Lamp House Music is a fun, safe and creative environment for pupils to explore the wonderful world of music!
Tutors who work out of Lamp House Music must be professional, qualified, contemporary, patient, passionate and enthusiastic.
We value each pupil as an individual, tutors will consider and nurture each pupil’s ability, ambitions, personality, learning style and musical tastes.
Should a pupil wish to take gradings or sit music exams, our music tutors are happy to provide support.
All Tutors teaching at Lamp House Music are PVG Certified.
Natasha
Cello/Piano/Chamber Music/Early Musicianship
Natasha is a professional cellist with diplomas from the Royal College of Music and the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary.
Having spent the past fifteen years as a full time member of a symphonic orchestra, Natasha’s wish is to give back and provide the necessary tools and set-up for anyone wishing to take their instrumental and musical skills to the next level!
Natasha founded the Szervanszky String Quartet over 10 years ago with her partner Mishi – they both feel that chamber music – playing music with friends can be one of the most rewarding and inspirational aspects of learning an instrument. They would like everyone to enjoy this side of performing too!
Over the span of her career, Natasha has very much enjoyed teaching pupils of all ages. She has taught not only private cello pupils but has also spent a few years teaching Early Musicianship Classes at the Colour Strings Music School in North London. These classes proved to be very inspiring as they lay the foundations for a much easier transition to instrumental learning for very young pupils.
Mishi
Violin/Viola/Chamber Music
Mishi is a professional violinist whose education has taken him from Ukraine to Hungary and to the UK. He has over 15 years of experience both as an orchestral musician and as a private teacher.
Mishi enjoys seeing his pupils thrive on good foundations of technique which leads to freedom of expression on their instrument and being able to play harder pieces to reach whatever goals they have – be it playing ther favourite piece or taking an exam, to going for an orchestral audition!
Mishi is also a founding member of the Szervanszky String Quartet – an endeavour that has brought chamber music very close to his heart.
Erin
Singing/Vocals
Erin Munro is a singer and vocal coach who has been teaching both group and one-to-one lessons for the last 4 years. Since graduating with first class honours from Edinburgh Napier in Popular Music with specialism in vocals in 2020, Erin has been immersed in the local Musical Theatre scene.
Having been musical director and vocal coach on shows such as Oliver!, Anything Goes and the Addams Family: A New Musical, Erin has taken to sharing these group singing skills in all of her work, not just musical theatre!
Erin is passionate about bringing confidence to her pupils as well as developing musicianship for all ages.
Rachel
Early Musicianship
Rachel Spencer is a violinist, singer and workshop leader, based in East Lothian. Originally from Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, she began learning violin with Ralph Barker. She was awarded the Leverhulme scholarship to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with Peter Lissauer and James Clark, and subsequently studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Alexander Janiczek, graduating with Distinction and a special award for Outstanding Performance. She performs regularly with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, as well as numerous other orchestras and chamber ensembles across the UK, and she has appeared at festivals across Europe.
As a vocalist, Rachel has sung live on BBC Radio and on several recordings, including Eric Whitacre’s Grammy-award winning “Light and Gold” album. For many years she has worked as a vocal coach on residential courses for the Ulster Youth Choir and the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. Passionate about music education, Rachel regularly leads music workshops in schools, on courses and at festivals throughout the UK. She has led education projects in collaboration with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Red Note Ensemble and Live Music Now Scotland and she is Education Officer for the Loch Shiel Festival. Rachel is delighted to be joining the team at Lamp House Music!
Luis
Drums/Snare Drum (Pipe Band)/Percussion
Luis Jarmson is a drummer from Edinburgh who has a large amount of experience in the music industry, from playing at the O2 Academy in Edinburgh to touring the UK with multiple bands. He attained a Bachelor of Music with Honours at First-Class level from Kingston University with 2 commendations.
