Music

Even those undertaking private instrumental tuition who are strong in performance, find that when studying music at school, the theoretical knowledge and compositional assignments required of them sometimes require extra support. As a subject concerned with providing an aesthetic education for enjoyment and life-enrichment, music can be an essential part of developing creativity as well as aural perception. Music tuition can assist students to master the more challenging aspects of the subject, allowing them to fully appreciate and fulfil their potential.

PERFORMANCE - Performance is an area in which many feel confident, drawing on skills often acquired through extra-curricular lessons. Despite this, creating live recordings can also be the most nerve-wracking aspect of the syllabus, and often students are required to perform on multiple instruments. Testing musical literacy and the ability to interpret and recreate a composition, this is an opportunity to demonstrate technical accuracy, fluency and expressiveness. As group performance is usually an important part of the assessment, a Music tutor can ensure that the student is comfortable being interactive and cooperative as well as independent in performance.  There is also an option to perform using technology, with which a student may be more quickly familiarised through Music tuition sessions.

INVENTION - Invention is a course-work based activity that allows students to become the originators of their own unique pieces. This opportunity to create and invent takes many forms, such as improvisation, arrangement or full composition. Students are usually required to submit both recordings and written musical scores of their work. Many find this practise quite unfamiliar and difficult to grasp at first, so it is often an important focus in Music tuition, which can provide extra support, from brainstorming initial ideas to checking through work for corrections. It can be quite a challenge to produce music that is both technically competent and imaginatively convincing, so a Music tutor' assistance is invaluable for students striving to achieve highly.

LISTENING - Listening skills are tested through examination, and students frequently require extra support achieving a thorough historical and theoretical knowledge about the forms and styles of music they might be asked about. These can be wide-ranging, and include technological developments of the twentieth century, as well as local and national forms such as Scottish dance. Good listening habits can be practised and improved through Music tuition, helping individuals to identify different aspects such as melody, rhythm, style, timbre, texture, harmony and dynamics. It is also important that students are able to make appropriate comments on their effects and develop an overall appreciation of the expressive possibilities of music. As they advance, students begin to study complete musical works, and a Music tutor can provide helpful background guidance to support these studies.

The aim of Music tuition is to enhance the work of school lessons, integrating and interconnecting the above three elements, and contributing to students' personal and cultural development. A Music tutor will initially help to identify which areas require the most attention, using their own expertise and practical experience to build confidence, ability, and enthusiasm for the subject.