Chris McCartney   BA Music Education
Violin, Piano & Guitar Tuition
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About Chris McCartney

I started playing the violin when I was four years old. Born into a musical family, it was only a matter of time before some sort of musical instrument made its way into my hands. My first teacher was my mother. As I progressed through the early grades, I played the violin in the school recorder group and performed at many school events.

My music education

At the age of 9, I started Saturday lessons at the Kent music centre in Maidstone. While attending the centre, I was trained in general musicianship, keyboard skills and music theory as well as furthering my violin studies.

By the age of 12, I had successfully auditioned for a place at Trinity College of Music’s Junior Department, and attended for lessons in Violin, Piano, Theory and Musicianship every Saturday. I was taught the violin by Aidan Massey and piano by Simon Young and then by Mr. Chantry.

While at Trinity College of Music Junior Department, I took part in orchestral rehearsals and concerts in many renound venues across London and gained orchestral experience performing a vast array of orchestral works. I also received an award for improvisation for an ensemble performance on stage in the Purcell Room at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Alongside my classical Violin studies, I also started lessons on the Guitar from the age of 9. I was taught as a teenager by Ian Hudson (Crowborough) and learned to play both acoustic, and electric guitar as well as bass guitar.

I attended Trinity College of Music on the BMUS TCM course for 2 terms where I underwent much more orchestral training before leaving to pursue more experience in a less classical setting. I co-founded a folk-rock band where I variously played the violin, bass and mandolin. We performed in and around the London area. I also persued a classical career in a string duet, performing at weddings, events and venues across the South-East of England.

I decided to continue with my training in 2000 when I enrolled on the BA Music Education course at the University of North London (now London Metropolitan University). After two years of hard work, taking a little time to learn to play the drum kit and learn how to use music technology, I began work as a teacher of music. I was soon appointed as a head of department and have worked in several secondary schools.

It was while working in my first post as a secondary music teacher that I realised my love of individual teaching. I have taught violin and guitar in all of my teaching posts.

I am a qualified secondary school teacher (QTS) and have been Head of Music since 2003, up until 2013 teaching guitar and Violin alongside this role.

Having taught guitar and piano at West Wickham Music Tuition, and with a very full private client list I am now taking bookings for private tutoring on Violin, Piano and Guitar.

As well as teaching, I perform reguarly on the violin with the Folk/Pop band, Nou Enle.

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