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[Chris Ryall]

Addendum for 'learners' This thread is quite mature and there is clearly a lot of goodwill around.  Anyone seeking tuition ..

• Register with the forum!
• Go to the Teaching/Learning Main Thread (better then here)
• Look through any other 'need tutor' type of posts
• Press the 'new topic' tag  (top right)
• Introduce yourself and simply ask for help - your post should include
  
    o Where about you live (town)
    o Instrument - eg D/G or C/C#
    o level of experience
    o do  say if under 16 - any tutor then needs to discuss with parents
  

You may get a  tutor. Certainly you will get useful advice.   Chris  (November 2010)


Initial post My nephew had difficulty finding a melodeon tutor in the West Midlands last year.

Well, I've had a whole load of fun with this instrument and am interested in teaching what I've learned to someone local to me in Merseyside. Either a young starter or an an improver, perhaps. Any fee per session will take full account of the protegées resource, and will go to Oxfam.  I can do something on G/C or D/G melodeon - in quite a few traditions .. but please go elsewhere for Irish  

I'm not after a whole lot of group discussion on this new thread (tho' feel free to do so in 'General Discussion').  Rather that others in the same position might add similar offers below this and perhaps develop a resource network.

[Owen Woods]

I'm happy to offer absolute beginner's tuition in G/D in Cambridge (term-time) or St Albans (vacations). I've done it a few times already, but I wouldn't be happy teaching more than the first 5 or so lessons. At the very least though I can tell them which bad habits to avoid

[Bob Ellis]

I could offer tuition to beginners in North Yorkshire, North Lancashire and South Cumbria. I have a little experience in this area, having taught a couple of beginners in the past.

[Ollie]

I'm also willing to teach beginners/improvers English (Morris) style on D/G in the Cambridge area. It would be preferable if they could travel to me, as I don't have transport (other than Dad, who already ferries me around far too much as it is...).

[Theo]

I teach D/G in Tyneside,  for anyone who thinks I have something worth learning!  I've taught children, adults and everything in between.  Regular lessons, one-off absolute beginners days, playing for dancing, by ear or with notation etc.

[Tamba]

I'm happy to help any beginners/improvers on D/G (G/C, C/F) in the Birmingham area.

Tim

[Guy]

I'm happy to do something for beginners/improvers in the South Wales area, if anything I do is of any use-and if not, maybe I'll learn from them...

Looks like there's quite a bit of interest and goodwill-is there some way we could co-ordinate this, so that it can be offered as a resource....Chris, are you there...?

Cheers,
Guy

[Lester]

In 77 working days time I shall be at a permanent loose end  

More than happy to help out in the South Bucks/Beds/Herts triangle

[Chris Ryall]

Listening ... (could I ask people to keep this thread very focused, please).  I guess in the background I've seen things like EATMT or the network Jaques Paris set up in Bourbonnaise France. Basically for traditions to survive and indeed evolve there has to be passage to next generations. But IMO a set of willing teachers of reasonable competence will be enough for now. If we get enough I'll offer the list to the mods here - this forum would be the best place for it.  Actually Theo's response was exactly the sort of thing I was hoping for.

[Theo]

It would be a simple matter to add a list of teachers to the static pages here, but being willing to help beginners is just the first step.  Teaching beginners, or anyone else, does require some specific skills.   I've attended many organised workshops and learned an enormous amount about playing and about teaching, and one of the interesting things I've observed is that there are great players who are wonderful inspiring teachers,  but its not always the case!    I'm not suggesting we have an Ofsted for melodeon teachers (arrgghhh!)  but anyone offering themselves as a teacher does need to reflect on the teaching process, and should be prepared to publish a few details of their background and perhaps about their teaching methods.

[Lester]

Additionally I hate to think what would be involved in anyone teaching under 16'2s or possibly under 18's with today's legislation? Anyone now?

[Theo]

Additionally I hate to think what would be involved in anyone teaching under 16'2s or possibly under 18's with today's legislation? Anyone now?

You just specify that a parent must be present during the lesson.  That's what I do.

[Kautilya]

Additionally I hate to think what would be involved in anyone teaching under 16'2s or possibly under 18's with today's legislation? Anyone now?

You just specify that a parent must be present during the lesson.  That's what I do.

And another variant on Theo's pointy is the Leyland weekly practice night.  'Tutors'  (that means anyone who knows a bit more than you) go round the room (church club with bar) working on specific elements with whomever wants help.  it is effectively one to one but another learner looking for that tip can just sit down with that cluster of two or three people and drift off to practise when they want.

That also means intermediates helping beginners and (in my case - beginner helping another beginner over a tune they wanted to play but did not know how it went). 

That venue is big enough for enough distance between the caterwauling little clusters - but it works really well, is very informal  and tutor(s) can have a big impact with least effort.  Kind of musical chairs where everyone keeps their seat, no matter how slow or dim they are.

