1st lesson free
Derek's profile, diploma and contact details have been verified by our experts
Derek
- Rate TSh 157,771
- Response 2h
-
Students22
Number of students Derek has accompanied since arriving at Superprof
Number of students Derek has accompanied since arriving at Superprof
TSh 157,771/hr
Contact
1st lesson free
- Piano
Recommended
Derek is a respected member of our tutor community. He is highly recommended for his commitment and the quality of his lessons. An excellent choice to progress with confidence.
About Derek
Experience: Alongside my lifelong career as an educator in schools, universities and privately, I have been self-employed variously as composer, conductor, musical director and record producer for a range of international clients, including The University of Edinburgh and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, EMI Music, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Caroline O'Connor, Sir Robert Helpmann, Sir Howard Morrison.
My work has featured in performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Royal Albert Hall and Garrick Theatre (London), Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Hamer Hall (Australia), the Australian Embassy (New York), Sala Accademica di Santa Cecilia (Rome) and Edinburgh University. I have 27 IMDb credits as orchestrator, associate composer, conductor or musician on feature films, television documentaries, mini series, and I have 33 Discogs recording credits.
I have been a frequent conductor of studio orchestras, including Victorian Philharmonic Orchestra for Stepha Elliott's feature film 'Frauds' starring Phil Collins. Many of the media to which I have contributed have themselves achieved critical and popular acclaim, including BAFTA Award (The Making of Longbird), Best Film Score (Crush), an Oscar (The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert), Double Platinum record sales (Come In Spinner - ABC) and an Australian Aria Award nomination (Cash Landing – EMI Music).
Stars in films I have orchestrated include Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Phil Collins, Josephine Byrnes, Lee Majors, Jack Scalia, Bob Peck, Guy Pearce, Terence Stamp. I worked with Torvill & Dean as arranger and pianist for their album Here We Stand. I have performed extensively as keyboardist, including over 400 performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber's show Cats (Really Useful Theatre Company) and Phantom of the Opera (Cameron Mackintosh Limited), and as musical director for independent productions.
More recent commissions have been to arrange standards for Stella Cole's concert with the Mikkel Rønnow Orchestra at Glassalen (Tivoli) Denmark and to arrange, conduct, mix and master the vocal and orchestral music for the Glenfiddich 21yo Whisky ad campaign that reached 1.7 million hits, viewable on my YouTube channel below, also to score the music for Ruaridh M Turner's multi award winning short thriller, 'The Beast in the Storm' and to compose a new trio for the Hindemith Trio in Parma, Italy.. My current commissions are to compose a new 4 movement symphony for The Orchestra of the Canongait in Scotland, and orchestration of symphonic tone poem and other works by Pete Warburton.
I have an up-to-date DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service, formerly CRB) certification - all ages.
I trained with Professors Nigel Osborne and Peter Nelson (PhD supervisors, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland) 2006-2011 Professors Charles Nalden, Douglas Mews and Peter Godfrey (BMus, The University of Auckland, New Zealand) 1971-1973 Mary Nathan (Piano, New Zealand) 1966-1977
Professional organisation memberships: European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA) Musicians Union British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors (Ivors Academy) Edinburgh University Graduates' Association (EUGA) Wagner Society of Scotland (Chair) Royal Geographical Society Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd (APRA). I am an Honorary Member of the Music Arrangers Guild of Australia (magainc)
Current students: All my current Piano and Theory students pass their ABRSM exams with Merit or Distinction. Many choose the Jazz option. I also have Music Technology students studying for the SQA.
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About the lesson
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Children
- +4
levels :
Intermediate
Advanced
Children
Introductory
Developing
Proficient
Mastery
- English
All languages in which the lesson is available :
English
I teach up to postgraduate degree level in Piano and Theory to ABRSM and Trinity syllabus, including Jazz, Popular Music and Improvisation . I specialise in advanced Classical and Jazz Piano, Composition and Arranging, as well as fundamentals of Theory of Music for students from ABRSM up to Diploma level. I offer up to 30% discounts for families and for bundles of 5 or 10 lessons. I have a well-equipped studio with a new grand piano as well as other keyboards and music tech gear, and teach both in-person for students living in Edinburgh, and online internationally.
As many of my students are from Edinburgh university, where I have also taught Orchestration and Screen Composition since 2007, daytime lessons can be flexible from week to week. My classes are helpful to students seeking to pass the higher performance and theory grade examinations, as well as to university undergraduates seeking to fill knowledge gaps and to explore composition and orchestration in greater depth. Students I have taught invariably achieve excellent results, as high as 144/150 in recent ABRSM practical piano examinations, and as high as 100% in Theory of Music. I also teach Music Technology, specialising in Cubase DAW as well as Sibelius and Dorico scorewriter applications.
Subjects taught: Piano, Theory, Jazz, Composition, Arranging/Orchestration, Music Technology (Cubase) and Score Programming (Sibelius)
Qualifications:
• I have a recent DBS Enhanced Certificate of clearance
• PhD in Music Composition from The University of Edinburgh
• BMus (Distinction) from The University of Auckland, New Zealand.
• Winner Hollinrake Memorial Scholarship and Senior Scholarship for best student in graduate year.
• FTCL in Pianoforte & Composition from Trinity College of Music, London
• LMusTCL in Composition from Trinity College of Music, London
• DipTeach in School Education from the New South Wales Department of Education & Training, Australia
• DipTchg in School Education from the New Zealand Department of Education
• DipEd from Auckland Secondary Teachers' College, New Zealand.
Fees: Details of discounts for advance block bookings at (concealed information) Free initial consultation. For one-off lesson: £25 per half hour or £45 per hour, reducing to £36 per hour if booked in a block of 10 lessons - I teach in Edinburgh, Scotland or anywhere online.
Availability: Late mornings, afternoons and evenings.
I teach children from age over 10 up to adult who have already attained Grade 4 or higher, or beginners who have already achieved intermediate level on another instrument, including Voice.
Qualifications prepared for: All ABRSM, Trinity College London and university courses in Music.
Online tutoring: details at (concealed information)
The first lesson is a trial that is free if you decide not to continue, otherwise it is billed as lesson 1 of the desired bundle.
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Review
All of our reviews are collected by us and are 100% reliable. They correspond to a real experience lived by the students of Derek.
1 review
Perfect! Derek was patient and understanding. I was really nervous to have my first lesson in 27 years, and he put me right to ease with his humour and kindness. Thank you Derek! And look forward to our lessons to come.
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Rates
Rate
- TSh 157,771
Pack prices
- 5h: TSh 666,144
- 10h: TSh 1,262,168
online
- TSh157,771/h
free lessons
The first free lesson with Derek will allow you to get to know each other and clearly specify your needs for your next lessons.
- 1hr
Details
There is no fee for the trial lesson if you decide not to continue; otherwise it is billed as lesson 1 of a block of 5 or 10 lessons.
Derek's Video
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