enjoyed a new venture. Working with younger children and implementing Kodai and Orff methods into these classes was just a wonderful time for me. To hear a young student saying to a friend "I am playing instruments" just made my day!

For the past 14 years I have had a successful piano studio with many students staying with me from grade 1 to Senior and then onto college. My latest students were awarded distinctions for the grade 4 and 7 piano ABRSM exams.
So, as my students have now moved on to their different ventures in life, so I now have vacancies and just not ready to retire.