Luis started out as a percussionist, spending a lot of time playing each instrument in the family of orchestras, silver bands, percussion groups and others.
This has allowed him to learn how each part of the drum kit works in isolation. Because of this, special care is taken in small details like drum placement and which muscle groups can be used in which situations.
Luis has has spent six years teaching a variety of students. He has taught those who want to learn only for fun and worked toward exams with others. The focus in these lessons for Luis is the enjoyment of learning a new skill. He has taught different styles and individual parts of the drum kit like the orchestral snare drum.
Luis currently plays with many groups such as The Kennedy’s Project, Joshua Grant, Midnight Circus (a function band) and is very much looking forward to sharing his knowledge with his pupils at Lamp House!
Becky
Piano/Cello
Becky Crichton has a B.Ed. (Hons) in Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, an MA in Music from the Open University, and a DipLCM in Piano Accompaniment. She previously taught classroom music in Scottish secondary schools, and spent three years in Mongolia teaching pre-school, primary, and secondary music at the British School of Ulaanbaatar. She is now a private and peripatetic teacher of the piano, cello, and drum kit, and is an examiner for Trinity College London. She loves working with choirs, and with youth theatres to MD musicals.
She also plays with Glasgow-based singer-songwriter Sara Rae, and is happiest in the pit playing the cello for a show. And when she is not doing any of that, she can normally be found training for her next triathlon!
Becky has experience working with all ages and takes a supportive and encouraging approach to instrumental teaching. She has worked with many students looking to sit N5-AH, GCSE, ABRSM, and/or TCL exams, but especially enjoys encouraging students to explore other contexts for their musicianship, such as piano accompaniment, ensemble playing, learning about chords, and singing and playing.
Pete
Guitar/Bass Guitar/Songwriting
Pete Wall is a professional guitarist, bassist and songwriter based in Edinburgh. Though he primarily focuses on these, he is also familiar with piano, vocals, mandolin and production.
Pete has been gigging, writing and releasing music for over 10 years, in styles ranging from folk, through indie and rock, to big-band funk. He currently works with wedding/function band The Amber Lights, for which he creates 3-piece brass arrangements and funk re-workings of popular songs.
The band enjoys regular slots at Stramash, Bbar and Finnegans, as well as regular gigs in Aberdeen and Perth. He also performs in a covers duo, The Fables, playing regularly in Edinburgh.
Pete also has extensive experience playing within musical theatre including as part of a five-star, sold-out run of American Idiot during the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He has also completed an undergraduate degree in Popular Music from Edinburgh Napier University, before getting his Masters in Music from the same institution, with a focus on songwriting.
Pete has been teaching guitar privately since 2017, as well as with DC Music Lessons in Edinburgh. He tailors his lessons specifically to the aspirations of the student, creating a supportive environment which encourages students to study music in a way that they find engaging.
Robbie
Drums/Music Theory/Bandjam
Robbie is a drummer with almost twenty years of experience playing and performing in bands since the age of 14. He also has a combined total of five years spent studying Music Performance, Music Theory and Music Technology. He has achieved two HNC qualifications in Music, and continues to work on growing as a musician. This passion has granted him a wealth of experience and knowledge on many different drum styles and music genres. While studying at Edinburgh College, Robbie studied the Rock School Curriculum of Graded Drum Kit songs, and has some experience with the Trinity Music School Curriculum also.
Although primarily a drummer, Robbie’s passion for music has driven him to pick up playing the guitar, bass guitar and performing vocals on his own personal projects in his spare time, recording original music through his home studio.
For the past four years, Robbie has also played professionally in a popular wedding and function band called “The Guilty Pleasures”, focusing on classic feel good songs from primarily the 80’s and 90’s, although there is a mix of modern and older songs thrown in as well. Performing with The Guilty Pleasures has allowed for a great knowledge of performance skills, groove and feel, and most importantly, how to get a crowd dancing! It was this experience in performing with a band that inspired Robbie to want to pass on his knowledge and skills through tutoring.
