“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning” – Plato
It often seems like a false distinction to separate teaching from performing, the two activities have so much in common. When presenting a concert we are sharing our experience and what we have learned, sharing our enthusiasm for what we do and our love of music. And as any teacher knows, standing before a class or working with an individual student is in its own way, very much a performance. Insights gained from working in one context will inevitably feed the other. There is a sense of reward that we experience when our students proceed into the world as our newly created colleagues and this is every bit as powerful as the feeling of satisfaction that comes from delivering a well presented and polished performance.
So much of what we do when we play is invisible to the observer, being mostly thought processes, focus, self management and maintaining a deep calm whilst allowing ourselves to relate to the emotion within the music. Alongside this are the more obvious issues of playing technique, breathing, posture and the knowledge of repertoire, musical language and history and so on. There is a lot to pass on to the coming generations of musicians and we have a huge responsibility to recognise where each student is in their individual journey and to equip them with the skills, strategies and self-reliance that they will need along the way.
I started teaching at conservatoire level in 1998 and since then it has become a central part of my musical life – as important to me as my own performing. In addition to teaching Horn and Natural Horn, I teach and coach Chamber Music, Orchestral Studies, conduct orchestras and ensembles and work as an examiner. I have considerable experience of working in schools such as Rugby School and I hold the position of Senior Lecturer at Leeds Conservatoire (www.leedsconservatoire.ac.uk) as well as teaching at summer schools such as The Ingenium Academy and Dartington International Summer School, where I directed the Chamber Music Course from 2006 to 2010.
New pupils and students of all ages are always welcome and I can arrange teaching studios in London, Leeds and the Midlands as well as at the Music Studio at Brydekær in Southern Denmark (close to the German border). I can also offer Internet Teaching for overseas students.
For more information, please get in touch – see Contacts page for email address and telephone number.
marksmithhorn.com 