Hey!
Just a quick update re my current teaching arrangements during the second lockdown.
With the exception of Avanti Hall and Newton St Cyres all school lessons are going ahead as normal. Parents of Avanti and NSC pupils have been emailed so please check your inboxes/spam folders if you’ve not yet seen anything.
Private lessons have been moved back online for the duration of lockdown, if you’ve opted not to have online lessons during this time then I will contact you ASAP when things return to “normal”.
Take care x
50% off Guitar Pro 7.5 for STC Guitar Tuition students.
Hey all,
The kind people over at Guitar Pro have given me a 50% off discount code for their latest software and the best part about it is that it’s available for 20 of you lot too.
”Guitar Pro allows you to edit your music scores and tablature for guitar, bass, and ukulele, as well as create backing tracks for drums or piano. This is a most thorough yet user-friendly tool for musicians who wish to get better, compose, or simply play along.”
With Guitar Pro and a $2.99 monthly my SongBook subscription, you can have access to the best guitar transcriptions available on the internet.
The promo code is first come first served and only available to students of STC Guitar Tuition so if you’re wanting to make use of this offer drop me a PM or contact me here.
Stay safe and happy transcribing/learning!
Bests
COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS) UPDATE
To all friends and clients,
Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Update: In an effort to minimise the number of people visiting the schools Exe Valley Federation have informed me that they have decided to cancel all music lessons for the remainder of this term therefore there will be no guitar lessons at Newton St Cyres Primary this week or next.
Following Musicians Union guidance RE Covid-19 all other guitar lessons are continuing as normal until the inevitable school closures take place or I am told I'm no longer able to do so. However throughout these incredibly surreal times I am taking a number of precautionary measures to protect both myself and students from risk of infection.
These include:
Washing hands before and after every session and asking students to do the same.
Using antibacterial gel at frequent intervals.
Regularly using anti-bacterial wipes on common touch points, shared instruments,
cables, music stands, door handles, etc.
Restricting shared use of any of my personal belongings i.e. capos, plectrums, etc.
Avoiding physical handouts i.e. music scores, TABs etc.
Encouraging BACS payment instead of cash for private lessons.
If any student of mine is experiencing any symptoms please contact me prior to any scheduled lessons to make alternative arrangements.
For the interest of school clients - If/when the schools do close throughout term time I will be offering guitar lessons via Skype or FaceTime. Any school lessons that are already paid for will of course be credited to these Skype/FaceTime lessons however I am (hopefully understandably) due to a lack of control unable to provide any refunds for lessons that may be missed during this time. Of course I understand these lessons may not be the most suitable for some of my younger students however it is looking like the best alternative I have to offer at this moment in time. Please get in touch directly to book these lessons.
For the interest of private students - In the event of a complete isolation period I also ask any of my private students to receive their lessons via Skype/FaceTime if you have the facilities to do so. Times/days can remain the same. I appreciate anyone who has already agreed to do this.
For the interest of students with RSL exams booked - Please check your emails, I know some info regarding exam dates, etc. were sent out in the past few days.
Provided you have the following facilities Skype/FaceTime lessons can provide a good alternative:
Computer, Laptop or Tablet.
A Skype/FaceTime account or the ability to create one.
A good internet connection.
A quiet space away from any disruptive noise.
Myself and a whole load of other self-employed people are staring down the barrel of some pretty turbulent times so any support or work we are offered in the coming weeks is greatly appreciated. I sincerely hope business will not be affected for too long and as I’m sure we all do I hope things return to normal as soon as possible after the Easter break.
'In these uncertain times, more so than ever, music and the arts can provide us all with a sense of calm, an outlet for frustration and a sense of connection.'
In the interim please be so good to yourselves and your loved ones, keep clean and stay healthy. Support each other and help those in need in whatever way you can.
All the best Seán
Back in the swing of things...
Hey guys,
Just completed my first teaching week of 2019 - easing my way back in with a humble 70 guitar lessons over the past 5 days. Back in full swing next week with lessons at Two Moors and Bampton scheduled to resume on Thursday, and some new private students penciled in to the diary too. Chaos!
