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Improvisation for String Players - Unlock your creativity!

Learn to improvise, jam and create your own music.

I am a cellist, composer and improviser specialising in working with string players to unlock and devlop creative potential. I will work with you to deveop a bespoke course to help you develop skills in improvisation.

Areas covered:
Jazz improvisation - Blues, Standards, Harmony, Bass Lines, Finding Chords, Building and Creating Solos, Elarnig repertoire.
Baroque Imrpovisation - Ground Bass, Partimento realisation and developing cadenzas for classical repertoire
Free/Folk and other styles - we can explore any styles of improvisation, and discuss how to develop your skills.

I am a professor of Imrpovisation at the Royal Colege of Music in London, and a composer and performer of my own music internationally.

Location

At teacher's location: The Avenue, London E4 9RP, UK
Online via webcam

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General info

Age:
Teenagers (13-17 years old)
Adults (18-64 years old)
Seniors (65+ years old)
Student level:
Intermediate
Advanced
Duration:
45 minutes
60 minutes
90 minutes
The class is taught in:English

About Me

Hi, my name is Shirley.
I'm a cellist, composer and improviser.

I specialise in helping people develop creative skills in improvisation, composition and collaborative music making,
I have a very wide musical background which incorporates classical music, jazz and various traditions from North Africa and the Middle East, giving me a broad knowledge base and range of perspectives to draw on to help students explore their own interests.

I have developed a method of practice strategies for improvising, which can be applied across various genres, and help students to think creatively on the instrument, building understanding as you go along.

Everyone is different, and has different interests, strengths and weaknesses, so my teaching style reflects this in that I work with each student to develop a programme to support their personal development.

As a performer, I also practice what I teach, leading my trio, sextet and other projects in London. I've toured the UK and Europe with my trio and currently working on our second album.
I've also released several albums of free improvisation, and am working on a new [piano trio project combining classical repertoire with imrpovised works.

Education

I trained under Raphael Wallfisch at the Guilldhall School of Music, and Janos Starker in Paris before moving to Jerusalem, where I remained for 10 years, studying and performing a wide variety of musical traditions from the North Africa, Turkey and Middle East. Whilst in Jerusalem, I also became highly active on the jazz scene, working with artists including Avishai Cohen, Omer Avital and Yasmin Levy. Since returning to the UK, I have also worked with many leading jazz and world music groups, including Antonio Forcione, Mulato Astatke, Gilad Atzmon, Neil Cowley, Julian Ferraretto, Robert Mitchell, Maya Youssef and Alice Zawadzki.

Experience / Qualifications

I am a Professor of Musicianship and Improvisation at the Royal College of Music in London, and also teach at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, and RCM Junior Department.

I have taught for various Music Services in the UK, and also given workshops for Chethams School of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, National Youth Jazz Collective, Royal Academy of Music and Drama, Royal Northern College of Music, and the Universities of Huddersfield, Kent, Manchester and Surrey.

I am also currently completeing a PhD in Musicology exploring issues of cross-cultural musical performance and authenticity.

Ask a question

Send a message explaining your needs and Shirley will reply soon:
The more detail, the better.
Ex. "Hi, when are you available to meet for a lesson?"

Availability of a typical week

(GMT -05:00) New York
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from 79.28€At teacher's location
from 79.28€Online via webcam

Good-fit Instructor Guarantee


If you are not satisfied after your first lesson, Apprentus will find you another instructor or will refund your first lesson.

Online reputation

  • Instructor since October 2024
  • Google connected

Availability of a typical week

(GMT -05:00) New York
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
0              
1              
2              
3    Tuesday at 3:00  Wednesday at 3:00    Friday at 3:00    
4    Tuesday at 4:00  Wednesday at 4:00    Friday at 4:00    
5    Tuesday at 5:00  Wednesday at 5:00    Friday at 5:00    
6    Tuesday at 6:00  Wednesday at 6:00    Friday at 6:00    
7    Tuesday at 7:00  Wednesday at 7:00    Friday at 7:00    Sunday at 7:00
8    Tuesday at 8:00  Wednesday at 8:00    Friday at 8:00    Sunday at 8:00
9    Tuesday at 9:00  Wednesday at 9:00    Friday at 9:00    Sunday at 9:00
10    Tuesday at 10:00  Wednesday at 10:00    Friday at 10:00    Sunday at 10:00
11    Tuesday at 11:00  Wednesday at 11:00  Thursday at 11:00  Friday at 11:00    Sunday at 11:00
12  Monday at 12:00  Tuesday at 12:00  Wednesday at 12:00  Thursday at 12:00  Friday at 12:00    Sunday at 12:00
13  Monday at 13:00  Tuesday at 13:00  Wednesday at 13:00  Thursday at 13:00  Friday at 13:00    Sunday at 13:00
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from 79.28€At teacher's location
from 79.28€Online via webcam

Good-fit Instructor Guarantee


If you are not satisfied after your first lesson, Apprentus will find you another instructor or will refund your first lesson.

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