Teesside musician creates online music learning platform

A Teesside musician who reached the top of the jazz charts has created an online music platform to train budding musicians.

The Maestro Online is the brainchild of Dr Robin Harrison, the director of music at Barnard Castle School.

The online platform has a catalogue of virtual video lessons and live one-to-one coaching sessions are available.

It has been designed to reach an international pool of pupils of all abilities and ages for piano, organ, and singing.

Dr Harrison, who has almost 30 years of teaching experience, will focus his piano teaching methods on chord progressions and improvisation rather than the traditional method of starting at Middle C.

He commented: “We have been thrown into a new era of virtual learning and that doesn’t have to hold back those who want to learn about music and how to play an instrument or sing.”

“My holistic approach is about teaching the whole person; it is about teaching music rather than teaching a piece. I create experiences that leave a profound impression, developing the whole musician to be a fully rounded artist.”

He continued: “The ability to improvise for instance enhances creativity and an enhanced ‘ear’ allows the performer to be aware of subtle details which can then lead the voice or fingers, rather than respond to them. The idea that you can hear what you want to do in your head and then make your body reproduce that is at the forefront of my teaching.”