Said hello to a few new private students this week and began teaching at St. James High School, Exeter on Tuesday. I'm excited to be continuing the work that Rupert McDonald has been doing at the school. Rupert's a monster guitar player and an equally good teacher so it's great to be working alongside him.
Looking forward to all that 2019 will bring.
Hoppy weekend!
2018!!! (and that's a wrap!)
Hi all,
This week I finished off my last guitar lessons of the year and in review 2018 has been an absolute mother. This year has seen the addition of Landscore, Two Moors and Bampton schools to my roster as well as a multitude of private students now taking weekly sessions with me. I’ve taught group lessons to employees of the Environmental Health Standards Agency during their lunch breaks and spent half a term teaching guitar at St. Wilfrid’s private school in Exeter however I’ve recently had to say goodbye to those students in order to begin a new teaching venture which I’m very excited about in January ‘19. It’s been crazy busy and it’s about to get busier…
I have recently teamed up with Rupert McDonald at Exeter Guitar School and as of January I will be taking his place at St James High School in Exeter. A large school with a healthy number of students attending weekly guitar lessons and I’m very excited to get started. Please direct all enquiries regarding lessons at St James to Rupert McDonald.
Here is my updated weekly schedule and list of schools as of January 2019:
Monday - Landscore Primary, Crediton
Tuesday - St James High School, Exeter
Wednesday - Haywards Primary, Crediton & Newton St. Cyres Primary, Exeter
Thursday - Two Moors Primary, Tiverton & Bampton CofE, Tiverton
Friday - Newton St. Cyres Primary, Exeter
I will soon be sending out password protected lesson timetables, info. ready for the next term, these will also be posted on the site under the school & lesson timetables tab and the passwords will be sent out in the email. I will also be making small changes/updates to the site over the next couple of weeks so keep an eye out for those.
Big thanks to everyone who has lessons with me for making my career so enjoyable! I look forward to seeing you all again in the New Year until then keep practicing and have a mega Christmas!
I’m taking a well deserved break until the 7th Jan however if you wish to contact me throughout this period please do not hesitate.
Bests
Seán
New things!!!
Hi all,
I really need to get better at updating this blog page! Lots of new things to report (not just the guitar)
Firstly what a great half term! Students are really starting to make some clear progress and a number of them are even working towards gaining their Rockschool grades! A great achievement for all so well done.
Secondly since last updating this blog page I have taken on an additional 3 schools so please see the amended list below or the lessons page to find out where I am offering in-school lessons:
Bampton Church of England Primary School, Tiverton, Devon
Hayward's Primary School, Crediton, Devon
Landscore Primary School, Crediton, Devon
Newton St Cyres Primary School, Exeter, Devon
Two Moors Primary School, Tiverton, Devon
St Wilfrid's School, Exeter, Devon
St. Wilfrid’s School in Exeter being the latest addition I had a great taster day there last week and am really looking forward to starting there after the half term. If you have or you know anybody who has a student at St. Wilfrid’s School that may be interested in guitar lessons please get in touch with me to book in for a session.
In addition to taking on a number of new private students, schools, etc. I have just yesterday listed my services on Superprof.co.uk and am asking anybody who currently takes lessons with me or has a child in lessons with me to write a quick recommendation. It only takes 30 seconds and really does help me to continue to grow my business. Follow the link here to recommend and thank you in advance to those who write something.
In other news alongside a busy teaching schedule I am now a part of an acoustic function act that is yet to be named (feel free to list some serious or silly suggestions in the comments panel just keep it clean!). We are currently trying to put together the perfect setlist for weddings/parties/corporate events/etc. so if you have any song recommendations drop them in the comments panel below. I’m looking forward to getting the setlist finalised and playing some live music.
I hope everyone has a great half term next week and I look forward to getting stuck in to all things guitar again in a couple of weeks.
🤘🎸👊
Call for testimonials and reviews.
Hi all,
I am currently calling out for testimonials and Facebook reviews of my teaching. If any of you would like to leave a few comments on your experiences so far either in an email to me or perhaps on my Facebook page that'd be absolutely great.
Many thanks in advance!
Seán.
A message for all Haywards parents.
Hi all,
I hope you're all enjoying your Easter!
