Christchurch
Guitar Lessons | Ukulele Lessons
Bio
Music Life.
Learned Piano from my father, a school teacher, for 5 years as a child and teen. Also learned ukulele from him at school. Learned Guitar at Teachers College. Self taught Bass in latter years. Sang in Choirs over many years, including the Wellington Bach Choir in 1979, the NZ National Youth Choir in it’s post inaugural year in 1980, plus Christchurch choirs in the 1980s. Acted and sang in several stage Musicals for 3 Operatic Societies in the South Island including Christchurch Operatic (now Show Biz Canterbury) in 1983/4.
Have taught guitar, ukulele and some bass from home and in schools since 2005. I have now reduced my numbers of students being partly retired and am playing more music for myself. I am the guitarist and part time singer for the Mainland Big Band, a jazz ensemble of 19 players. I keep learning, Jazz being a new music experience for me. I also help lead a social music playing group for mainly ukulele players in a restaurant setting. Many of the players have come to music late in their lives and enjoy the no pressure atmosphere of the group.
Work life
I trained as a Primary Teacher after leaving school. In my working career, I taught primary in NZ and in a high school in the island nation of Tonga in Pacific. I worked in welfare for children as a care worker and Field Worker for 14 years. Since 2005, I have taught privately from home as well as in 3 primary schools. I currently teach a comparatively small number of students from my teaching space at home than in the first 18 years of music teaching.
Teaching Info
Lessons are a primarily practical experience with theory taught alongside and relative to the practical learning of the moment.
I bring together most content myself mindful from books and my own teaching experience. I will also prepare material from songs students recommend, as long as they are at an appropriate level for them.
I sing while playing a piece with a student where appropriate, as a tool to aid the student’s grasp of rhythm and beat…we can often do some great duetting!
We introduced ukulele to our boys and we're so happy with the lessons we recommended them to a friend who sent along her boys too. Sitting in I was alway impressed with your lessons, and the boys' abilities grew each time. Thank you for being patient with them, and keeping things fun. I was so impressed with how their strumming, picking skills and music reading abilities improved. Above all you brought out their musicality, rhythm and enjoyment of music. So lovely hearing them play and sing at home. Wonderful of you to provide opportunities for them to play for family and friends too - their grandmothers loved to hear them play. Thank you so much!
Mother of 2 student sons.
My children loved learning ukulele and singing along with Roger. He had a calming and easy going style with each child and his love and amazing skill of teaching is obvious, he knew what pace to go to keep them engaged in learning.
Mother of 2 ,student siblings, boy and girl.
Zac had guitar lessons with Roger from age 9 to 14. Roger was a patient and enthusiastic teacher with an obvious love of music; Zac learnt a lot in his time in these lessons, ranging from different styles of playing to reading music. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Roger to anyone seeking guitar tutorial.