These practise nights also mean one tutor does not have to commit permanently to a schedule, as the mix and match of skills means there is always someone who will turn up at the agreeed place  and time who can offer advice or sit down with someone who is struggling and listen and then suggest some practice moves.     And if you want to have a little sessions in a corner at Leyland  there is nothing  stopping you doing that either.. in fact there is a regular little combo group...

[Steve_freereeder]

Additionally I hate to think what would be involved in anyone teaching under 16'2s or possibly under 18's with today's legislation? Anyone now?

In the UK:
If you are a member of the teaching profession or certain other organisations which employ people working with children or vulnerable adults, that organisation can, and usually will have done so already, apply for a Home Office Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check on their employees, which will verify that you do not have a criminal conviction (e.g. for a sex-related crime) which could debar you from working with such people.

Individuals cannot apply for a CRB check, but self-employed teachers can apply for registration with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), which is sponsored by the Home Office. Registration with the ISA is a similar process to applying for a CRB check, and performs much the same function.

More details here:
Criminal Records Bureau
The ISA section is accessible from the FAQ section of the website.

[Chris Ryall]

Thanks for the warnings -  from CRB applicants page


Regulated activity is defined as:

• Activity involving contact with children or vulnerable adults and is of a specified nature (e.g. teaching, training, care, supervision, advice, medical treatment or in certain circumstances transport) on a frequent, intensive and/or overnight basis;
• Activity involving contact with children or vulnerable adults in a specified place (e.g. schools, care homes etc), frequently or intensively;

Fostering and childcare;

• Certain specified positions of responsibility (e.g. school governor, director of children's services, director of adult social services, trustees of certain charities)

These positions are set out in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

So looks to be strictly 'charitable' unless someone wants to formally register as a teacher. OK with me. Fairly close parental involvment does seem a good idea though.

They don't define 'child' - AFAIR 16/17 is defined as 'young person' and they don't really get to that. My own daughter got on a plane to Tokyo modelling at 16+2 weeks and there was nothing we might have done to stop her. I suspect that age group might be less regulated. But the better musicians do start young ...

[Steve_freereeder]

Additionally I hate to think what would be involved in anyone teaching under 16'2s or possibly under 18's with today's legislation? Anyone now?

You just specify that a parent must be present during the lesson.  That's what I do.

Yes - that's one way of doing it, and it can work well. However, my experience of teaching children musical instruments is that sometimes children can feel inhibited or embarrassed if the parent is present in the same room; the child doesn't want the parent hearing them 'make mistakes'.  A compromise solution (if the room layouts permit) is for the parent to wait in a nearby or adjoining room, within earshot, but out of sight.

[Bill Young]

Additionally I hate to think what would be involved in anyone teaching under 16'2s or possibly under 18's with today's legislation? Anyone now?

In the UK:
If you are a member of the teaching profession or certain other organisations which employ people working with children or vulnerable adults, that organisation can, and usually will have done so already, apply for a Home Office Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check on their employees, which will verify that you do not have a criminal conviction (e.g. for a sex-related crime) which could debar you from working with such people.

Not in Scotland. Disclosures are handled by Disclosure Scotland, an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Depending on whether a Basic, Standard or Enhanced Disclosure is required, an application may be made by an individual, or through an employer or umbrella organisation. The National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs is one such umbrella organisation, registered with Disclosure Scotland to request Enhanced Disclosures for Music Teachers.

[Steve_freereeder]

Not in Scotland. Disclosures are handled by Disclosure Scotland, an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Depending on whether a Basic, Standard or Enhanced Disclosure is required, an application may be made by an individual, or through an employer or umbrella organisation. The National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs is one such umbrella organisation, registered with Disclosure Scotland to request Enhanced Disclosures for Music Teachers.

Thanks for the clarification, Bill.

[Fidjit]

Been looking for a teacher for my Daughter (51) in the Swindon area.  No luck as yet Anyone from Chippenham or thereabouts?

Cheers 

[GbH]

When playing somewhere last year, someone asked me if I gave lessons.  I said I didn't - obviously -  as I was still figuring out how to play it myself.  However, it did make me wonder what people would/should expect from melodeon tuition.

The instrumental tuition I had at school (piano/violin) was very regimented and seemed to be defined by the examination system.  I assume that potential melodeon players don't usually want anything like that, but what is it that's usually offered instead?  Do teachers just tend to teach in the style of playing that they use themselves, or is there a way of teaching that encompasses different approaches?  Additionally, is teaching normally done with a particular 'tradition' in mind?  Are notation and theory included as standard?  Is musical arrangement (something that seems particularly important for melodeon) usually covered?

Being so used to learning from the computer, I find it hard to guess how taught lessons actually work for this instrument.