Just a couple of things I'd like to stress before the new term commences... First of all last term there was a lot of forgotten instruments and unfortunately unlike other schools I am involved with Haywards do not have any spares to provide the children with in these circumstances. If this term we could ensure that all students are bringing their own guitars/ukuleles every week that would be fantastic. In the event of forgotten instruments as stated in my terms and conditions refunds/discounts will not be given and the time can't always be compensated.
Secondly there was a large number of classroom collections last term, usually I expect each student to collect the next however that didn't happen as well as it usually does this term and I often found myself waiting 15 minutes between each student before having to go and collect them myself. To solve this I have decided to run a more consistent register and as of this term each student will have a dedicated time slot each week so they can make their own way to the Owls Nest at the correct time each week. If any of you would like me to do so I can post a copy of my register here so you can provide your child with their specific time prior to the commencement of the new term.
Enjoy the rest of your hols! I look forward to getting back to it and seeing all the students next week.
Bests
Seán
The importance of regular practice when learning a musical instrument!
It's fairly black and white really, the only real reason why regularly practicing your musical instrument is so important is because it's the one and only way you can guarantee to improve and reach your goals as a musician.
This is something I genuinely believe and the truth is that not one of your favourite musicians picked up their instrument and immediately knew what they were doing, they worked hard and they crafted their skill so what makes us any different? Jimi Hendrix didn't write Purple Haze on day one, John Bonham wasn't just randomly smacking tubs throughout the Moby Dick solo hoping for the best and even Kurt Cobain the seemingly careless Nirvana frontman had to put in the hours before penning some of the most popular riffs of all time.
Don't be put off by the thought of practicing, be inspired by the thought of improving!
Here's my advice and challenge:
Practice little but often to start with, instead of one hour once a week try breaking that hour up into smaller practice sessions, this helps us familiarise ourselves with whatever it is that we are doing and also provides us with some routine which will subsequently train our muscle memory. Try the following practice routine over the next few weeks and see if you can notice any differences to your session productivity:
3x a week 30 minutes each session
or
6x a week 15 minutes each session
Give it a go!... I dare you. You may even have fun.
If you have anything to add, any further advice or any comments at all please leave them below.
All the best
Seán
Week in review/weekly updates - Snow Days, New Guitars, Spring Concerts & Lesson Disruptions.
So I spent my snow day last Monday trying out new guitars... and well needless to say I have now taken home a gorgeous Gibson J-35 (oops). I'll be updating my gear page when I get a spare minute for anyone geeky enough to want to know more.
After the snow disrupted all of Mondays lessons last week I luckily didn't have to cancel/reschedule any other schools and all NSC and Haywards pupils had their lessons as normal.
Landscore - I will attempt to make up for any lost time due to the snow after the Easter break.
Notices
There's a few notices this week firstly due to the Spring concert at Newton St. Cyres in the morning all lessons at Haywards Primary will instead take place in the afternoon this Wednesday (28/3/18).
I am also aware that there will be a Spring concert taking place at Landscore Primary on Tuesday afternoon this week which unfortunately due to other lesson commitments I will be unable to attend however best of luck to all those performing.
Lastly a notice for all schools! Throughout the Easter break I will be creating a lesson timetable for each school with specific lesson times for each student. Due to the number of classroom collections, late arrivals, etc. I feel it necessary to do so and am hoping that if each child has a set time then they will be able to efficiently make their own way to lessons each week.
Good luck to all performing in Spring Concerts this week and enjoy the Easter break!
Seán
SNOW DISRUPTIONS! It's Snow Joke.
Hello everyone,
Unfortunately due to the obvious lessons at Landscore Primary tomorrow afternoon are looking unlikely. Please check back tomorrow for confirmation. Under the circumstances refunds cannot be given but I will always try to make up for any time missed by adding on extra throughout the term.
If the forecast is anything to go by lessons at NSC and Haywards will hopefully go ahead as usual.
Enjoy the snow and keep practicing!
Busy, Busy, Busy.
Hi everyone,
I'm back to school and busier than ever with a number of new private and in school students starting last week and lesson enquiries still rolling in. I'm now up to an incredible 32 students spread across just 3 days. It's amazing to see so many young people showing an interest in learning a musical instrument, the enthusiasm makes my teaching career so rewarding.
