River is a composer, singer and songwriter from North London and has been teaching students of varying ages for almost four years, including primary school classes, 1-1 sessions and adult classes. Having studied classical composition at the Guildhall School of Music, as well as being in a successful touring band, River had extensive experience in both classical and pop styles.

She has been teaching students of varying ages for almost four years, including primary school classes, 1-1 sessions and adult classes. River has completed ABRSM Grade 8 in all piano, singing and trombone, and has achieved an ARSM performance diploma. She is currently completing a degree in classical composition at the Guildhall School of Music, and has successfully applied to go on to do a Master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music.

River’s lessons aim to foster a holistic and balanced general musicianship - which means as well as teaching technique and music-literacy, she also will cover music theory, basic composition and wider listening. With beginners, this generally starts with introducing them to the fundamental language of music - notes, chords, hand positions, etc. Once these basics are grasped, the student will then learn to play pieces; in terms of genre, if the student shows a particular interest in a style of music, she will be led by them, but generally covers a varied range of genres. The priority here is building strong foundations in basic skills to give them what they need to progress.

River’s objectives for a student depend on what they want to get out of music lessons. Crucially, particularly with young beginner students, she wants to encourage a positive and curious attitude to music, by emphasising fun and exploration in the sessions. This might look like listening to music and talking about how it ‘feels’, or it might look like playing games to help them remember techniques and basics. She finds this to be the most effective approach to helping them build practice habits and develop a passion for music which, hopefully, will last them a lifetime. River’s approach to teaching focuses on fostering a strong holistic general musicianship, with emphasis on creativity and exploration.