Mike is an excellent tutor. He’s patient, insightful and will settle for nothing less than perfection. In April 1997 I began lessons with Mike as an absolute beginner. His tuition has supported me through all of my piano practical Grades 1-8 and Piano Associate Performing Diploma as well as music theory up to and including Grade 8. This proved to be an excellent foundation for further study of music at Leeds University; not only had Mike taught me to play the piano but he had shown me how to be a musician, demonstrating that music is about far more than just playing the notes on the page in the right order and at the right time. Mike’s teaching experience and knowledge is vast and as a result Mike is able to tailor tuition to fit you, your interests, your ability and to help you achieve your aspirations whatever they might be. I cannot recommend Mike highly enough.
Thinking about further study in higher education?
If you are considering taking your music education further, the leap from instrumental lessons to a university environment can be a scary prospect. Relocation to an unknown city is often involved, you are thrust into an alien educational environment and then there is the consideration of tuition fees and cost of living. It is important to really question what you hope to achieve from higher education, whether that simply be personal development or improved job prospects.
I can say from personal experience that studying music at university was fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I had the opportunity to explore all aspects of music, for example, music in history and culture, harmony, counterpoint, composition, analysis, performance, aesthetics, acoustics and music psychology.
However, it is important if you are considering further study that you seriously consider the following points:
- What do you hope to get from further study: is this realistic?
- What career paths does further study open? A degree is not always the end of the road.
- When exploring possible university options there is often a focus on you having to demonstrate your abilities in order to get a place, but you shouldn’t be afraid to ask what they can offer you. Examine their module options (every university/music college will be different and will have a different research focus). Is what’s on offer interesting to you? What lecturers work there? What is their personal field of study? What level of teaching are you going to receive for your money? What career and personal development services can they offer?
If you are considering going on to study classical music in higher education then you have to do it for the love of it. You will be doing it for a long time and it will be very hard work so you have to be passionate about what you are doing; the rewards however, will be huge. You will meet lots of new people with similar interests, make useful contacts for future work opportunities and develop skills that employers find indispensable.
Grade 8 Piano Performance; Associate Diploma Piano Performance; and Grade 8 Trinity College London Theory of Music were achieved under the tutelage of Dr Michael Spacie.
Joe Clayton (Musician)