GET TO KNOW US

Meet The Piano School

The Piano School is a vibrant collective of experienced piano teachers who believe that everyone should be able to play the music they love!

Founded in 2012, our vision has always been to transform the way instrumental teaching is done. Traditional piano lessons focus almost completely on one style of music (generally classical) and don’t usually have much room for input or ideas from the student. They also involve learning – and teaching – on your own. But we believe that engaging with music in community is not only more fun but significantly more effective, better shaping someone as a whole musician as well as a pianist. We think that collaboration, both between teachers and students and also with other musicians, is one of the best and most interesting ways to learn. We’re also committed to creativity and having fun with music, teaching a wide variety of styles and techniques as well as encouraging the creation of new music.

Ultimately our aim is to set people up for a lifetime of loving music through our range of music classes and piano lessons.

MEET THE TEAM

CATHERINE COSSEY

ALCM BA(hons) CertPPTC MA

DIRECTOR & PIANO TEACHER

Catherine is a passionate educator with over 20 years of experience as a piano teacher and pre-school music teacher and a Masters Degree in Instrumental Teaching. She loves working with students of all ages and abilities and has a particular passion for teaching young beginners. As well as teaching individual piano lessons, she teaches many of the Musical Play classes (0-3 year olds) and Musical Discoveries classes (4-6 year olds) which put her years of pre-school music teaching to good use! With a firm belief that children learn best when they are enjoying themselves, she loves ensuring her lessons are full of fun, creativity and laughter!

After starting her career as a self-employed piano teacher, Catherine set up The Piano School in 2012. She has previously worked as Director of Assessment for the Certificate of Music Educators and since 2017 has been a module leader at Nexus ICA, lecturing on Instrumental Teaching and Pedagogy at Undergraduate and Masters levels. She also offers mentoring services to independent piano teachers in the West Midlands.

DAVID GRAHAM

BA (HONS)

PIANO TEACHER

David is a piano teacher and performer with a particular interest in popular music, arranging and music technology. Beginning with classical and contemporary lessons at a young age, he soon branched off into blues and pop, and this eclectic background means he is well-equipped to teach his students a variety of styles. David is passionate about seeing his students develop a love for music.

Alongside his teaching, David is also an active performer, regularly performing at conferences and festivals around the country and with the function band Groove Revolution. He is a lecturer on the Piano and Keys Pathway at Nexus Institute of Creative Arts and is currently studying for a MMus in Popular Music Performance at the University of West London.

WIKTORIA STEINDOR

BA(HONS)

PIANO TEACHER & ADMINISTRATOR

Wiktoria grew up in Poland where she studied piano and saxophone to an advanced level. With a strong background in Classical piano, she soon branched out into jazz and popular styles, and nowadays loves incorporating chords, pop and improvisation into her students’ lessons. Wiktoria is passionate about seeing her students become well-rounded musicians as well as pianists, and she loves to include multi-sensory activities in her lessons such as movement, singing and responding to music.

Alongside teaching at The Piano School, Wiktoria is the school’s administrator. She puts her natural organisation skills and cheerful personality to good use communicating with students and generally keeping the school running smoothly!

NATHAN DE BROIZE-KING

BA(HONS) MA

PIANO TEACHER

Nathan is a highly experienced teacher, composer, performer and multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, guitar, melodica and accordion. Having started off as a classical pianist, he soon branched off into ragtime, blues and jazz, and nowadays he loves incorporating all these styles into his students’ lessons. With a Masters in Music Composition, Nathan is also passionate about equipping his students with the skills to create their own music. Nathan firmly believes that playing and learning music should fun and loves making lessons as enjoyable as possible for his students.

Alongside his teaching, Nathan is a founding member of ‘The Upsiders’, a hugely popular function band based in the Midlands.

RACHEL BRISTOW

BA(hons) ABSM

PIANO TEACHER

Rachel is an accomplished musician, with over 30 years experience as a teacher, performer and conductor, and a Diploma in Piano Teaching. Within her teaching career she has had many years of experience as a piano teacher, classroom music teacher and early-years music teacher. Rachel has a real fun-loving heart – she loves injecting fun, excitement and creativity into her lessons and never passes up an opportunity to include puppets in her teaching! With a firm belief that a good teacher never stops developing themselves, she is always learning new ways to enable students of all ages to play and enjoy the music they love.

Alongside her teaching, Rachel is a songwriter and in 2020 released her debut album ‘Wherever I Go’. More information about her music can be found on her facebook page, Rachel Bristow Music.