Teaching
I’m often asked if I teach and I usually reply that I do but it’s not something I’ve done a huge amount of
I’ve had students over the years and enjoy the process of teaching but it’s never been my main work
Then recently I realised that I have in fact done much more teaching that I realised
I’ve taught myself
I’ve taught my self to play lots of instruments from diverse families in disparate styles
More importantly I’ve done so without really realising that this was an unusual thing to do
and with a continuous sense of joy and exploration
I learn through play
Some people think that play is a word associated with children which I find sad
Adults need to play as much, if not more, than children and music is a wonderful way to do this
Indeed we call it playing not working even at a professional level. We ‘play’ gigs and concerts
For me play is about pattern forming
Repetition and variation. Structrue and freedom. Chaos and Form.
About the physicality of making sounds with pieces of wood and string, skin and metal
About finding out what sounds a new instrument can make
and how those sounds can be pieced together
to invite this glorious illusive spirit we call music
So over the years I’ve learned a lot and in the process I’ve learned how to learn, or at least how I learn
In teaching friends and students I’ve also been lucky enough to explore something of how other people learn and have developed some resources and skills around this too
Playing lots of quirky traditional folk instruments from different cultures
has been a rich source of musical inspiration and education as many of these have limited abilities
Limitations can be a nutritious food for creativity and force one to tread new paths and to find patterns
This has been my path and one of my great life joys and I’ve learned to love sharing it with enthusiasm
I have enough classical Western knowledge to express the things I know in that language where required
but not so much that all other tongues have been excluded or lessened
So if you'd like to explore playing with sound and experience what you can achieve
with an array of fun and unusual 'adult toys' then I’d love to meet you
If you would like to do Grade exams in the western style
then I’ll happy recommend a friend or colleague who may be able to help with this