About Michael
Michael's teaching philosophy revolves around fostering enthusiasm and passion in his students, creating a stress-free environment where they can thrive. With a background in musical composition and performance, including touring experience and performances at prestigious venues, Michael brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his lessons. He emphasizes the importance of playing with genuine passion and enthusiasm, ensuring that students eagerly anticipate their learning experiences. Michael's diverse performance background, ranging from jazz to rock events, allows him to offer a well-rounded perspective to his students. Whether teaching electric guitar, composition, jazz improvisation, or music theory, Michael's goal is to instill a love for music and guide students through their musical journey with patience and encouragement.
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Music has been an integral and enriching part of my life, touching every facet from studying and performing to practicing, teaching, and mentoring. During my time teaching in Hong Kong, I harnessed the power of music to craft interactive and engaging lessons for my students. As I progressed in my career, I took the initiative to design curricula for schools and learning centers, driven by my passion for the subject and a heartfelt commitment to infuse each lesson with genuine love for music. In my teaching approach, I emphasize the importance of enthusiasm and playing with passion as crucial ingredients for fostering successful growth. Creating a stress-free environment for learning is paramount, ensuring that my students feel encouraged and motivated throughout their musical journey. Having worked with adult learners in the UK, I've had the privilege of providing guidance in musical composition, a skill that proved pivotal as they successfully submitted their work to chosen universities. Recognizing the competitive nature of the education system in Hong Kong, where students often face immense pressure to excel, my primary objective has always been to counterbalance this by cultivating an environment where students eagerly anticipate their learning experiences with me.
Name: Michael (Full name will be provided upon registration)
Age: 30's
Gender: male
Kidderminster College - Higher National Diploma Level 4 in Musical Composition National Diploma Level 3 - in Music Performance Solihull Blossomfield National Diploma Level 3 - Performing Arts TESOL Certificate in ESL teaching Hong Kong My lecturers in College were Phi Yaan Zek and Andy Edwards, both of which are prominent figures in the progressive rock scene in the UK.
- 12 years of experience in electric guitar performance at various shows and events - Touring experience in the UK, including performances in Jazz shows and at the LG Arena in Birmingham - Diverse performance background, including African-themed shows, R&B, and rock events in Hong Kong - Overcoming initial challenges in college-level guitar auditions and achieving success through dedication and passion for music - Highlight of music career: performing at the LG Arena in Birmingham as the warm-up act for the UK's X Factor Finalist tour 2015/16 - Transitioned to teaching ESL learners in Hong Kong, developing patience and teaching skills for children with English as a second language
English
Rates and Studio Policies
Registration Fee: $25.00 (One-time lifetime registration fee may be used by all family members)
Rates for instruction:
30 minute private lesson: $39.00
45 minute private lesson: $49.00
60 minute private lesson: $59.00
Travel charge: additional $15.00 per visit (for lessons in a client's home as opposed to my studio)
1. Cancellation Policy
Lessons not cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice are billable to the client and payable to the teacher. This does not of course apply to travel fees unless the notice is effectively given at the door and the teacher has travelled to the location.
2. Cessation (quitting) Policy
A client must provide a 2 lesson notice period to stop lessons. So a weekly student needs to give 2 weeks of notice, a biweekly student works out to 3 weeks notice and a twice weekly student works out to a week of notice.
3. Illness Policy
Lessons cancelled due to illness or extraordinary circumstances with less than 24 hours notice remain billable to the client and payable to the teacher.
BAH teachers are encouraged to offer a make-up lesson at a future date in the interest of client relations and general goodwill. This only makes sense as teaching a student with the flu for example, will ruin the rest of your week's employment.
No more than 2 lessons may be made up due to illness within a 60 day period.
4. Rescheduling Policy
Any lesson can be cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice.
Summer Vacation and Extended Absence Policy
Clients may schedule longer absences for trips etc. 24 hours notice is required.
It is normal and typical for students and about 20% of our teachers to schedule a break in the summer. We do not enforce a notice period (see cessation of lessons) at the end of a long summer break.
5. Evaluation Period
There are no free trial lessons with Beethoven at Home but we do offer a 2 lesson evaluation period where it is easy to try out a teacher. There are no free lessons during the evaluation period and clients may choose to discontinue the lessons at any time by providing the required 24 hours notice. After the student's 3rd lesson the required 2 lesson notice period will apply (see cessation of lessons above).
Lessons in your home
Michael is available to teach in your home if you are located in the following areas
Online lessons
Michael can provide online instruction. While other platforms are possible BAH strongly recommends the use of the Zoom video conferencing platform as it is optimized for music lessons and audio quality.