Teaching
Almost everyone who comes to me has the same problem, whatever their level. There is a sound they love, on a recording, in a concert, in their own head, and the sound coming out of their flute isn't it. Closing that gap is what my lessons are for, and the way we do it is always the same: hear your playing, simplify and embody your technique, and find your sound.
I have taught for over 20 years, and worked with people of all ages and abilities, from beginners to young professionals, and prepared people for auditions, exams, concerts and recordings.
I'm Principal Flute of the English Chamber Orchestra and have played guest principal with most of the UK's major orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic, London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, BBC Symphony and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
I teach from my home studio in Folkestone, at the Blüthner Piano Centre on Baker Street in London, and online to students around the world.
Read on for more information, or drop me a line on the contact form below to ask any questions or book a lesson.
Who I Teach
Advanced Players
Grade 8, diplomas (ARSM, DipABRSM, ATCL, LTCL), conservatoire and postgraduate auditions, orchestral excerpts and trial preparation.
More info
Adult Learners
Returners picking the flute up after years away, improvers who have plateaued, players in amateur orchestras and wind bands who want to sound better, and late starters.
More info
Teenage Players
From around Grade 5 upwards, particularly those aiming for Grade 8, a diploma or music college.
Younger children and complete beginners by arrangement.
How I Teach
In three moves. First you learn to hear your own playing and become aware of what your body is doing: what the breath, embouchure, fingers and phrasing are actually doing, not what you think they're doing. Then we simplify: most problems are effort in the wrong place, and the fix is usually smaller than you expect. Then the sound you wanted appears, and you know how you got there. The aim is that you leave able to diagnose and solve the next problem yourself, and that things feel easier, not just better.
The longer version: A holistic approach to music-making is key. Aural and theory training are woven into lessons to develop rounded flute playing, and importance is placed on context: seeing beyond the score, and how all the elements of playing music - technique, breathing, phrasing, embouchure etc - interact with each other. Lessons are fun and informal; students are encouraged to set their own goals and to develop engaging, imaginative playing. I use my experience as a professional musician to help students create their own approaches to mastering new music and techniques, building on their individual ways of processing and learning.
Orchestral life teaches things that don't appear in tutor books: listening, intonation, flexibility, blending, and the confidence to play under pressure. I bring that into every lesson, whatever your level, and you leave each one with a clear plan for approaching practice.
I graduated the University of Cambridge with a first class degree in music, and went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music with William Bennett, Michael Cox, Karen Jones and Patricia Morris. I was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2022 for outstanding services to the music profession.
My message to students:
Enjoy what you are doing. If you don't enjoy it, then you're not doing it right! Find out how you want to play, and make it your goal to play like that. To find out how you would like to play, listen to as many recordings and concerts as you can. Don't just hear music, listen to it, and react to it - be brave enough to dislike things as well as like them. Then take the bits that made you go ‘wow!’ - this may be something as slight as the way someone played a single, beautiful top note - and when you are at home practising, try to see if you can work out how to copy what you’ve heard. Don't just think that this need be limited to 'classical' music either. Beauty is in the eye, and ear, of the beholder, and the ultimate aim of music lessons is to equip the student with the technical facility to express their own version of beauty and brilliance.
Lessons and Rates
Folkestone
Lessons at my home, 5 mins walk from Folkestone Central (with parking outside). Folkestone is 55 minutes from London St Pancras
£70 per hour
Online
Live lessons over Zoom (or other platforms) with high-quality audio, for students anywhere in the world.
£60 per hour
More info
London
Lessons at Blüthner Piano Centre, 6 Baker Street, W1U 3AA (close to Bond Street, Baker Street and Marble Arch stations)
£80 per hour (includes room hire)
Lesson Blocks
10% discount for 5 lessons paid in advance
Theory Lessons
Theory for all grades, diplomas and A level, and music appreciation courses for adults. Online or Folkestone only. One-to-one
£50 per hour
What Students Say
"Harry really tailored lessons to meet my learning goals, & was happy to go at my pace. He is encouraging & built my confidence. He has given me a range of different ways of tackling challenges. His demonstrations on YouTube are really helpful. His timetable is flexible, so he can fit in to busy schedules."
"Harry’s education and work background are exceptional, which explains his professionalism. In addition to that, his personality and previous teaching experience enable him to make lessons engaging and intriguing.”
"Not being a professional but having played the flute since young, and not having had lessons for many a decade, lessons with Harry W have proved to be a delight. He is challenging, encouraging, detailed, generous, good humoured and very patient! Harry has taught me to play, to perform, to enjoy and to find a new, richer and larger sound from my old flute. I had thought I needed a new one, but no I needed to be taught well."
Get in Touch
Interested in lessons? Use to form opposite to get in touch.
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FAQs
What happens in a first lesson? We start by talking for a few minutes: what you want to sound like, what your goals are, what motivates you to play, and what's getting in the way of any of it. Then you play. I'll usually spot one or two things in the breath or embouchure that change the sound straight away, but the real work is helping you become aware of all the parameters at play, and building a practice that's efficient and effective enough to develop your control of each one and combine them into an easy, embodied sound.
Should I take lessons or teach myself? You can get a long way alone, but the habits that limit tone and stamina are the ones you can't see or feel in yourself. A teacher catches those in minutes, if not seconds. Even fortnightly or monthly lessons make self-directed practice far more efficient.
How often should I have lessons? This is completely dependent on what you want to achieve. Weekly or fortnightly lessons are most popular, as they give enough time to put into practice what has been discussed in the lessons, but regular enough to allow a good rhythm to your development. Sometimes, people alternate between online and in-person lessons.
Do you prepare students for exams? Yes: ABRSM and Trinity grades, diplomas (ARSM, DipABRSM, ATCL, LTCL), conservatoire auditions and final exams, and professional auditions.
Do you teach beginners or young children? Adult beginners, yes. Children under 14 and child beginners only by arrangement.
What are your terms? Lesson times can be changed with 48 hours' notice; cancellations with less notice are charged in full.