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 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 studied jazz guitar performance at the Ara Institute of Canterbury (formerly CPIT Jazz School), graduating in 2015, followed by an Honours year at the University of Canterbury. During this time she was tutored 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.
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
Heather has broad music interests and plays a variety of guitars including electric, acoustic, banjo and mandolin. She has considerable experience with musical theatre, most notably: Footloose; 42nd Street (NASDA); Alice (Free Theatre Christchurch); Mamma Mia (Variety Theatre Ashburton); Catch Me If You Can the Musical (Blackboard Theatre Collective); Wicked; We Will Rock You (Showbiz); Jesus Christ Superstar and Jersey Boys (The Court Theatre).
Heather is a highly active member of the New Zealand jazz music scene. She has performance experience as a bandleader, sideman and recording artist. She is a foundation member of the All Girl Big Band and leads her own groups, The Blues Berries, The Stick! and Vital Organ Trio. She also performs as an ensemble member in Thom and The Lonious. Heather has performed around New Zealand in various jazz and arts festivals. Recently she was the lead guitarist for Julia Deans’ Like Water at the Christchurch Arts Festival and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber in Concert with Showbiz Christchurch and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra at the Isaac Theatre Royal.
As well as performing, Heather loves composing. In 2017 she was commissioned to write and record a piece with Sumo Jazz for their album, Shiko. This album advanced her skills as a composer and performer, and was released on Rattle Records with a launch concert at the 2018 NZ International Jazz and Blues Festival. Heather was thrilled to have her song ‘Replay’ feature in the Radio New Zealand 2018 Best of NZ Jazz list.
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