Music Tuition at Plymouth College

I graduated in 1992 from Dartington College of Arts with an Honours degree in Theatre.  From that point onwards I have worked continuously as a self-employed arts practitioner specialising in drama and music. 

MUSIC PERFORMANCE

• Numerous classical guitar recitals
• Lead guitar in rock bands – performance and recording
• Choirs specialising in music of the Middle Ages to Renaissance Period

DRAMA EDUCATION AND DIRECTING

• drama teacher for Trinity Guildhall and LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) examinations boards covering all syllabuses, grades and diplomas with a 100% pass rate. Main syllabus specialism – improvisation and devised drama
• delivering specialist drama workshops for various Stagecoach schools
• drama and musical theatre projects in schools and projects specialising in improvisation, devising, scripting and directing performances 
• group drama tuition for people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, teaching improvisation dramatic craft, writing music and scripts and directing performances. 
• extensive workshop programmes for adults with disabilities, teaching improvisation, drama, devising and directing performances. 
• Artistic Director of ‘KOTE’, a project for young people at risk and vulnerable. Taught improvisation, devised drama and directed performances 

TIE / INSET

• Actiontrack Performance Company (Somerset). Devising, writing and directing productions mostly in the South West of England, visiting schools, colleges, arts centres and theatres working with young people, adults and teachers including performances and INSET work
• Specialist advisor for, ‘Sing up’ project in Devon visiting numerous schools and running programmes and workshops for students and training teachers, introducing accessible approaches to singing in a school context

MUSIC EDUCATION

• singing teacher for LCM (London College of Music) covering all syllabuses, grades and diplomas with a 100% pass rate
• singing teacher for Italia Conti (Plymouth)

CREATING AND RUNNING ARTS COMPANIES

• Created and ran ‘Reach Out Theatre Company’, a theatre company for adults leaving rehabilitation centres - teaching improvisation and drama, devising, writing, directing and staging productions
• Created and ran, ‘Get Changed Theatre Company’ for disabled adult performers – teaching improvisation and drama, devising, writing, directing and touring productions
• Created and ran ‘All Out Performing Arts’ based in Tavistock, Devon - an educational resource for young people and adults. This included administration, teaching improvisation and drama and musical theatre.  Set up and ran ongoing weekly sessions and Summer Schools. Devised, wrote and directed drama and musical theatre productions in schools, colleges, arts centres and theatres

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

• RSC at Statford-On-Avon co-director of national drama project – a devised performance for 100 young adults
• Devised, wrote and directed, ‘Here And Now’ – a theatre project based in Trelleborg, Sweden for young people from the UK, Sweden and Denmark working towards a combined performance
• co-ordinator of, ‘The Crescendo Project’, a large-scale Community Opera based in Somerset and involving arts professionals and hundreds of people across the county and beyond.  This culminated in performances of a devised opera, ‘Floodgates’.
• Artistic director for, ‘Nearer The Weather’, a community drama project based around Devon commemorating Cornish and Devon Tin Miners. This culminated in an outdoor community event on Dartmoor
• Set up an historic arts project commemorating the Viking invasion of the South West in 997AD

COMMISSIONED WORK

• composer, librettist and director of, ‘Hwath Holya a Wrons’, a choral work celebrating Cornwall and featuring a performance group of over 100 people
• composer, librettist and director of, ‘Blood Red Rose’, a choral work with drama commemorating the Women’s Suffragette Movement and the ending of World War I
• composer, librettist and director of, ‘Pillar Of Fire’, a drama and choral work inspired by the history of Tavistock Abbey
• composer, librettist and director of, ‘Heroes’, a drama and choral work inspired by Tavistock and Dartmoor
• composer, librettist and director of, ‘Orchards Of Light’, a choral work inspired by the Tamar Valley
• composer, librettist and director of, ‘Lowena’, a choral work inspired by World War I

AWARDS

• devised, wrote and directed a student group drama performance which received the Trinity Guildhall highest award for best drama production worldwide

Mark Bennett BA (English with Music) MA (Voice Pedagogy) PGCE ATCL (Singing) ATCL (Recorder recital) ATCL (Flute recital) AMusTCL LMusTCL MISM

Singing

I love singing and love helping others to sing.

I studied singing at Exeter University, taking my first performance diploma and then went on to study briefly with international singers Evelyn Tubb, Jonathan Veira and, across three years, James Gilchrist.  In 2021, I completed an MA in Voice Pedagogy, specialising my research in vocal registers, vocal tract acoustics, teaching effective practice methods and effective online learning.

I have a detailed understanding of how the voice develops through childhood, and how to develop technique while avoiding injury.  I work closely with the school choir and vocal ensembles, and encourage students to work together and discover the lifelong joy of singing in harmony.

http://greenwoodconsort.co.uk/music/tuition/singing-tuition-in-devon/

Recorders

I am a specialist recorder player, working as soloist with my friends in The Greenwood Consort playing the concertos of Vivaldi, Telemann, Sammartini and the “team concertos” of J.S.Bach.

