| I am an experienced woodwind and piano teacher working with students from 4 to 80 in the local schools and my studio in North Devon.
A qualified classroom music teacher who chose early on in my career to concentrate on my first love of instrumental music. I have taught for Surrey Music Service, Hampshire Music Service and spent 10 years in America teaching the band program in a middle school. I have conducted wind bands, a jazz ensemble, flute choir and clarinet choir. Qualifications: |
Richard Miners
Mid Devon Music Ltd launched in 2015 as a way of providing schools and organisations with quality curricular and extra curricular music making in varying formats. Led by Richard Miners a leading music educator at the highest levels for over 25 years in the United Kingdom and Europe. Mid Devon Music aims to deliver quality musical experiences for pupils and communities of all ages, allowing students to develop, discover, enjoy and celebrate music of all types.
Richard Miners has enjoyed a combined career as both a professional musician and as a respected music educator. As a professional trombonist, he has worked alongside some of the leading names in jazz, popular and world music, appearing on commercial albums, broadcasts and playing throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. As an educator he has led several large school music departments, worked as a freelance workshop leader and worked with schools and colleges as an advisor on delivering schemes of work and assessment. He has also worked with the European Union to develop music in the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Recently Richard has worked for one of the largest county Music Hubs in the UK, delivering and helping to develop Whole Class Instrumental and Vocal Teaching at Key Stage 1 and 2. His teaching has consistently been classified by leading professionals and inspectors as good and outstanding and due to this he has met and maintained for numerous years the highest level of post threshold teaching standards.
Richard has also been a keynote speaker for various Music Education Hubs, where he has led presentations on Whole Class Ensemble Teaching, Development of Music In Primary Schools, Curriculum Planning and Assessment and on how businesses can work with schools and the community.
As an administrator and producer Richard has worked on providing resources, events and music for large organisations including the BBC, Canary Wharf, BP, Mercedes Benz and the Intercontinental Hotel Group.
Hesther Somerville ALCM CTABRSM
I have been teaching flute and recorders to children, teenagers, and adults for 30 years, from complete beginners through to grade 8. I hold Grade 8 Distinctions in both Flute and Recorder. I also have the ALCM Performers Diploma which I took on flute. I play locally in the Dartmouth Orchestra, the Wayward Winds ensemble, and for the Red Earth Orchestra, plus my local village Candlelit Carol Service Chamber Orchestra in Staverton once a year, and occasionally for the Dartmouth Choral Society Christmas Concert Orchestra. My primary training is in classical music, but I also enjoy playing whistle, flute and recorders in folk music settings.
Imogen Hovil
| I have played the cello since I was at school, and have a PGCE teaching qualification in languages. I lived in France for most of my adult life where I was a member of the Conservatoire de Musique and played in the orchestra and various ensembles. Since returning to the UK, I have taught mostly beginners individual lessons, privately and in school. I currently work at St Mary’s primary in Axminster and The Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis. |
Ruth Molins
I have taught flute for 20 years, my first job was the director of East Devon music centre flute choir, aged 17! Since then, I have taught in schools such as Walter Daw Primary school, Broadclyst primary school, St Peter’s High School and Okehampton Community college. I have run many school flute choirs. I founded and directed the community flute choir Exeter Flutes for 5 years. I currently teach flute and musicianship skills at Exeter School. I have done some coaching for the Devon wind and symphony orchestras. I am currently a performing artist for Live Music Now and am learning new skills in running projects and workshops with children with complex and additional needs, and more training ahead! I also play the piano, and use it to accompany in lessons. I enjoy teaching adults at all levels. I am an active freelance performer and still auditioning for things myself, so I have a vibrant and up-to-date pool of knowledge to draw from to help a student do whatever they want to achieve.
West Country School Music
West Country School Music is a small collective of peripatetic instrumental teachers located in East Devon since 2012. We currently mainly visit primary schools where we supply one talented and well-qualified teacher to reach a wide range of instruments.
We are also available to deliver lessons on the same instruments to either adults or children in their homes.
We are happy to prepare pupils for exams with any of the recognised examination boards (or not), as required.
We have close links with Honiton Youth Orchestra and will recommend a suitable progression route for each pupil as they develop to help them flourish in their musical journey.
Our teachers all hold an enhanced DBS check, have public liability insurance and have been reference checked.
Rebecca Balzani Barrow
Rebecca is a fun & flexible professional Violin & Piano teacher based in North Devon. She has been playing for over 30 years, currently has a studio with students ranging from age 6-80, and has over 20 years experience as an instrumental teacher, with 100% pass rate in exams ranging from 1-8.
Rebecca will tailor lessons to your requirements, is happy to stick to classical repertoire or more diverse genres such as pop, film and folk music.
In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys playing in a folk band, at weddings and events as a soloist/duo, is violin 1 in a local symphony orchestra, makes soap, and runs around after her 2 children & 4 cats!
Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss lessons for you or your child!
Emma Collingham
Emma has been teaching full time for over 15 years, and part time before that, privately as well as in both state and private schools.
Emma learned the piano and ‘cello from childhood as well as playing guitar in bands, and took up the double bass as a young adult. She now teaches both ‘cello and double bass to diploma standard to both children and adults having studied in various teaching methods, gaining level 1 Suzuki teacher training, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Strings Teaching.
Amongst her teaching, Emma also performs regularly, mainly with her sisters in Sorrelli Strings at weddings and functions, sometimes touring the U.K. and Europe, or even as far as South Korea playing backing strings for groups such as G4 and the 12 Irish Tenors, and alongside performers such as Leslie Garrett, Merrill Osmond, Blake, and All Angels.
Emma plays regularly in the North Devon Theatre orchestra pits on cello, bass, or keys, and is lead cellist of the North Devon Sinfonia, who won the BBC’s Great Orchestra Challenge and performed in The Royal Albert Hall and Proms in the Park.
Emma enjoys teaching pupils aged 3 – 85+ (it’s never too late!) and adapts to each pupil’s needs using a mix of Suzuki, Kodaly, and various other methods to create the “Emma” method!
Cellos and double basses are available for hire (or to buy if preferred) at very reasonable prices in all sizes from 1/16 (cello) and 1/10 (bass).
Emma Nottage
I have been a qualified primary school teacher in Devon for over twenty years and alongside this a private music tutor. I now offer one-to-one online/offline music lessons in a variety of instruments and voice to all ages. Both in schools and privately.
In the past I was the brass specialist working on a hub a BBC Ten Pieces project for gifted and talented primary school pupils in the Barnstaple area. I have also taken school choirs to take part in the Barnstaple area schools’ concerts at the Queens Theatre. I am a member of Teachers Rock choir and Academy choir.
Lisa Wall
I am a fully qualified teacher and have been teaching for 30 years, 15 as a primary school class teacher and the rest as a music teacher. I offer schools curriculum music teaching, WCET teaching in all brass instruments and the clarinet/Dood as well as small group teaching and individual lessons on brass, clarinet and piano/keyboard instruments. I am the brass tutor with the Bushall Children’s Orchestra, Newton Abbot. I have worked with Kip Pratt and Elvyn Jones on composition pieces with children, alongside Plymouth university.
For 12 years, I have been a member of Teachers Rock, an educational choir for educators and children, taking a school choir to sing with TR at Exeter Cathedral, leading the children’s Torbay Teacher’s Rock group in Exeter University Great Hall and also singing at Abbey Road Studios in London in a recording session.