Testimonials

Chris has been teaching our son to play the drums for about five years now, by one-to-one tuition at his studio and also by remote learning by video link over WhatsApp during the pandemic years. Our son had some basic experience on the drums before starting with Chris, but Chris has enabled him to learn to play in a really open way, both in terms of the music that he wants to play, and at the pace that he wants to learn. Our son is not a graded player (for now), but Chris has helped him to develop the technical and sight-reading skills to play some great pieces of music, typically from the rock, pop, funk and jazz genres. Chris' mentoring style is patient and systematic, there is no pressure to make immediate progress, it comes as it comes. We are fortunate that we have a drum kit at home, so Chris will also set our son informal practice work between lessons as well. Our son has been involved with BYMT, the school band, jazz band, a Lion King Musical Play Day at the Lyceum Theatre, playing in bands with friends, the Ziggy Stardust Festival in Beckenham, and the School of Rock musical at the Churchill Theatre, In the words of my son, "Chris is a very encouraging teacher, he helps me to stick to my drumming goals, the lessons are enjoyable, always with lots to learn!" In our own words, we are really thankful to have Chris teaching our son to play the drums, he has made great progress in a relatively short period of time, this is in large part down to Chris.

Chris has been teaching my daughter the drums for 2 years now. He is a wonderful teacher, very kind and patient, and a very skilled musician himself. She is now quite proficient in drumming thanks to his wonderful teaching

Chris is a great teacher because: He makes the learning process easier, by breaking down the pieces into smaller parts and practicing each, until you can play the full piece well. You can choose your favourite songs and Chris will teach you to play them well, which is really cool. I have really enjoyed learning the Greatest Showman and Lady Gaga pieces ! Chris is calm, and nice and he makes learning easy, and fun. He also encourages (but does not pressure) formal learning, providing the opportunity to progress through the grades. Chris suggests helpful materials, music, books and techniques – which is really useful.

Chris has been our teacher for over 3 years now. We've always found him to be a calm and gentle character who the children feel extremely comfortable with. He has always been happy to listen to feedback from myself or the children regarding their interests to ensure they maintain focus and enjoyment. In the children's words: "He's a really good teacher, he helps me to learn the things I find tricky," and "He's good at showing me what I need to improve and encouraging me."

Chris is a positive and supportive teacher who treats my children as individuals. He asks them questions, listens to their opinions and engages the children by making them feel as though they are controlling the direction of their learning which fosters their independence and self-motivation. He suggests pieces of music they may like and is also brilliant at writing versions of current songs they want to learn to play. This has really increased their confidence and enjoyment of playing the piano.

Merry - Chris is kind and he listens to me, Maeve - he is friendly and fun, Martha - he is lovely

"My 9 year-old son has been coming to Chris for nearly a year; he has ADHD and ASD and has never taken to a class or teacher so well. Chris is immensely patient and understanding of his additional needs yet still stretches and teaches him to a high standard. My son loves the classes and has never stuck at an activity for this long.
Chris is an excellent teacher".

"Chris is the teacher for students at all levels: he mentors young kids who wish to become aspiring percussionists, as well as adults. He is experienced, humble, professional, patient, easy-going, possesses awesome technical skills, and is very knowledgeable about music. Most importantly, he is passionate about drumming. If you are looking for a drum instructor, I recommend Chris".

It was a struggle for our daughter learning her piano grade pieces. We called Chris to the rescue and he did with brio! Thanks to Chris, our daughter has achieved so much in very little time and was able to pass her grade. And now she even thinks about carrying on music... with Chris, of course.