I do try to regularly keep on top of my blog posts however please remember I can also be found on Facebook so follow me there for more regular updates.
If you have a child who is in lessons with me please note that all testimonials and reviews are greatly appreciated and if you have a spare minute and would like to share your experiences of my service then please head over to my Facebook page and leave a review or send over a few words that can be posted on my site.
All the best
Seán
School lesson availability - Spring '18
Hi all,
Here is a list of my current availability within each school. If you have a child in one of these schools and wish to snap up one of these slots please contact either the appropriate school administration team via the details provided or message me directly.
Landscore Primary, Crediton: Multiple 20 min and 30 min slots available on a Monday in either the music room or the tech room next door.
School contact: admin@landscore-primary.devon.sch.uk
Newton St. Cyres Primary, Crediton: Tuesday's are currently full, however as of 21/02/18 I will be offering lessons at the school on a Wednesday afternoon from 1pm onwards if the demand is high enough. Please contact the school admin team at newtonadmin@exevalleyfederation.org.uk to be put on the waiting list for one of these slots.
Haywards Primary, Crediton: I currently have 1 x 20 minute slot and 1 x 30 minute slot available at the school on a Wednesday morning in the Owls Nest music room. School contact: office@haywards.devon.sch.uk
Best Wishes
Seán
More great news!
Hi everyone,
Due to high demand I am really happy to announce that in addition to my full Tuesday at Newton St. Cyres Primary I will also be offering lessons at the school on a Wednesday afternoon (starting from February ‘18).
It is incredible to see such a high percentage of such a small village school learning/wanting to learn a musical instrument. It keep us peripatetic tutors very busy. If you have a child/know somebody with a child at NSC who would like to start guitar/ukulele lessons in school please contact either myself via the contact tab or the school administrators at; newtonadmin@exevalleyfederation.org.uk
Please note those who have been on the waiting list will have priority over these new time slots.
All the best
Seán 🤘🎸👊
ANNOUNCEMENT: Lessons now available at Landscore Primary, Crediton.
Hi everyone,
I am very pleased to announce that starting from the 29th January 2018 as well as Newton St. Cyres Primary & Haywards Primary I will now be teaching at Landscore Primary School, Crediton, Devon;
https://www.landscoreprimary.co.uk/
These lessons will be on a Monday afternoon in the music room and will be available in 20 or 30 minute time slots, more info on how many slots are available to follow. For any information on rates and invoicing please click here.
I am really looking forward to meeting the students passed over from the previous tutor and also having the opportunity to welcome new students.
If you are a parent/guardian of a student at Landscore and would like to sign your child up for guitar lessons or perhaps receive some more information about the sessions please contact either myself or the school reception.
More details to follow soon.
Seán
Quick note for Hayward’s.
Hi all,
Just a note for any parents of Hayward’s primary; due to a meeting in the morning lessons will run a little later this Wednesday (17/01/18). All students will still have a lesson and will still need their instruments.
Bests
Seán 🎸
Back to it! 🤘🎸👊
A week back in to the thick of it and I finish with a smile on my face having been welcomed back with well-rehearsed students. A big well done to all for getting that practice in over the Christmas break, it can be tough with so many other distractions. All in all a successful week at the schools with minimal classroom collections and only a couple of forgotten instruments.
In other news it looks like I’m going to have to start clearing some space at home as the opportunity to purchase another new guitar in immaculate condition at a steal of a price has arose... oh dear! I keep justifying it to myself so I think I’m gonna have to just bite the bullet and go for it.
I’m also pleased to say that I received some very exciting news this week which will be unveiled within the coming days.
Until next time happy practicing! and remember little and often is generally found to be the most productive.
Bests
Seán 🤘🎸👊
New Year//New Things. 🎉
Happy New Year everyone and welcome to the new website! (I know it’s now the 11th but better late than never ey?!)
We are almost a couple of weeks in to January now and so far I am feeling very optimistic about 2018. I’m very excited about a number of things I have in the pipeline, some things related to my teaching practice and other things related to a number of other musical ventures. Next week I should hopefully be able to confirm one of many exciting new things so please keep your eyes peeled.
That’s all for now!
All the best,
Seán 🤘🎸👊