Donald
Piano
Donald graduated as a pianist from the RSAMD (now known as the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) in 1989 with a B.A. Music Performance and since then has built a career covering many areas of the music industry.
He has taught the piano privately and in schools for over 30 years, in addition to his successful career as a music editor and typesetter. Donald now works as a freelance music editor and typesetter, producing scores for many of the UK’s top publishers, accompanies two choirs in Dalkeith and Edinburgh, and has composed several books of celtic piano music, choral and instrumental music.
Donald’s approach to teaching is led by each student’s taste and although primarily a classically-orientated teacher, Donald enjoys introducing contemporary styles such as jazz and pop into lessons to keep things fresh and interesting, whilst always focussing on correctly developing a pupil’s technique.
Ben
Piano
Ben is currently in his final year of his Music Degree at Edinburgh Napier University. He is very much looking forward to teaching his own class of students as this is his passion and something that he has worked towards throughout his studies and musical career.
Having spent quite some time working with school children on introducing them to the basics of playing, Benjamin will be able to build on this and incorporate his experience into building a long-term piano class at Lamp House.
Ian
Piano/Percussion
Ian Munro BMus(hons) MMus, is active as a pianist, organist, percussionist, conductor and arranger. He has taught for many years and also finds time to conduct and accompany rehearsals for amateur orchestras and choirs on many occasions.
Ian is Musical Director of the Kilmarnock and District Choral Union, the Pentland Singers and Traquair Choir.
He is also Organist & Choirmaster at St. Machar’s Ranfurly Church in Bridge of Weir where he enjoys playing for Sunday worship as well as directing both the Church Choir and Junior Choir. Ian is on the instrumental staff at St. Aloysius’ College in Glasgow.
Ian looks forward to passing on his knowledge to his pupils and help them to progress with their musical journey!
Keith
Guitar/Group Guitar
Keith is a professional guitarist based in Haddington. He has over twenty years of experience as a guitar teacher and really enjoys helping students improve their playing, achieve their goals, and discover how musically versatile the guitar can be. Keith is primarily a classical based player, but he also enjoys playing and teaching both acoustic and electric guitar in various styles.
Keith has studied with some of Scotland’s top classical guitarists and has participated in masterclasses with many of today’s foremost players and teachers. He holds a teaching diploma from ABRSM and an LLCM diploma in classical guitar performance. He has also worked as a specialist guitar examiner for LCME exams since 2013.
As a performer, Keith has over ten years of experience working with many entertainment agencies providing live music for corporate events, hotels, parties, and weddings across Scotland and the North of England.
Gabriela
Piano
Gabriela Kurowska is a pianist and music producer. She holds a BMus with honours from the University of Edinburgh where she specialised in composition and focused on Classical and Jazz piano styles.
Gabriela has a strong interest in studying and utilising new effective learning methods to push for development and growth in music students. She strives to create a supportive and open environment for students to explore their interests and unlock their creative spark.
Currently, her days consist of playing Jazz and making original music for clients and herself.
Fergus
Guitar
Fergus grew up playing and performing traditional music in the Highlands of Scotland, before selecting guitar as his primary instrument and becoming a devotee of modern popular guitar styles. He studied at St Andrews and Edinburgh universities before attaining a Music Practice course from Telford College. Over the last two decades, he has built up extensive experience in live performance with top function bands, original artists and charting musicians, and continues to perform regularly with local musicians and on the professional circuit. As well as playing most styles of guitar, Fergus also plays and performs on harmonica and bagpipes.
Fergus has a passion for helping people of all ages develop their abilities and enthusiasm for the instrument, and enjoys working closely with pupils in order to fulfill their aspirations. Having taught numerous private students and recently started working in early years education, Fergus is delighted to be working with Lamp House Music and is looking forward to bringing his enthusiastic and student orientated approach to teaching to the students.