Christchurch
Guitar Lessons | Artist development, Aural Lessons, Ensemble Coaching, Theory Lessons, Composition Lessons, Jazz Improvisation Lessons, NCEA Music Tutoring, Online Lessons
Bio
Heather is a guitarist, composer and music teacher who works and performs regularly in many different capacities around Aotearoa New Zealand.
Teaching
Heather has been working as a professional music teacher for the last 7 years. As well as taking private students, Heather is the contemporary/jazz guitar performance tutor at the University of Canterbury. She has experience as a teacher at the Christchurch School of Music, as an itinerant teacher in primary and secondary schools, and a specialist ensemble and guitar teacher at the Burnside High School Specialist Music Programme.
Education
Heather holds a Bachelor of Music (Hons) and a Master of Creative Practice (Distinction) and is a dedicated educator, serving as a guitar tutor at the University of Canterbury. During her study she was tutored guitar by Bob Heinz, Andy Genge and Dixon Nacey. In 2017, she took her study overseas when she was accepted into the Conservatorium van Amsterdam Summer Course. Here, she was tutored by world-renowned musicians including Jesse van Ruller (NDL), Dick Oatts (USA) and John Riley (USA), and performed at the Amsterdam Blue Note. She has also had private lessons with jazz guitar maestro, Gilad Hekselman (ISR/USA).
While at Secondary School, Heather successfully completed NCEA Music to Level 3, with performance to NCEA Level 5. She is familiar with the current NCEA Music Curriculum in Secondary School education and is equip to give advice and tutoring in this area.
Performance
As the leader of Parallax, an ensemble dedicated to astrophysics-inspired jazz compositions, Heather explores the intersection of music and scientific inquiry. Her performances have been described as “an engaging blend of scientific and musical nerdery.” One reviewer noted, “Webb offers fascinating context in her introductions, invites the room into her enthusiasms, … leaves the audience wanting more… It’s a real joy to watch her own the space and lead the all-male band in something with such a clear and thoughtful creative point of view.” Parallax was aired in full on RNZ and is available on the RNZ website alongside Webb’s interview with Bryan Crump.
She is an active performer, appearing regularly with a wide range of artists and ensembles, including Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Delaney Davidson, Merk, Rutene Spooner, Terrible Sons, Darren Pickering Small Worlds, and Motte. She has also performed at numerous jazz and arts festivals throughout Aotearoa. In recognition of her contributions to jazz, she was named among RNZ’s Top Women in Jazz in 2021.
As a composer, Heather has written for film, theatre, and commissioned works. Her contribution to Shiko (Rattle Records) received critical acclaim and was featured in RNZ’s Best of NZ Jazz list. Music critic Graham Reid described her composition as “evocatively atmospheric,” noting its ability to “glide between her and keyboards with a leisurely confidence which is both gentle but often on the precipice of unresolved tension. It’s a standout.”
Teaching Info
Heather’s teaching can offer the following services:
– open and bar chords
– jazz 4 part, 5 part and 6 part chords
– chord substitutions and reharmonisation
– scales
– playing melodies on the guitar (with and without chords underneath)
– right and left hand technique (fingerstyle, rhythm and picking)
– improvisation
– ear training
– music theory, music notation, and tablature
– guitar as an accompanying instrument (for vocalists, saxophones etc.)
– solo guitar performance, alternating thumb and walking bass line techniques