The recorder is a great instrument to begin a lifelong musical journey – and it is also a great instrument to continue through secondary school and gain some really flashy performing skills with.

http://greenwoodconsort.co.uk/music/tuition/recorder-tuition-in-devon/

Flutes

I play modern flute, including the piccolo, alto and bass flutes, and I also specialise in baroque and renaissance flutes.

Learning the flute is all about learning to make a sound that you love – and that other people will love too. 

http://greenwoodconsort.co.uk/music/tuition/flute-tuition-in-devon/

I have been teaching piano and recorder since I was 12....(yes, really!) it’s my PASSION to educate. I have a music and drama degree BA Hons from Roehampton, London and was an external student at Guildhall School of Music. I hold an L.T.C.L. in performance from Trinity College of Music along with a P.G.C.E., and can be found on musicteachers.co.uk

My entire career has been spent teaching music across all age ranges as Head of Music in various comprehensive schools and Director of Music at Roselyon Preparatory School. Many of my students have gone on to study music in their further education. I run two choirs and a recorder consort in Callington for which piano and recorder students from school are often invited to perform in charity concerts to enrich the many other performing opportunities offered at school.

Hi all, I'm Tina. Owner of TSHDrums and peripatetic teacher.

Specialising in all things loud..... 

• Any age
• Beginners - intermediate
• Grading - busking
• 1:1
• Supported young people
•DBS checked 
•Promote focussed ability
•Have fun

I teach in schools, privately, activity weeks, samba workshops and much more.
I've been a musician for 40+yrs and am lucky enough to still be actively doing something I love. I have a vast amount of experience in tutoring along with live gigs, studio recording, drum grading system etc.

I look forward to inspiring all budding drummers.

Peter Jones started his musical career aged 12 in Hartlepool, on the North East coast of England. By the time he was 14, he was playing with the Town Youth Brass Band and wind-band. The brass band had several tours in Europe and progressed to the National Youth Brass band finals at the Royal Albert Hall. Peter also played with the Northern junior wind- band.

In 1974 he joined the Army as a junior musician and in 1975 joined the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards), with whom he performed on many Royal Parades including the Trooping of the Colour and the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.

During his army service he performed in all of the major concert halls in London and several times on ‘Friday night is Music night’, once as a featured performer. While he was attending the Royal military School of Music, he was fortunate to have been taught tuba by Patrick Harold, the then principal tuba player of the RPO and then with the LSO. At the end of his course, Peter appeared at the Albert Hall in a televised duet supported by the Phillip Jones Brass ensemble - a real highlight of his career.

Peter has conducted several groups over the years and formed the Devon County Youth Brass Band. He is a full time teacher and trainer of bands including the Stannary Brass Band , Ivybridge school wind band and Blowzone.

Victoria has been teaching for many years and has vast experience of teaching all ages and abilities. Her approach to teaching is to tailor lessons to suit each individual, to create opportunities for and to build on success, to build confidence and self-esteem, and for music-making to be fun. To this end students learn at a pace which is right for them, are introduced to repertoire they will enjoy according to their tastes and are encouraged to play an active role in repertoire choices and practise schedules.

Victoria studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and The University of Manchester. As well as her teaching she is also a professional performer. Orchestras she has worked with include the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Northern Ballet Theatre, Glyndebourne Touring Opera, the Goldberg Ensemble and closer to home the Ten Tors Orchestra and Divertimento Orchestra. She particularly loves chamber music and is currently a member of the duo Just Us Musique and the Skylark Quintet. She has also been a member of and recorded CDs with Quintessence Wind Quintet, The Clarinet Section (clarinet sextet) and Chinook Clarinet Quartet. She has broadcast on BBC Radios 2 & 3 and played concertos in places as diverse as Montepulciano, Aix-en-Provence, Woking and Snape Maltings.

Alison Smith performs nationwide and in Europe at concert halls, festivals and broadcasts on national radio including BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio Scotland. Engagements have included the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, St Martin in the Fields, The Ards International Guitar Festival, Belfast. She has played eight times at the International Guitar Festival of Great Britain where her performance was described as “enthralling…...demonstrated sheer virtuosity…..superb technique and sensitivity”. Her CD Albums titled Recuerdos and Incandescent have been highly successful. She has recently been engaged by Willowhayne Records to become one of their artists and released a new CD titled Poético,under their label, last spring. Alison's CDs are distributed both physically and digitally worldwide. 

Alison taught guitar and coached chamber music at the The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland from 2002 – 2008 and lectured on Techniques of Teaching for the B Mus Course. She was also involved in outreach work whilst teaching at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, including giving workshops and advising on teaching the guitar on the Isle of Lewis.  Alison has given performances and talks as guest artist at Plymouth University and was recently been appointed as the University Classical Guitar tutor for the BA Hons music course. Alison has also been a Colourstrings teacher in London and was an advisor and examiner for centres in London and Dublin.  Alison is Director of the Cawsand Bay Guitarfest, an exciting classical guitar weekend with Alison Smith, Craig Ogden and the Eden Stell Guitar Duo. 

