By Laurice Van Den Oosten
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got started?
I opened the school at 20 years old, after re-discovering my love for teaching in a PLC course. I loved helping my classmates and was inspired by my mentors to teach something I was passionate about. I always loved the idea of being a teacher but didn’t have the love for Primary/Secondary school teaching and after school felt a little bit
lost. I started teaching piano from home and was doing this PLC course in Art at the time and it just sort of clicked. Why not teach the two things I love the most and create a job for myself? And just sort of went for it.
What inspired you?
My art mentors. My dad, who is also self-employed. And my mum for giving me the freedom to choose whatever career I wanted and didn’t push on college. That year out after Leaving Cert really helped me find my feet and think without pressure from all sides.
How did your journey lead you to where you are today?
When I opened it was just a one room office studio and I suppose I didn’t think it would get so busy so fast. But there was a gap for it in the community and before I knew it I had a waiting list and other teachers working for me in no time. The community stood by me so much and my students were consistent making it easy to grow quickly. Being so young, there were lots of challenges and people doubting me along the way but the majority of our clients were so encouraging and I just went with whatever interest was out there and kept pushing on. We moved to a bigger premises in 2020 and it has skyrocketed since then. Covid was very hard for us but we came back with a bang!
What kind of activity(s) do you offer, and who are they best suited for?
For such a small space, we offer an awful lot. Music tuition in piano, guitar, drums, bass, violin, harp, bodhran, mandolin, whistle, banjo, singing etc. and then we have art classes for kids, teens and adults. We teach everyone from 4yrs – 60+yrs so we cater for everyone, no matter what age, level or goal.
How would you describe the style or atmosphere of your classes?
Very relaxed. Our music school has been described as ‘homely’ and our team are very kind and compassionate. All our teachers are very enthusiastic about their work and make everyone feel comfortable. We focus on the enjoyment of learning in a fun interactive way and personalise every class to the student. Our art classes are much the
same, we don’t offer as many variables but they are judgement free, very relaxed and welcoming.
What can a new student expect from their first session with you?
A warm welcome from all staff present, some chit-chat and easy-going questions about your goals and aspirations to help the tutor get a better idea of the student and the lessons needing to be planned.
Recommendations for books/materials and questions about your instrument
too.
For art classes, the first question is usually ‘would you like a cuppa?’ followed by ‘is this your first time painting?’ etc.
Most classes are demonstration based where you follow step by step, but some are bring your own project oriented and the tutor will come around and assist you 1on1.
How do you tailor your activities for different skill levels or ages?
For music lessons, a trial lesson is always required beforehand and this is a great way for the tutor to establish the students needs and goals. From there we decide if it is the right fit and plan lessons accordingly. Every music lesson is private so it will always be personalised no matter what. Every student is different and has different goals.
For art classes we usually dissect into groups of different ages to accommodate levels but often a student can be moved to a higher group if they are advanced for their age group. For adults we would often advertise it for beginners or intermediate if it is a demonstration class.
If it is a bring your own project class they can be any level!
What’s your teaching philosophy or approach?
The process should be just as fun as it is challenging. If you find no enjoyment in the process, then it is not your calling or you are paired with the wrong tutor for your needs. It should not feel like a chore or be an effort to find the time. It should be exciting and you should WANT to do it. There will be struggles but with resilience and efficient
practice you will overcome them. Enjoy the journey!
What do you think makes your classes unique compared to others?
I think our classes are much more relaxed and less academic driven than other music schools. A lot of schools make it a requirement to do exams for example and not just learn for leisure. Yes, doing exams teaches you discipline and some students do need that structure but for most they just want to learn for enjoyment purposes and you can achieve every aspect of sight reading, theory, ear training etc. in personalised classes as you can an exam. I personally think the exams will die out eventually. We get less and less interest in them every year, and we never recommend them without the students’ interest as a priority. Everyone knows one another, students make friends with each other as they chat in the waiting area and they look forward to doing recitals and showcasing all their hard work. I think that is the most important part, seeing friendships being made, smiles and a sense of achievement is the best result any student can recieve.
Do you have a favourite success story or moment with a student?
Honestly, so many! From helping artists get into college, winning competitions and creating the perfect gift for a family member to guiding musicians past performance anxiety, tailoring the music around a disability, giving the spotlight to young musicians at open mics, getting the community together at jam sessions and crying happy tears at every recital because of how proud we are!
What are you most proud of in your teaching journey so far?
Our recitals are always the proudest moment for us as teachers, because it shows how brave, confident and eager the students are. I’m so glad we started doing them a couple years ago because the students would never get to experience performing unless in an exam situation or in front of your class at secondary school. For me that’s all I had, both nerve-wrecking experiences putting me off performing altogether. Recitals are a great way to prepare for those situations and we have watched so many of our students become so much more confident after them. They actually look forward to taking part next year! Seeing the traditional teaching style change and develop in this generation for me it’s the proudest I am of our school.
Have you introduced any new classes, workshops, or formats recently?
We just launched Westport Sketchbook Club, starting October 10th. This will be perfect for drawing enthusiasts. We used to only run arts and crafts for kids but an awful lot of them just love drawing and I’m all for it. Having no paint or sticky tables makes my life a lot easier!
Are there any exciting upcoming events or projects you’d like to share?
Our upcoming recital on December 7th will be at Knockranny House Hotel and hosting facepainting services on Halloween is always a great day to meet the locals and help mums and dads get the face painting done right for the night ahead!
What advice would you give to someone thinking about trying a class for the first time?
If you’re not sure the class is for you or if you’re apprehensive about what level others are at just ask us, send us an email with photos of your work or call us to have a chat and we will tell you what to expect. We will be very honest and upfront and give you the best overall picture and then you can decide for yourself then. Although most classes can be tailored to suit everyone.
What’s the biggest myth or misconception people have about learning/taking part in your activity?
We get sooo many adults asking if we take mature students, of course we do! There is absolutely no age restriction on learning anything. whether you’re 8 or 80 we will do our very best to make the lessons work for you. Don’t ever feel left out. Everyone is welcome!
What do you love most about teaching?
Seeing that sense of achievement when we finally master what we were working on! It’s the best in the world. Seeing them be so proud of themselves for not giving up and eager to strive for more is just the biggest tell tale sign that this is in fact, their passion!
What’s one fun fact about you that your students might not know?
Honestly, I think they know most! We build pretty close relationships with our students and share personal and quirky facts about each other all the time. But in case they don’t here’s a few;
* I’m allergic to ALL animals, so if I’m sneezing it’s probably because you’ve got pet hair on your jumper!
* I’m lactose intolerant (to all the moms who surprised me with coffee and hot chocolate over the years I’m sorry but I never drank them, thank
you though!)
* and I have an unhealthy obsession with buying jellycats, you’ll see them everywhere in the school!
