Expanding music teaching in a workplace site

After almost 8 years of teaching the piano at Man Group plc in London it was clear that there was greater demand for lessons than my availability could cover and I began to think about bringing someone else on board to take on some of this work.

My instinct was that it was important for a new teacher to be able to fit in with the culture that already developed between the company, the employees who took lessons and me, while at the same time feeling free to develop their own style.  Rather than look among others like me i.e. trained in the tradition of formal lessons typically based on learning pieces and scales, plus some sight-reading and duet-playing, I decided to look for someone who would bring a more informal style.  In recent years I’ve found it very rewarding to expand my teaching methods to include more “right brain” musical skills such as playing by ear, working from memory and learning simple improvisation skills, and students have also enjoyed this broader approach.  Particularly when they don’t always have a lot of practice time, having a repertoire of musical activities which are both fun and rewarding has proved really productive.  A key element is to feel free to abandon the somewhat judgmental mindset that can creep into traditional learning (stemming from fear of making mistakes) and to adopt something that feels more easy-going while at the same time presenting a satisfying challenge.

As more informal learning styles are common practice for jazz musicians, I asked my son (a jazz guitarist) if he knew of a pianist who might fit the bill.  He had no hesitation in recommending Rob Brockway, who had been a fellow student on the jazz programme at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.  After a couple of discussions to get acquainted and fill in on some background, Rob was keen to come to the office to meet people and be introduced to the set-up, and last September he began teaching one day a week.  It’s been great to have a colleague to share ideas with and also to have expanded our musical offering to include jazz and other non-classical styles! 

Here's his take on starting this work:
Teaching piano in an office is a new challenge for me, and, thanks to a flood of enthusiastic students and Charlotte’s support, it’s a really fun one! I’ve long felt more interested in exploring sounds and ideas more freely than in the kind of meticulous concert prep that’s encouraged in some teaching jobs, and the leisurely ethos of music at Man has given me the perfect excuse to indulge this. I look forward to seeing what unique, expressive musicians will be revealed as we go further, week by week.

At the same time, the music room moved from an upper floor of Riverbank House to the ground floor, where it’s close to the café and wellness suite.  Lessons are now open to other tenants in the building and there are guitar lessons also on offer.  The room is near the lifts, so visible to anyone who comes into the building, and visitors are often intrigued to see a lovely piano (a Bösendorfer upright supplied by Coach House Pianos) and a suite of guitars.  However, we can also have less public lessons because at the touch of a button, the glass wall will frost up!

All in all, it’s been very gratifying to see how the pleasures and benefits of having access to music-making and learning have been valued and celebrated by Man Group and all those in Riverbank House.