 Alison graduated with honours from Trinity College of Music, London (Trinity Laban). She was awarded the Grace Wylie Thesis Prize, a college scholarship and a scholarship from the Mary Datchelor Trust to enable her to pursue her Post-Graduate studies. She studied the Guitar with Gilbert Biberian and Nicola Hall and Piano with Raymond Banning. During her time at college Alison also performed on the violin. She was awarded a Distinction in the Post-Graduate Performance Certificate. Alison is a member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians. 

www.alisonsmithguitar.com

Zoe Vigus is in her 12th year as LAMDA Speech and Drama teacher here at Plymouth College main school and is proud to boast a 100% pass rate on average entering students 3 times a year.  Zoe is a committee member and Publicity person for the Plymouth festival of Speech and Drama and loves to prepare students for Plymouth and the Torbay and South West of England festivals.  Zoe has the P.Cert lam with a Distinction from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art LAMDA, The RADA Shakespeare Certificate and a professional Musical Theatre Diploma from the prestigious Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, where she also taught Acting to the LTA Juniors.

Zoe has been Acting Coach and provided children for numerous film and television Dramas including “Doc Martin” for ITV and “The Coroner” and most recently “Malory Towers” for the BBC.

Zoe began her own Professional performing career at the age of 8, In musicals such as The Sound of Music, and Annie Get your Gun, West Side Story and Bye Bye Birdie all at the Theatre Royal Plymouth. She went on to play many lead Acting roles in National UK number 1 tours, such as Lettice in Agatha Christie’s Murder at the Vicarage  and also Julia in Alan Ayckbourne’s   “Round and Round the Garden“, at the New Theatre Wimbledon, London and “Cecily Cardew” in The Importance of being Ernest at the Jersey Opera House.  Zoe was also P/A to the late film Director Michael Winner for 10 years working in his Kensington mansion and on his film sets.  

Film and Television credits include Notting Hill, An Ideal Husband, Night Fever for Channel 5 and the Harry Hill show, channel 4. On returning to Plymouth to have her 3 children Zoe led the Children’s Workshops at TR2 Plymouth for 5 years directing performances in the Drum at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth before going on to become head of Acting at the Italia Conti Academy Associate School Plymouth and coaching children for TV and film as well as continuing her long association with LAMDA. 

Pete Zalick welcomes those at Plymouth College who want to play lead, rhythm or bass guitar (electric or acoustic) for enjoyment, solo performance or as part of a band. He also offers Music Technology  (including recording, composition and sequencing) as an area of study. He draws on extensive experience of working in schools and local communities as a teacher, teacher-trainer and consultant  (Cornwall Music Service, Youth Service, English Advisory service,  Multicultural advisory service) before becoming freelance in 2000.  He has had the pleasure of helping many Plymouth College students enjoy live performance, establish lifelong skills and pursue musical careers over a period of twenty years. He also records, produces and performs with his wife, Zoe Zalick, for community, school and charity musical events. As a teacher he is practical, light-hearted and strives to make music accessible to everyone. Social media links and more details about Pete Zalick as a teacher, sound producer and performer can be found on zalick.co.uk

Zoe Zalick welcomes pupils at Plymouth College who wish to sing or improve their performance skills in popular styles, musical theatre or traditional singing.  Lessons focus on the priorities of the individual  and may include preparation for performances, auditions, assessments and/or graded examinations in addition to singing for personal fulfilment. Zoe is particularly skilled at helping those who may have experienced difficulties with learning or performing in the past.  She can also help singers with songwriting and self-accompaniment. She is currently studying for a masters degree in Music Psychology in education, performance and wellbeing and is researching and developing a range of psychological strategies to help performers better understand themselves and reach their full potential. This builds on nine years working as a specialist vocal teacher  (Plymouth College, PCPS , other schools, Sing Up, Elite Coach)  and fifteen years as a class teacher, senior manager, school governor, SENCO and Performing Arts leader. She is also a singer-songwriter, regular performer and runs the Own Your Voice Community online. In lessons she is upbeat, intuitive and works hard to bring out the best in her pupils. More details about Zoe Zalick, including social media links, can be found on zalick.co.uk

Before coming to the UK in 2005 I lived all my life in Russia where I started playing piano as a very young girl and realised that I wanted to have a career in music.

I attended the local music school and progressed through Music College and on to University in St Petersburgh. I was awarded my Degree as a piano tutor with Honours in accompaniment and theory. I also attained Degrees in Philosophy and History.

I became head of music in various music schools in Russia and as an accompanist for many soloists and choirs.

After emigrating to England I started teaching privately and acquired many students in Devon where I have always lived and joined Plymouth College in 2006. I also undertook several assignments as accompanist to Choirs, Ensembles, theatre and dance groups. I have also performed solo concerts and with Orchestra’s and I am currently resident pianist at Burgh Island Hotel, also resident pianist to the Stanborough Choir. I even play Organ at my local Church services.

However I take great pride and pleasure in teaching students of all ages and ability. I believe in instilling the correct technique early as this is so important for future progress and helps pupils to develop an easy and relaxed playing style. I will accompany students sitting their ABRSM and other music exams.

I love music of all genres and I love to play from classical to modern pieces. But I also love to teach and get huge satisfaction from my students doing well and progressing.