By only working with quality, professional music teachers, we can guarantee the highest standard of music education.
About Valerie A.
Valerie A is a professional flautist who studied in the Lyon and the Paris Conservatoires, where she graduated with a First Prize in flute performance. She has played internationally with various orchestras (Opera de Lyon, Orchestre Colonne, Tunisian Symphony Orchestra) and in duets (flute and guitar) or trios (flute, cello and piano). During her teaching career she has taught in music schools across France, as a peripatetic teacher in London Boroughs and Surrey, given masterclasses and private lessons.
With her classical training and over 20 years’ experience, she can help you master the best flute techniques to reach the highest levels. But this is not what really makes her an exceptional teacher. She is someone who inspires her pupils, challenges them and supports them to achieve their goals. Her teaching is centred around each pupil and evolves with their progress and needs.
She has worked in France, England and Tunisia and each time she has enjoyed the challenges presented by new cultures, new repertoires and different teaching perspectives. She has taught pupils from all walks of life, from 5 years old on the piccolo to adults picking up the flute when life gives them more time to breathe, from beginners who’d never heard of the flute before they enrolled in the school band to highly motivated and gifted students preparing for entrance into the Royal College. She considers each pupil’s journey as a new adventure, finding the best way to unlock their potential and achieve their goals.
Lessons:
Whatever your aim, the learning experience should always be enjoyable, so the lessons will be both instructive and stimulating. Valerie’s first challenge is to find out what works for you (or your child). Some will feel the need for structure, others will want more freedom. Whether you are preparing for grade exams or learning pieces you enjoy, classical, jazz or others, the common thread is “music”. The quest for an ideal sound will follow you through the lessons, whether it is by exploring breathing, focussing on listening or honing your expression.
First lesson:
You will get a chance to explain what you want to get out of the lessons. Valerie will use this first encounter to assess your level and you’ll discuss your expectations together. By the end of the lesson, you will both have a better idea of what the journey looks like. If you are a beginner, most of the first lesson will probably be about how to get this beautiful sound that attracted you to the flute. If you are an advanced flute player, you should play a piece you feel comfortable with and you will work together from this as a basis.
By the end of the first lesson, you will know if Valerie’s enthusiasm, knowledge and experience are what you are looking for.