Author Archives: Damian Oxborough

Update: w/c 15th March

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Easter holidays I shall be taking the whole of the school Easter holidays off to spend some quality time with my son. This means that there’ll be no lessons between 29th March and 12th April, inclusive. On the 13th April I hope to be able to resume face to face lessons again! Fingers crossed!! This week’s slots Demand is still… Read more »

Update: Slots for w/c 8th March

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Kids are back at school, so there’s more availability in the daytimes (because I no longer have my son’s home-schooling to do). However, all lesson slots below are for Zoom only: it remains illegal for me to have students visit my house until 12th April. Tue 9th March 11:15 Thu 11th March 12:45 I teach piano / keyboard, guitar (electric… Read more »

Update: One more home-schooling week

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Only 5 more days of schooling from home to go for Britain’s young people, and they will finally be able to go back to learning together with the professionals! This means for me that this is the last week of a limited slot availability.. but, I still won’t be able to take pupils into my home for at least another… Read more »

Skipton, Yorkshire & Beyond

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One of the best things about teaching music on Zoom is that I end up having students all over the place. Just take tomorrow’s schedule: Guitar in Kent Singing in Hull Piano in Carleton Ukulele in Skipton Guitar in Cononley Guitar in Steeton Guitar in Shipley Guitar in Bingley Now that’s what I call variety!!

Full re-opening: 13th April

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Following this week’s announcement from the government, I will be able to start accepting students back into my music room here in Skipton from Tuesday 13th April. My service falls under ‘close-contact’ along with businesses such as hairdressers. This means that customers enter the premises only by appointment, but that they spend a significant period of time here, inside a… Read more »

Update: Awaiting Boris’ Announcement

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This lockdown seems to have been going on a long time now, and I know that many of my pupils are eagerly awaiting the return to face-to-face lessons. My plan will be to align the reopening of ‘normal’ lessons with my son’s return to school, so everything is hanging on what Boris announces on Monday. As soon as primary school… Read more »

Update: Be Open to New Things

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I’ve been a self-employed private music tutor in Skipton now for over 8 years, and haven’t looked back – there are so many positive things about running your own business, from taking responsibility for relationships with customers, to managing your own workload. And, on the odd occasion when people ask me if there are any negative aspects to the job,… Read more »

Update: Music lessons needn’t be formal

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This week I’ve spent loads of time doing school work with my 8 year old son, while his school is closed. Helping him out with his maths and (particularly) English makes me realise how much I’ve forgotten from my own days at primary school. KS2 literacy certainly seems more complex than it ever was when I was at first school!… Read more »

Update: Music Theory / Composition

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The vast majority of my students first and foremost learn some musical performance skill: how to play piano / guitar / ukulele / bass or to sing. Along the way, most inevitably encounter issues of music theory. Theory is, after all, a lot to do with the written language of music – how we communicate our musical ideas to one… Read more »