Lessons
Hi, if you’ve found this page, you must be interested in learning a stringed instrument.
My musical education experience is varied: I have a degree in Jazz and Popular Music with a side of classical performance and have been teaching music privately for nearly 30 years in the UK and Canada, including six years of teaching on a music diploma course at Northampton College, UK; three years as violin teacher at a Waldorf school, and many workshops at various folk festivals in Europe and North America.
I am willing to take on beginners to advanced students in many genres of music including classical, folk and jazz. I also teach both reading music and learning by-ear, and am available for private and group lessons, and workshops. Online, I use Zoom and Facetime.
I look forward to hearing from you and talking about our possible journey together.
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If you’re interested in joining my group classes, a new term is beginning Monday April 22nd 2024 – click below for signup forms:
Saskia’s Celtic Smorgasbord Class
Saskia’s Technique for Fiddlers Class
A nod to my many music teachers
Sometimes it is beneficial to stick with one teacher throughout ones education, but as you will see, I have had many teachers, who have all taken me on a journey and shared knowledge and skills, carving me into the player and teacher I am today.
- I begun age 7 at school – I wanted to play the harp like an angel, but there was a violin teacher available called Miss Homier, so I learned violin.
- I changed schools at 9 and had a teacher called Mr Thomsett, who started me on Bach’s Double Violin Concerto.
- Age 10, a new teacher arrived called Larry Klatzco who played Irish fiddle, so I also took lessons with him. He taught me how to listen and how to breath space into the music. One of the most important lessons of my life. I also started lessons on French Horn with Mr. Howe and joined the local wind band as well as the school folk group.
- At 11 I won a competition to have tea with Yehudi Menuhin, and asked how to go to his school. He told me one of his teachers lived near to me, so I began my journey with Faith Whiteley. She took me back to basics and reconstructed my technique. I auditioned but didn’t get in. At the time I was disappointed but I believe now I would have taken a totally different, less fun path.
- I auditioned for KCYI, a Saturday music school, and was fortunate to be taken on by Paul de Keyser for 2 years. He encouraged me to keep fiddling whilst learning Wieniawski and Mozart.
- at 15 I moved towns and had lessons with Peter Aviss, who invited me to join Oare String Orchestra, which he conducted. I fell in love with many pieces during this time.
- Age 18 I began my degree at Middlesex University in Jazz and Popular Music, persuading them to let me carry on with Classical Violin Lessons. My teacher was the marvellous Michael Thomas from the Brodsky String Quartet, who introduced me to Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas, whilst the jazz strings teacher Stuart Hall also took me under his wing and introduced me to non-Celtic folk music and jazz violin.
To these people and many others, I owe my music and my career.